GLENALLACHIE TAKES TOP SPOT WITH NEW RELEASES

GLENALLACHIE RELEASES NEW UK-EXCLUSIVE SINGLE CASKS 

FOLLOWS UP WITH WINE CASK EXPRESSIONS

Acclaimed Speyside distillery Glenallachie sits on the eastern edge of Ben Rinnes mountain where it is rather exposed to the elements and is often to be seen sitting within the snowline. A modern building and a distillery which is rather pleasing to the eye, Glenallachie was commissioned in 1967 with two stills which increased to four in 1989 in order to meet blenders ever increasing demand for Glenallachie malt whisky. Whilst official releases are few independent releases are more numerous with those from Signatory Vintage and Cadenheads proving popular.

Closely following their World’s Best Single Malt award win (World Whiskies Awards, 2021), The GlenAllachie Distillery, led by industry veteran Billy Walker, revealed a new tranche of Single Casks on 21 April 2021 bottled exclusively for UK specialist retailers.

Each instalment of single cask expressions highlights Walker’s distinguished expertise in wood management, using only the finest quality casks expertly sourced from across the globe, and carefully monitoring the maturation journey. Having been inducted into Whisky Magazine’s prestigious Hall of Fame in February 2021, Walker holds widespread acclaim within the whisky industry for his considered hands-on approach and innovative philosophy.

This latest tranche of GlenAllachie Single Casks consists of four cask strength single malts carefully selected from amongst the distillery’s extensive stocks within their 16 on-site warehouses, spanning more than 50,000 casks. Each expression is bottled at natural strength, without added colouring or chill-filtration.

This batch includes a wide array of cask types and ages; from a 1989 Rioja Barrique to a 2007 Virgin Oak Barrel, a classic example of experimenting with the influence of wood. Their single casks are bottled at cask strength to let the natural character and charm of the spirit reign supreme. This, along with the fact they do not colour or chill filter the whisky, means the consumer can enjoy maximum flavour and mouthfeel. The GlenAllachie UK-Exclusive Single Casks are available now from British specialist retailers.

The new releases come hot on the heels of The GlenAllachie Distillers Company’s much anticipated first Blended Scotch Whisky offering, White Heather 21-year-old, with just 2,000 bottles available worldwide.

The batch includes: 

1:  1989 Cask #4011 – a 31-year-old Rioja Barrique (RRSP £535) 49.1% ABV. Ageing in this smaller sized cask allows for greater interaction with the wood, which in turn bestowed elegant coffee and dark chocolate tones upon the whisky.

TASTING NOTES:

GlenAllachie 31yo Rioja Barrique, cask #4011 – 49.1% ABV

Colour: Bronze.

Nose: Ripe bananas, raisins, pineapple and hints of mocha.

Taste: Brimming with raisons and almonds, followed by pineapple, mocha and cinnamon.

2:  2005 Cask #901042 –                                            

Bottled in early 2021, this expression is a 15-year-old Sherry Butt (RRSP £110) at its cask strength of 63.0% ABV.This expression was distilled in 2005 and is of 523 individually numbered bottles produced. 

TASTING NOTES:

GlenAllachie 15yo Sherry Butt, cask #901042 – 63.0% ABV

Colour: Rich Mahogany.

Nose: Mocha, vanilla and molasses, with cocoa, almonds, nutmeg and ginger. Taste: Layers of dark chocolate, treacle and mocha, with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and orange zest.

3:  2007 Cask #6871 – 

This bottle is from a 13-year-old Virgin Oak Barrel (RRSP £99) 59.6% ABV, with an outturn of just 272 bottles. Presented at cask strength, the expression promises a nutty, gingery character.

TASTING NOTES:

GlenAllachie 13yo Virgin Oak Barrel, cask #6871 – 59.6% ABV

Colour: Sunset Bronze.

Nose: Vanilla, plantains and apricots, with orange peel, ginger and nutmeg.

Taste: Layers of heather honey, treacle and figs, with orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg.

4:   2009 Cask #5000 – 

This bottle is from an 11-year-old Grattamacco Super Tuscan Barrique (RRSP £90) which delivered ruby-coloured spirit. Bottled at 58.3% ABV, and with its smaller cask size, this certified Organic Barrique has given notes of almonds and stone fruits.

TASTING NOTES:

GlenAllachie 11yo Grattamacco Red Wine Barrique, cask #5000 – 58.3% ABV

Colour: Ruby-Blush.

Nose: Waves of heather honey, toffee and cocoa, with peaches, almonds, orange zest and nutmeg.

Taste: Layers of toffee, heather honey, cocoa and peaches, fused with red berries, ginger and nutmeg.

AND ITS MAIDEN WINE CASK SERIES

Just a week later, Billy Walker produced The GlenAllachie’s inaugural bottlings release with its new Wine Cask Series.

