glenallachie distillers company

Review | Glenallachie 15 years old

The 15 years old forms part of the compact core single malt range from the Speyside distillery of Glenallachie. It sits alongside expressions released at 12- and 18-years of age, plus the 10 years old Cask Strength. The Glenallachie 15 years old sees initial maturation in ex-bourbon, before a lengthy finishing period in ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheons and butts. The core range has been created by Billy Walker - the co-owner and Master Blender of Glenallachie. The Glenallachie 15 years old is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available from specialist retailers worldwide. A bottle should cost around £65.

The Glenallachie distillery is located close to the town of Aberlour in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson & Co. in 1967 and was designed by renowned distillery architect William Delmé-Evans. Glenallachie translates as 'valley of the rocks' from Gaelic. The current owners are The Glenallachie Distillers Co. who took over in mid-2017.

Under their ownership, and the vision of Master Distiller Billy Walker in particular, the brand has quickly established itself as a single malt brand and has a cult following. Previously, bottlings were rare with most spirit going into popular blends such as Ballantine's and Chivas Regal. The annual production capacity is four million litres, although Walker has reduced this to around 750,000 litres per year.

Our Tasting Notes

The colour is deep amber and the nose is rich, bold and with a delicious fruity sweetness. Aromas of dark dried fruits (think of raisins, currants and dates especially) rise from the glass and are quickly joined by caramel, manuka honey and treacle sponge pudding. Underneath sit further aromas of candied orange, dark chocolate and cedarwood.

On the palate this whisky is rich, luscious and velvety. Notes of dark caramel and sweet hazelnut praline come through immediately and are soon joined by the dark dried fruits from the nose - imagine brandy-soaked raisins, juicy currants and figs. Add in some sticky date pudding and treacle tart for extra depth and complexity. Underneath sit hints of dark chocolate, cocoa powder and mocha.

With time, more savoury characteristics begin to evolve. The cedarwood from the nose is first to appear, along with something resembling antique furniture and old cigar box. Woody baking spices, such as cinnamon and cassia build up slowly, and are joined by hints of orange oil and espresso coffee. The combination with the sweeter and fruitier elements is exquisite.

The finish is long and rich. The sweetness lingers well and slowly fades, as does the dried fruitiness. This brings the savoury woody and spicy characteristics to the fore and these drag out the finish superbly. The whisky becomes pleasantly dry and warming, and begs for another sip.

What's The Verdict?

This is a beautiful whisky from Glenallachie and exactly how a good ex-sherry cask Scotch single malt should be. It is rich and luxurious in feel, and balances the sweet and fruity notes superbly with the darker and more savoury ones. Definitely one to search out, especially of you are a fan of ex-sherry cask influenced whiskies. It also comes in at a decent price for a 15 year old these days and gives good value for it.

Review | Glenallachie 12 years old

The 12 years old forms the cornerstone of the core single malt range from the Speyside distillery of Glenallachie. It sits alongside expressions released at 15- and 18-years of age, plus the 10 years old Cask Strength which is released in batches. The Glenallachie 12 years old features a combination of three cask types - first-fill ex-bourbon, first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry and virgin American oak. This whisky, and the rest of the core range, have been created by Billy Walker - the co-owner and Master Blender of Glenallachie.The Glenallachie 12 years old is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available from specialist retailers worldwide. A bottle should cost around £45.

The Glenallachie distillery is located just outside the town of Aberlour in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson & Co. in 1967 and was designed by renowned distillery architect William Delmé-Evans. Glenallachie translates as 'valley of the rocks' from Gaelic. The current owners are The Glenallachie Distillers Co. who took over in mid-2017.

Our Tasting Notes

The colour is coppery gold and the nose is fruity, floral and rich. Aromas of raisin, prune and caramel mingle with hard toffee, milk chocolate and toasted hazelnut to begin. Further depth is added as aromas of orange oil, cinnamon bark and mocha evolve. Hints of sultana, vanilla pod and dusty wood shavings sit in the background.

