
March 22, 2019

GlenAllachie vs. Glenallachie

Glenallachie/GlenAllachie is Billy Walker’s latest venture. Surely not as big a name as Glendronach/GlenDronach, but let’s remember Benriach/BenRiach wasn’t quite a big name either when he took it over. Would this be April 1., I’d add that Mr. Walker’s about to take control of Macallan/MacAllan and Ardbeg/ArdBeg, but indeed that would be almost as stupid as, say, a French Yellow Vest. Even on April 1. Anyway, we’ve already tried the new GlenAllachie 12 and 18 last year, and thought the 12 was a little more to my liking. But we’ll have different beasts today... First, an apéritif:

Glenallachie 7 yo 2009/2016 (46%, Douglas Laing, Provenance, cask #11187)

Glenallachie 7 yo 2009/2016 (46%, Douglas Laing, Provenance, cask #11187)
This should be extremely distillate-y, so make for a good introduction, let’s see... Colour: virtually white. Indeed. Nose: ni-i-i-i-ce. Fresh butter, fern, a little sage and tarragon, and only moderate quantities of pears. There’s a very lovely grassiness indeed, very fresh, quite complex, and absolutely ‘worth bottling’. A little mashed potato as well, but it’s more grassy and even floral than cereally/yeasty. Really very nice. Mouth: pretty impressive. Damson eau-de-vie at first (Zwetchke), then lemons, apples, and then drops of gin, not the nicest part. I suppose these notes of gin would then vanish after a few more years, but they make this baby lose some points in my book. Finish: young, rather on grapefruits and various fresh herbs. Tarragon again, you could add drops of this to a sauce béarnaise. Comments: nice grassy spirit, nice to know before we tackle older Glenallachies...
SGP:461 - 82 points.

GlenAllachie 10 yo ‘Cask Strength Batch 2’ (54.8%, OB, 2018)

This was ‘matured’ in a combination of PX, oloroso, virgin oak, and bourbon. Some finishing must have been done (I suppose) but it’s not fully PX-ed, so there’s hope. Colour: gold. Nose: nice and funny, pretty singular, and indeed I do find some tarragon again, sage, perhaps sorrel? A feeling of green curry as well (possibly from the virgin oak), then more regular touches of vanilla, dried apricots, pine honey (honeydew), pastries, some musty grated coconut from an old box, and a few rose petals (from the PX?) It’s clearly ‘a recipe’ and there has been some kind of kitchen work – that's what I feel at least, but that worked so far. With water: a load of vanilla now. We may have woken up some American oak. Mouth (with water): much work done with the woods. Spices, caraway, ginger, fruit drops, cloves, sweet peppers, dried banana... What would the Michelin Guide say? With water: cinchona, touches of lavender sweets, tonic water, ginger, vanilla, some strong green tea. A similar feeling. Finish: rather long, fruity and gritty. Bubblegum. Comments: a funny drop, unlike any other and not quite very ‘Scottish’, whatever that means. Very hard to score, but yeah, it brings some fun.
SGP:651 - 83 points.

GlenAllachie 25 yo (48%, OB, 6000 bottles, 2018)

Some PX in action again, it seems. What was done at GlenDronach seems to be done at GlenAllachie too, but as Audrey Hepburn used to say, “Why change?”. No, that’s an actual quote. Colour: gold. Nose: is it normal that I get something reminiscent of Bruichladdich? Such as melons and juicy peaches, with some ‘Atlantic Freshness’ too? Sorry if I sound like a bottle neck hanger. Then some custard, orange cake, a very discreet sourness (vanilla yoghurt), and notes of fresh sweet bread, orange blossom water... And very little PX. In short, no truckloads of grassier raisins on steroids. Mouth: we’re closer to the 10 CS, with quite some youth and probably not a feeling of ‘unhurried 25 years old malt whisky’. Not what they claim to anyway. Some oranges, pepper, a wee camphory/mentholy side, some nutmeg, and some rather grassy fruits. Perhaps bilberries? Whortleberries? Finish: medium, fruity and spicy, not unlike some Indian sauces that you would pour over, say good chicken. Have to try that one day. Notes of lavender sweets again in the aftertaste – no, certainly not Parma Violets, this is not Bowmore 1985! Comments: once again, an unusual drop, and a style that’s rather new, a bit reminiscent of what some new world distilleries are doing with smaller casks. Really worth checking, I believe they have found, or create 'an own style’.
SGP:561 - 85 points.

Now wo would have some ‘untouched’ old Glenallachie to bring our proceedings to a close?...

Glenallachie-Glenlivet 26 yo 1992/2019 (54.8%, Cadenhead, hogshead, 240 bottles)

Colour: pale white wine. Nose: what the colour suggested, that it’s really ‘young’, untouched indeed, only flavoured with time. Which gives us lemons, grapefruits, green apples, fresh bread, and hints of chalk and plaster, plus a little aspirin. Not that we’d need aspirin, quite the opposite. No notes of tarragon this time, though. With water: a breeze over an orchard while the fruits aren’t quite ripe yet. Mouth (neat): oh! Pure, well-carved, almost crystalline lemons, lime and grapefruits, with just touches of white pepper and, once again, chalk. Some vanilla and honey too, but only minuscule quantities. With water: superb, extremely pure, almost philosophical. In a way, you would have thought the Japanese would issue such styles of whiskies, which is absolutely not the case. They rather do that with sake. Finish: medium, crystalline, with a little quince and plum this time. Comments: the polar opposite of the officials. I can’t wait to see if the owners dig out such ‘all natural’ casks too in the future. Luminous whisky, well done again, Cadenhead.
SGP:661 - 90 points.

Check the index of all Glenallachie we've tasted so far