
January 28, 2019

Little Duos, today Glenallachie

I haven’t tasted many new official Glenallachies yet, but that’ll happen sooner or later. In the meantime, let’s rather try some recent indies if you don’t mind…

Glenallachie-Glenlivet 25 yo 1992/2018 (56%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, bourbon hogsheads, 540 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: a slightly brute-ish start, on ale sauce and ginger liqueur, then old cellar, pumpernickel, and a development on brownies and grenadine, with whiffs of rubber in the background and touches of geranium leaves. With water: interesting. Hand cream, fruity mushrooms, pinesap, touches of eucalyptus… This baby swims very well. Mouth (neat): Jaffa cakes everywhere at first, then rather chocolate sauce (mole) and toasted gingerbread. Some kind of spicy/sour sauce. There are echoes of sherry, where do those come from? Quite some malt too, and, perhaps, even a tiny pinhead of Marmite. With water: once again things improve, and this time we’re rather all on marmalade and orangeade plus peach jam. It loves water indeed. Finish: rather medium and rather cleaner and fruitier. More peach jam, apple compote… Comments: another one that should come with a wee free bottle of water.
SGP:551 - 85 points.

Glenallachie 43 yo (50.4%, Elixir Distillers ‘Director’s Special’, sherry butt, 313 bottles)

Angus already tried this old baby for WF a few weeks ago so we’ll do this quick, if you agree. Colour: dark amber. Nose: it’s some very earthy, almost mushroomy sherry, with touches of old pinot noir, quite a lot of liquorice, then rather notes of old rancioty brandy, furniture polish, chestnuts, dried figs, maraschino, crème de menthe… This is pretty fantastic, I have to say. With water: a plate of Caesar’s mushrooms with some old balsamico sauce and drops of proper 19th century PX. Early 20th century would do. Mouth (neat): amazing! Never too oaky, yet ridden with old pine-y balms, old-style herbal liqueurs, gentian, a touch of horseradish, black tea, walnuts… Amazing, really. With water: takes water extremely well. Many spices, embrocations, herbal teas, some bouillon, a wee touch of Bovril, blood orange juice, half a drop of artisanal raki, gentian eau-de-vie, cough syrup… Some concoction! Finish: long and drier (naturally), creamy, still amazingly fresh despite the heavy-ish profile, and rather full of liquorices (with mint, with violets, with aniseed…) Comments: I think Angus was right, this is rather brilliant. Give this whisky the Nobel Prize. All of them.
SGP:472 - 92 points.

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