On the palate this whisky is rich, sweet and velvety. Luscious and luxurious dried fruits lead the way - think of raisin, sultana, Cognac-soaked prune and candied orange peel. These are joined by hints of juicy peach and apricot, plus some butterscotch sauce and runny honey. These initial characteristics are underpinned by a distinct malty quality and some green apple, which evolves nicely.

Underneath are further notes of milk chocolate and hazelnut praline with a hint of toasted almond. A pinch of cocoa powder and some mocha add depth and complexity. All the time, a distinct warming spiciness is building - think of cinnamon, all-spice and nutmeg with suggestions of clove and liquorice root. The caramel from the nose returns right at the end.

The finish is long and rich. It becomes increasingly dry, woody and spicy. This is especially true once the sweet caramel and honey-like notes, plus the dried fruit characteristics start to fade. This leaves drying wood tannins and a distinct nuttiness to the fore, which is accentuated by warm baking spices.

What's The Verdict?

The Glenallachie 12 years old is a delicious whisky and one that perfectly demonstrates how good ex-sherry cask Speyside single malts can be. It is a perfect example of the style. The richness and sweetness leads the way but there is so much depth and complexity that each sip is different. This is also still selling for a decent price in a world where whisky prices, especially those with sherry cask maturation, are ever increasing. Definitely worth buying for your whisky shelf.

Review | Meikle Tòir by Glenallachie

Meikle Tòir, which translates from Gaelic as ‘big pursuit’, is a new peated single malt brand from the Speyside distillery of Glenallachie. The range features peated spirit produced at Glenallachie since Master Blender Billy Walker and The Glena…

Meikle Tòir, which translates from Gaelic as 'big pursuit', is a new peated single malt brand from the Speyside distillery of Glenallachie. The range features peated spirit produced at Glenallachie since Master Blender Billy Walker and The Glenallchie Distillers Co. took over in mid-2017. Previous to this no peated whisky had ever been distilled there. The range has four editions in the 2023 batch, each aged five years.

These are The Original (matured in ex-bourbon, ex-rye and American virgin oak casks), The Sherry One (aged in American oak, followed by ex-Pedro Ximenez and ex-Oloroso sherry puncheons), The Chinquapin One (initial maturation in American oak, before Chinquapin virgin oak barrels), and The Turbo 2023 Edition (a small-batch annual release capturing ‘the heart of the heart’: the spirit cut with the highest phenol content - it was aged in American virgin oak and sherry casks).

The Glenallachie distillery is located near the town of Aberlour in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson & Co. in 1967 and was designed by renowned distillery architect William Delmé-Evans. Prior to Walker's takeover, bottlings were rare with most spirit going into popular blends such as Ballantine's and Chivas Regal. The annual production capacity is four million litres, although Walker has reduced this to around 750,000 litres per year.

The Original and The Turbo are bottled at 50% ABV while The Sherry One and The Chinquapin One are both at 48% ABV. All are non-chill filtered and of natural colour. All except The Turbo use spirit with a peating level of 35ppm. The Turbo is heavily peated at 71ppm. Prices start from £50.

Our Tasting Notes

Meikle Tòir The Original

The colour is golden yellow and the nose is sooty and ashy with some underlying sweetness. Aromas of charcoal embers, surgical bandage and manuka honey dominate. They are supported by plenty of green apple, toffee and white chocolate, plus a pinch of white pepper.

On the palate this whisky is surprisingly soft and fudge-like for 50% ABV. The fudge and toffee-like notes, plus the manuka honey from the nose give a nice level of sweetness, but it is the more savoury characteristics that are in control. Damp and vegetal notes, such as moss and cut grass, evolve to become more medicinal and bonfire-like. It becomes especially sooty and slightly dirty towards the finish. White chocolate and cocoa powder also come through, as does some caramelised apple. There are also hints of cinnamon, earthy ginger root and clove - this particularly increases with time.

