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.
