Kategoriarkiv: Glenallachie

Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie 9 YO Amontadillo Sherry Cask Finish

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a honey sweetness, heather and oak. When it settles in the glass the sweetness thickens and vanilla replaces the oakiness. There’s a slight nuttiness and just a small hint of lemon in the back. A thin layer of leathery tobacco sits on top and it grows bigger with time. There are mixed sweet fruits and dark berries but they are not indentifiable. This is a nice nose which changes a lot over time. It feels a bit top heavy overall.

Mouth: It starts out with cracked black pepper up front and lemon and peaches in the back. In between there’s a mix of vanilla, honey and a small hint of fruits. The palate gets dry and there’s a bitter and nutty background emerging with hazelnuts and dark chocolate. The oakiness peeks through as well and it comes with some tobacco notes as well. It’s quite intense and gets very spicy after a while.

Finish: The spicyness flares up through the transition and takes over for a second or two. When it spreads out over the palate the darker notes are first to return. Dark chocolate, fruits and tobacco makes a quick visit before the oak and the hazelnuts return. It’s a nice oakiness which feels like a mix of old and new. There’s a slight dustiness to it and the nuttiness follows along. This is a great whisky. It’s young and needs a lot of air, but for those who wait it’s a great experience.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Amontadillo sherry hogsheads. It’s a limited release. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie 8 YO

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a big and bold vanilla and red fresh berries. When it settles everything becomes more ripe and the whole becomes a lot darker. There’s a fresh oakiness within which is noticable almost from the get-go. A hint of tobacco and raisins with a fresh top note of raspberries finds its way into th pushing out the oakiness towards the edges. Butterscotch can be found deep within as well. This is a very good nose. The fresh oakiness seems a bit out of place and the whole thing seems a bit engineered.

Mouth: It starts out with the oakiness on the edges demanding a big part of the palate. The center part slowly becomes dark ripe raisins and overripe plums with a bitter dark chocolate in the back. There’s a speck of dust on top and a mix of butterscotch and tobacco within, but everything is obscured by the new fresh oakiness which makes the experience utterly unbalanced at this point. A black pepper spicyness comes for those who wait.

Finish: The finish starts out dry and full of new oak. The peppery spicy note mixes with the oak spices and increases in intensity. The bitter dark chocolate and the ripe fruits reappears for a short while but they can’t compete with the oakiness. The late part of the finish is just like chewing on an oak plank with a bit of dark chocolate smeared on it. This is a good whisky. It’s way over-oaked which makes it unbalanced and a bit boring though. It’s a pity because the other flavours are really nice.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a mix of ex-PX/ex-Oloroso sherry casks and a small amount of red wine barriques and virgin oak casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie 2009 Single Cask

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ABV: 56.2 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was distilled in 2009 and aged in an ex-PX puncheon (#5709) for ~13 years. It was bottled in 2022 and released in Sweden. It’s limited to 699 bottles. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Meikle Toir, Speyside

Meikle Tòir 5 YO The Original

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ABV: 50 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and peaty. At first there’s a wood driven peatiness with notes of vanilla and honey. Underneath is a small gritty note as well as a fresh lemon sourness. When it starts to settle everything merges and creates a very nice, solid character. Unfortunatley this means that the complexity takes a hit and the gritty notes disappear. It’s a great nose, but it feels somewhat like it could benefit by being a bit more rowdy.

Mouth: It starts out with a bitterness in the back and some salty and rubbery notes in the center together with burning wood. The sweetness has come way down and it feels young and spirity. There’s a big contrast between the nose and the mouth and the surprise isn’t all that great. The lack of rowdy notes on the nose is definitely not a problem anymore, but it replaces a lot of the nice flavours in the process. It has a nice power and presence though. The bitterness become dark chocolate after a while. After a few sips the lemon sourness start to appear in the taste as well.