Meikle Tòir The Sherry One

The colour is coppery amber and the nose is lovely. Sweet aromas of caramel, milk chocolate and dried fruits mix with more savoury ones of charred oak, toasted hazelnuts and sooty peat smoke. Hints of barbequed apple, honeycomb and coffee grounds sit in the background.

On the palate this whisky is rich, bold and savoury. Heavy notes of caramel, dried fruit (especially raisin and sultana) and bonfire embers or ash hit first. They are supported by stewed apple with plenty of clove and cinnamon bark. More savoury notes come in the form of cigar tobacco leaf, damp moss and dried heather. The smoke gives a gripping dryness that dominates. Slowly more sweet characteristics begin to redress the balance - think of honeycomb, butterscotch, prunes and a hint of treacle tart. The combination of these with the ashy and sooty smoke is very good. The finish is long and smoky.

Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One

The colour is deep gold and the nose is earthy, smoky and spicy. Aromas of honeycomb, golden syrup and toffee mingle with those of sweet peat smoke, gingerbread and vanilla fudge. Underneath sit smouldering, earthy spices - think of liquorice root, ginseng and cinnamon bark.

On the palate this whisky feels sweet, robust and spicy. A distinct peppery note kicks things off but very quickly the honeycomb and golden syrup characteristics from the nose come through well. Then comes some further notes of milk chocolate and toasted nuts, especially hazelnut and walnut. The savoury notes are never far away though. The sweet peat from the nose now has a sooty, ashy edge along with a pinch of white pepper and cinnamon powder. There are also hints of heather honey, clove and liquorice root. A late damp earthy note rounds everything off and give a dry, peppery finish.

Meikle Tòir The Turbo

The colour is gold with a tint of amber and the nose is rich and powerful. Aromas of caramel, heather honey and milk chocolate are upfront but it is not long before the savoury peat smoke begins to dominate. This has a burnt and charcoal ash-like feel to it and wisps its way around the other aromas.

On the palate this whisky has plenty of spice and acrid smoke to the fore. The sweetness is there and sits in the background - think of coconut fondant, vanilla cream, milk chocolate and runny honey. However, it is the peat smoke that dominates. It is ashy and earthy with a drying and medicinal edge. Some other savoury notes come through well and include damp leather, toasted spices and bitter orange peel. The peppery spice begins to build towards the end and adds further dryness as the sweetness fades away.

Review / White Heather 15 years old

The Glenallachie Distillers Company have just released this new blended Scotch whisky. The White Heather 15 years old joins the 21 years old expression in the White Heather range, which was first launched last year, and forms part of the wider MacNair's Boutique House of Spirits. This includes the Lum Reek blended malt and Exploration Rum brands. The White Heather is blended by Billy Walker, the Master Distiller and co-owner of Glenallachie. It features single malts from Islay, the north Highlands and Speyside plus single grain whisky. These have been matured in a combination of virgin oak, ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.

The White Heather 15 years old will be available globally through selected specialist whisky retailers and is bottled at 46% ABV. It is also non chill-filtered and of natural colour. A bottle will cost £60/ $78.50 US.

Our tasting notes

The colour is golden yellow and the nose is sweet, fruity and floral. Aromas of golden syrup and honey combine well with cooked apple compote and poached pear. Underneath are further aromas of vanilla custard, delicate baking spices and a pinch of cocoa powder. A whiff of Summer flowers gives a light and bright feel.

On the palate this whisky is soft, gentle and immediately sweet. Plenty of vanilla start the proceedings (think of fresh vanilla pods and that vanilla custard from the nose), plus a distinct citrus-like kick - this has a bittersweet twist and is reminiscent of orange and lemon peel. The stewed orchard fruits from the nose are also present and at a good level - imagine apple crumble and poached pears with a butterscotch sauce. Delicious.