Walker carefully selected premium barriques formerly used to age fine wines across France, Italy, and Spain to create three expressions to kick off the limited edition range: an 11-year-old Grattamacco Cask Finish (UK RRSP £58.99), a 12-year-old Sauternes Cask Finish (UK RRSP £60.99), and a 13-year-old Rioja Cask Finish (UK RRSP £63.99).

After initial aging in American Oak ex-bourbon barrels, the whisky was transferred into the adroitly chosen wine casks to undergo almost two years of additional maturation under Walker’s close supervision within The GlenAllachie’s on-site warehouses. As well as the terroir of the wine, factors such as the oak species, the cooperage and level of toasting were all considered in the cask selection process. Each of these aspects ultimately influence the characteristics of the resulting whisky.

The debut instalment of the Wine Cask Series features:

1. An 11-year-old expression finished in certified Organic Super Tuscan barriques made of French oak from the Grattamacco winery in the Bolgheri area of Tuscany, Italy.

TASTING NOTES 48% ABV

Colour: Rich Ruby Blush.

Nose: Waves of honey, peaches and apricots, with toffee, almonds and orange peel.

Taste: Toffee, heather honey, red berries and peaches, fused with apricots, orange peel and nutmeg.

Finish: medium, on overinfused fruit tea, clove and caramel.

2.  A 12-year-old expression that completed its maturation journey in French oak casks which previously held Sauternes, a dessert wine originating from Bordeaux in South-West France, after a medium level of toasting.

TASTING NOTES 48% ABV

Colour: Rich Golden.

Nose: Waves of heather honey, peaches and grapefruit, with hints of cinnamon and almonds.

Taste: Heather honey, treacle and pineapple, with peaches, sweet grapefruit and cinnamon.

Finish: medium, with more honey and cinnamon.

3.  A 13-year-old whisky which underwent secondary maturation in medium-toasted Spanish oak casks from Rioja, one of Spain’s premier wine regions.

TASTING NOTES 48% ABV

Colour: Golden Blush.

Nose: Waves of red berries, honey, grape must, orange peel and almonds.

Taste: Rich heather honey, sultanas, almonds and red berries, with barley sugar, grapefruit, orange peel and a hint of aniseed.

Finish: medium, on sultanas, light black pepper heat and toffee.

Every whisky in the range is available in very limited quantities, with only around 6,000 bottles per release. The bottlings are presented at 48% ABV, without added colouring or chill filtration.

The Wine Cask Series has a trio of really interesting expressions. Cask-finishing is perhaps the most exciting part of wood management because it allows an extra layer of complexity to be added to the whisky, whilst ensuring that the distillery character is not overpowered by the influence of the Oak. Selecting and working with these wine barriques is labourous but results in a great variety of bottlings: the Grattamacco delivers a nutty, stone fruit character, the Sauternes reveals an elegant grapefruit and elderflower tone, and the Rioja overflows with red berry sophistication.

GLENALLACHIE DEBUTS FIRST BLENDED WHISKY, WHITE HEATHER 21 YEAR OLD

The GlenAllachie launched its first blended Scotch whisky, White Heather 21 Year Old a few months ago. The new limited-edition offering is a small-batch blend with a high single malt content crafted by Speyside brand‘s renowned master distiller, Billy Walker.

To create the GlenAllachie White Heather, Walker harked back to his early days in the whisky industry at Hiram Walker, where he first practised the art of blending. He sourced single malt and grain whiskies from the Highlands, Islay and Speyside, which spent 18 years maturing in a combination of first-fill American barrels, sherry butts and second-fill barrels and hogsheads.

The final recipe – which includes some vintage GlenAllachie – was crafted in the GlenAllachie Distillery lab, then laid the blend down for an additional three-year maturation in a mix of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso puncheons and Appalachian virgin oak casks.

This particular 21 year old release of White Heather has been created using a high malt content which include single malts from Glenallachie along with whiskies from undisclosed Islay & the Highlands distilleries along with some older grain whiskies.

Walker used his 50 years in the industry to blend select whiskies that, when interfaced with each other ultimately amplified the overall flavour experience, a truly memorable small-batch aged blend that sits proudly alongside even the very best single malts. It’s a fine balance bringing together the character of such different whiskies and cask types.

This re-creation from the brand that was originally discontinued in the 1980’s, and which was acquired by The GlenAllachie in 2017, is said to deliver notes of heather honey, butterscotch, peat reek and hints of tannins on the nose. Followed by notes of heather honey, butterscotch, orange peel, soft tannins, peat and smoke on the palate.

The resulting whisky perfectly balances gentle peat from the Islay contribution, archetypal Speyside fruity notes, the heather honeyed sweetness of the Highlands, and a rich and rounded foundation from the grain components.

Bottled at 48% ABV and free from chill filtration and artificial colouring, just 2,000 bottles of the GlenAllachie White Heather 21 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky are available worldwide through specialist retailers for the price of £120 ($165 USD) per bottle.