Finish: The transition starts with an increase in spicyness, but it’s a nicely curved one. The lemon notes in the back are very pronounced throughout the finish. The peatiness and the gritty note stays and an undefined ripe note is added. There’s still chocolate in the back. The character shifts back and is now matching the nose and somewhere along the line everything sort of comes together. The late finish is very satisfactory. The oakiness is quite laid back and brings a nutty side to the mix. This is a very good whisky. It has its ups and downs but in the end comes through as a solid experience.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in first fill ex-bourbon, rye and virgin oak casks. The peat level is 35 PPM. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Highlands

Glenallachie 11 YO – Moscatel Wood Finish

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Highlands
Type: Single malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and fruity. At first there’s a thick honey and vanilla sweetness. Close behind are a layer of bright and juicy fruits. There’s also heather and toffee creating a nice background together with a peppermint freshness. It feels very there-dimensional and textured. With time in the glass the sweetness mellows out and it becomes more balanced overall. This is a very nice and balanced nose with small nuances to discover.

Mouth: It starts out very sweet and malty. There’s a big surge of ABV spicyness pushing through slowly from the get-go. A very pleasant fruitiness with peaches and lemon comes through from behind and there’s a slight bitterness in the background which is attached to a dry oakiness. Over time everything seem to merge into one big mass with sweet, sour and bitter extensions. It even has a salty overtone to it. This is really playing to a lot of different senses.

Finish: It starts out with another ABV spicyness surge but it’s less powerful than the initial one. The first thing to come through is a big basket of peaches. The salty overtones remain as well. it’s less sweet and bitter than in the mouth and the peaches remain the main focal point throughout the finish. The honey and vanilla notes are residing on the edges. With time a nice but somewhat anonymous oakiness fills the background and that supports the fruitiness and creates an extra dimension. This is a great whisky which has a lot to offer, both in smell, taste and sensations.

Additional information
This is a part of Glenallachie’s Wood Finish Series. It’s aged for over 9 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in ex-Moscatel casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie 10 YO – Chinquapin Virgin Oak

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and oaky. At first there’s a pugnant new oak lid on top with a lot of vanilla attached to it. Underneath is a brown sugar sweetness with banana and a hint of marzipan. It almost comes with a bourbon profile at first, but after a while the maltiness arrives together with some assorted green fruits. There’s a hint of varnish in there as well as some honey and butterscotch. This is a decent, yet over-oaked and boring, nose.

Mouth: It starts out with a bitter note in the back, a sweetness in the middle and an oakiness all along the edges. Coffee, dark chocolate and banana are all coming through as well as a spicy chili note, butterscotch and some lemon zest. There is also a fresher green fruitiness floating around. Everything is covered in an aggressive oakiness which makes it feel very unbalanced. The oakiness is quite unique and it very much does deliver what the box says. It still feels a bit boring though.

Finish: The transition is quite logical with a slight increase in spicyness, especially the spices coming from the oak. The sweetness, vanilla and the green fruits are joined by liquorice, but everything swiftly passes by before the oakiness once more takes over. In the finish the oakiness shifts towards a more nutty character with walnuts, coffee and with a hint of the banana still in there. It’s slightly astringent and the late finish is slightly unpleasant. This is a so-and-so whisky by taste, but it delivers on its promises. This means that the consumer needs to be an absolute oak lover.

Additional information
This whisky was first in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for 18 months in Chiquapin virgin oak barrels. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Independent bottlers, Signatory Vintage, Speyside

Glenallachie 2008 13 YO (Signatory Vintage Cask Strength Collection)

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ABV: 63.7 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is dark and powerful. At first there’s a hefty cloud of high ABV floating around on top of a dark pool of espresso, ripe and dried fruits and cacao. When it starts to settle the fruitiness becomes a bit brighter with some fresh fruits mixed with raisins and overripe plums. A vanilla sweetness starts to rise out towards the edges and a leather note appears in the center. The whole is very rich on the nose. The oak is also detectable and it’s a mild oakiness without any sharp edges. This is a fantastic nose which never seems to stop morphing into something different, yet within the same flavour profile.