The sweetness is accentuated by notes of golden syrup and heather honey. The honey in particular moves the mid-palate in a floral direction, with the Summer flowers from the nose and a hint of rose petal coming through nicely. Underneath are some gentle warming wood spices and soft background peat smoke that ends up wrapping itself around the other notes to give a good savoury element.

The finish is of decent length the sweet, fruity and floral notes slowly drift away and this leaves the woody spices and that delicate peat smoke to shine. A late hit white pepper and gingerbread add warmth and depth.

What's the verdict?

The White Heather 15 years old is lovely and packed with layers of flavour. We particularly enjoyed the brightness and vibrancy. The fruitiness and sweetness work well together and are complimented well by the unusual floral notes. All are underpinned by that warming spiciness and a lick of gentle peat smoke, which is used like seasoning rather than being a dominating force. Well worth a try.

Review / Glenallachie 8 years old

This new whisky is the latest expression to enter the core range of the Speyside single malt distillery of Glenallachie (pronounced glen-alla-key). The Glenallachie 8 years old sees whisky from four different cask types married together. These are virg…

This new whisky is the latest expression to enter the core range of the Speyside single malt distillery of Glenallachie (pronounced glen-alla-key). The Glenallachie 8 years old sees whisky from four different cask types married together. These are virgin oak casks, ex-red wine barriques, plus ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheons. The casks were hand selected by Billy Walker, the Master Blender for Glenallachie, for this first batch. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The Glenallachie 8 years old will be available via specialist whisky retailers worldwide and is expected to retail for £42.50/ $55.50 US.

The Glenallachie distillery is located just outside the town of Aberlour in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson & Co. in 1967 and was designed by renowned distillery architect William Delmé-Evans. The current owners are The Glenallachie Distillers Co. who took over in mid-2017.

Our tasting notes

The colour is deep gold with a tint of amber is sweet and vibrant. Aromas of sultana and fresh green apple mingle with toffee, fudge and raisin. Underneath are further aromas of warming wood spices (especially cinnamon), brown sugar, milk chocolate and and a hint of something uplifting and floral.

On the palate this whisky is immediately sweet and sugary. Crumbly muscovado sugar and plump juicy raisins and sultanas lead the way. These notes are followed by caramel, fudge and toffee with a suggestion of milk chocolate and cocoa powder. Other sweet notes begin to develop with time - think of molasses, stewed apples and vanilla ice cream covered in butterscotch.

Warming spices come through. These follow two tracks - woody oak, which gives a drying and slightly bitter edge, and baking spices. These give warmth, depth and add to the complexity. Think of cinnamon, all-spice and a pinch of mace. A slightly strange burnt characteristic appears towards the end. This is a little bitter and tannic with hints of toasted nuts and burnt caramel.

The finish is of decent length. The sweet and fruity notes hold well but slowly begin to fade. This allows the woody and spicy elements to come to the fore. It gives a gripping and drying warmth. Unfortunately that burnt characteristic from the late palate also reappears.

What's the verdict?

This whisky is now the new entry point into the Glenallachie core range. We can see why they have done this and it is good to see someone putting out an age statement of under 10 years. It presents a whisky at around the £40 price point, which was missing before.

Glenallachie have become known for their sherry cask expressions and experimentation since Billy Walker took over. To this end the new 8 years old feels a little like Glenallachie Lite. There are obvious sherry cask elements there but it lacks the characteristics that can only come with age. Also, that bitter burnt note is a little off-putting and disappointing towards the end.

Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (April 15, 2022)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.

Here is the round-up of the news from this last week.

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Bowmore

The Islay distillery of Bowmore has announced a new single malt that will be exclusive to the travel retail sector - the Bowmore 22 years old Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish. It features 18 year old pockets of whisky that were matured in different cask types including barrels butts and hogsheads. These were then married together and matured for four extra years in European oak ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. The whisky was created by Ron Welsh, the Master Blender for Bowmore. The Bowmore 22 years old Pedro Ximenez Cask Finish will be exclusively available in China. No details of price were given in the press release.