Mouth: It starts out with a big hit of the high ABV and it’s almost over the top. Underneath the spicyness it feels very balanced between the dark sherry notes and the fruity distillate. There are dark chocolate, leather and raisins mixed with fresh apples, malt, vanilla, toffee and some dusty wooden shelves. There are some almonds floating around as well. The background has a lemon sourness and a coffee bitterness. It’s not as dark on the palate as on the nose but it feels like a logical and interesting development.

Finish: The powerful spicyness spreads out nicely. It’s certainly making a statement at this point but doesn’t feel like it’s attacking the palate. It’s a dusty and bitter start to the finish but it soon shifts towards a mix of lemon, leather, almonds and oak. A floral note is floating around on top as the oakiness start to take over. It’s a dry oakiness which has a nice mix between new and old. It stays around for a long finish. This is a fantastic whisky which is really fun to explore. (It becomes even better with a splash of water!)

Additional information
This whisky was aged in a single ex-Oloroso sherry butt (No. 900372). It was distilled 2008 and bottled 2022. The bottle tried is no. 487/678. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie 10 YO Cask Strength Batch 7

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ABV: 56.8 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 1
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 5/5

Tasting notes
Sample added to queue. Tasting notes pending.

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Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-PX and ex-Oloroso sherry puncheons, ex-Rioja red wine barriques and virgin oak casks. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie 12 YO – Ruby Port Wood Finish

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
This was tasted at a whisky festival. No tasting notes were recorded. The impression was that this is a sweet and fruity whisky with a mix of honey, vanilla, ginger and dark grape notes. There’s also notes of oranges, milk chocolate and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Additional information
This whisky was first aged for ten years in american oak barrels and then finished in ex-Ruby Port pipes. This is from batch 3 of the Wood Finish Range. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie 15 YO

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ABV: 46 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
This was tasted at a whisky festival. No tasting notes were recorded. The impression was that this is a sweet, dark and fruity whisky with a mix of raisins, overripe plums and fresher fruits like apples and pears. Notes of coffee, leather and tobacco was in there as well as a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Additional information
This whisky was aged in ex-Oloroso and ex-PX sherry hogsheads and puncheons. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.

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Glenallachie, Speyside

Glenallachie – 11 YO Grattamacco Wine Cask Finish

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ABV: 48 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 0
Impression: 4/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet ripe berries and malt. At first there’s a big emphasis on the ripe berries with a thick top layer coming from the red wine casks. Underneath lies a malty and sweet core with a mild spicyness attached to it. Vanilla and fudge notes can be found within. When it settles there are light floral notes and a fresher tropical fruitiness coming through along the edges of the glass with a hint of peaches and violets. There’s also a mild and thin menthol layer on top. This is a very good nose but it feels a bit top heavy. It greatly improves with time in the glass.

Mouth: It starts out with the soft, ripe berries covering the outer parts of the palate. There’s an almond/marzipan note attached to the outer layer as well. It comes through as slightly bitter, but it’s not an offensive bitterness. The whole is not as sweet on the palate as on the nose. The fresher fruitiness creates an orange peel note in the background and the peaches are still in there. There’s still a toffee sweetness in the center, but it’s not especially pronounced and it feels a bit dusty. The floral notes are nowhere to be found.

Finish: The ripe berries stay in the outer layer through the transition and the orange peel notes stay in the background. It’s a logical transition without any spikes. The peaches is now once again showing themselves in the back part of the palate but they are soon competing with the oakiness, which seems to emerge from the orange peel in the background. It’s a nice nutty oakiness which fits nicely with the rest of the character. It carries the fresher fruits a long way down the late finish. This is a very good whisky overall. It feels a bit top heavy and the wine cask finish feels a bit detached from the rest of the whisky.

Additional information
This whisky is first aged in american ex-bourbon barrels for 9 years and then finished in ex-Grattamacco wine barriques for 2 years. It’s unchillfiltered and has natural colour.