Gelston's

The up-and-coming Irish whiskey brand of Gelston's has announced the release of an Irish cream liqueur to add to its ever expanding range. The new product has been created using a blend of triple distilled Irish whiskey matured in ex-bourbon barrels, cream and chocolate. It has been created by Johnny Neill, the great great grandson of Samuel Gelston. He originally founded the brand in Belfast in 1830, before Neill resurrected it in modern times. The Gelston's Irish Whiskey Cream Liqueur will cost £14/ $18.50 US a bottle and will be available via Tesco in Northern Ireland and online via The Drop Store for the rest of the UK.

Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has released a new expression into its core single malt range - the Glenallachie 8 years old (pictured, left). It sees whisky from four different cask types married together - virgin oak casks, ex-red wine barriques, plus ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheons. These casks were selected by Billy Walker, the Master Blender for Glenallachie. It is bottled at 46% ABV and is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. The Glenallachie 8 years old will be available via specialist whisky retailers worldwide and is expected to retail for £42.50/ $55.50 US.

The Glenallachie Distillers Company have also announced a new blended Scotch whisky - the White Heather 15 years old (pictured, right). It joins the 21 years old expression in the White Heather range, which forms part of the wider MacNair's Boutique House of Spirits. This has been blended by Walker and features single malts from Islay, the north Highlands and Speyside plus single grain whisky. These have been matured in virgin oak, ex-bourbon, ex-Oloroso and ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry casks. Again, it will be available globally and is bottled at 46% ABV. It is also non chill-filtered and of natural colour. A bottle will cost £60/ $78.50 US.

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Inbox / The Week’s Whisky News (March 4, 2022)

Here is the round-up of the news from this last week ...

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Glenallachie

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has revealed details of the latest release in its award-winning 10 years old Cask Strength series. Batch 7 has seen whisky matured in ex-Pedro Ximenez and ex-Oloroso sherry casks, plus ex-Rioja red wine barrels and virgin oak casks. These have been married together by Billy Walker, the Master Distiller for Glenallachie. The Glenallachie 10 years old Cask Strength Batch 7 is limited edition and presented at 56.8% ABV. It is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour. No indication of bottle number was provided. It will be available in selected specialist retailers globally and will cost £63/ $84 US per bottle.

Lark

The Tasmanian distillery of Lark, one of the pioneers of the Australian whisky scene, has announced a special bottling to celebrate its 30th anniversary. The rare single malt will be added to its Rare Cask Series. For the special release, named Rare Cask Para 92, the distillery has teamed up with iconic Australian winery Seppeltsfield. The whisky has been finished in ex-Para Liqueur casks, a fortified wine-based drink produced by Seppeltsfield, that date from 1992 - the year of Lark's first distillation. There are just 3,000 bottles and it is released at 46.4% ABV.

The Lark Rare Cask Para 92 will retail for $500 AUS/ $365 US. This price includes a 50cl bottle of the whisky and a 10cl bottle of Seppeltsfield 1992 Para Liqueur. It will be available in Australia and selected world markets.

Teeling

The family-owned Irish distillery and brand of Teeling has announced the first single pot still whiskey in a new series - the Teeling Wonders of Wood : Virgin Chinkapin Oak. The Wonders of Wood series will showcase unorthadox wood types. The whiskey is made using 50% malted barley and 50% unmalted barley, and is triple distilled at the company's Dublin distillery. The first bottling has been fully matured in barrels made of virgin Chinkapin oak from north America. It will be available exclusively in Ireland for a period before being exported to markets in Asia, Europe and the USA. Details of price were not given.

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Review / Glenallachie Wood Finishes (2021 Releases)

These three new limited editions from the boutique Speyside distillery of Glenallachie will go into their Wood Finishes Series. The latest additions feature whiskies finished in ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry, ex-Ruby Port and ex-Madeira wine casks. All have been created in small batches and are bottled at 48% ABV. They are also all non chill-filtered and of natural colour. Exact numbers of each bottling have not been revealed.

The Glenallachie Pedro Ximenez Sherry Wood Finish 11 years old has been matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels for nine years before being transferred for a final two year period to the sweet sherry casks.

The Ruby Port Wood Finish 12 years old has seen ten years of maturation in American oak ex-bourbon casks before being re-racked to Ruby Port pipes for the remaining two years of maturation.

The Madeira Wood Finish 13 years old has been matured for 11 years in American oak before two years of finishing in Madeira barrels. They will be available in limited numbers in selected global markets. The prices are £60, £63 and £68 respectively.

The Glenallachie distillery is located just outside the town of Aberlour in the Speyside region of Scotland. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson & Co. in 1967 and was designed by renowned distillery architect William Delmé-Evans. The current owners are The Glenallachie Distillers Co. who took over in mid-2017.

Our tasting notes

Glenallachie Pedro Ximenez Wood Finish 11 years old

The colour is deep gold and the nose is sweet and rich with a savoury undertone. Aromas of caramel and treacle toffee are joined by caramelised tropical fruits (especially pineapple) and walnut. Earthy and woody spices are also present - think of cinnamon, toasted oak, cocoa nibs and dry soil.

On the palate this whisky is silky and sweet. Creamy butterscotch and caramel are quickly accompanied by black treacle tart with toffee sauce and raisins. This element evolves to become reminiscent of rum and raisin ice cream. The combination is delicious. There is also plenty of moscovado sugar and dark chocolate (or is ot high percentage cocoa?), plus a shaving of oak and nutmeg with a twist of orange peel. It feels highly complex. The caramelised tropical fruits also come through but are a little dimmer than on the nose. Hints of golden syrup and increasingly robust malt round things off nicely.

The finish is long and sweet. The richness drives this on, especially the caramel/ treacle characteristics and the chocolate and dried fruits. The chocolate-like element lingers longest and accentuates the later spices and malty notes. Wonderful.

Glenallachie Ruby Port Wood Finish 12 years old

The colour is a deep amber with a reddish tint and the nose is rich and heavy. Aromas of dried fruits, caramel and milk chocolate lead the way. Raisin, date and fig are particularly evident. The richness is complimented by supporting aromas of Turkish delight and mocha.

On the palate this whisky is as big and bold as the nose suggested. The floral Turkish Delight note from the nose shows much more immediately and is joined by delicious further notes of caramel, milk chocolate and a hint of espresso coffee. Then comes some maltiness and heather honey to add depth and structure. The dried fruit notes are never far away and start to come through well in the second half of the palate. Again think of raisin, date and fig but with a suggestion of dried cherry also. Some late baking and earthy spices come through, as does a late hint of marzipan and ginger marmalade.

The finish is also rich and seems to just go on and on forever. The sweet and fruity notes provide the richness and these hang around well. Once they begin to dissipate then the malt and spices take over - think of cinnamon, ginger, ginseng and hints of star anise and liquorice.

Glenallachie Madeira Wood Finish 13 years old

The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is full of sweet and confected aromas. Milk chocolate, toffee and golden syrup rise first from the glass. These are followed by further aromas of sultanas, candied orange and dried apple, plus a pinch of cinnamon and cocoa powder. Very enticing.

On the palate this whisky has a wonderful sweetness to begin with. Big juicy sultanas and toffee kick things off, and sit alongside notes of golden syrup and honeycomb. There is also a distinct malty cereal feel underneath. Further layers of flavour start to evolve - first comes some more dried fruit (think of candied oranges and limes, plus hint of raisins and fig). Then comes a note reminiscent of vanilla sponge cake with butterscotch icing. And finally some warming baking spices - imagine cinnamon and all-spice, plus a pinch of white pepper and powdered ginger. A late oaky woodiness adds yet more depth.

The finish is a touch on the short side. The sweet and dried fruit characteristics fade relatively quickly and this leaves the malty cereals, warming spices and oak notes to take control. They linger around but just not quite long enough sadly.