Retrospective: GlenAllachie 10, 15 and 18 years old
GlenAllachie might be somewhat of a darling of the whisky enthusiast, but I have to admit that the whisky never swept me off my feet. Maybe it got hyped a bit too much when Billy Walker took over. Granted, what Mr. Walker accomplished at GlenDronach and BenRiach (then still with a capital letter in the middle of the name), will go down as great phases for these distilleries. It also left me with the feeling that great stock was nitpicked and then the distilleries were sold. The challenge with GlenAllachie is that there is great (sherried) stock, but not nearly as great as what Mr. Walker found at Glendronach. There is also stiff competition from Tamdhu, to name a distillery that also excels with sherried products. On top of that, the newest releases of GlenAllachie just do not tickle my fancy as much as others. Note to self: try to explore some more when I get the chance. For now, I drew from my own archives from bottles I did buy over 5-6 years ago. Let’s see how I like them now.
GlenAllachie 10 years old, bottled at 54,8 % abv
First things first: Batch 2, bottled in late September 2018, matured in oloroso and PX casks and virgin oak.
Upon Sipping: Feels recognisably Speyside, with fresh apples and pear eau-de-vie. Some honey and lemon loaf. Inevitably, the virgin oak is felt with an overdose of sawdust. The palate is very lush and fruity, the high abv doing a perfect job. On the finish, the exit is very fruity, almost tropical. Strangely enough this tastes more mature than the 18 years old below. With water, more vanilla and wood chips come out, which was to be expected I suppose. The taste remains unbothered, fruity and elegant, with hints of pineapple and a nice smoky element. Some bitterness from the wood, but overall balanced and elegant.
Word to the Wise: A decent 10 years old that delivers on power and taste. Impressive stuff. You see, age does not always make for a better product. It is the impact that counts, and this GlenAllachie will hit you hard.
Score: 85 points.
GlenAllachie 15 years old, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: Bottled in January 2022, seemingly matured in sherry casks.
Upon Sipping: Luscious nose to start with, with gentle raisins and a good dose of Mediterranean spices. Some dades, hints of rum, and dark sponge cake. Very rich, but also very concentrated. It does not deviate all that much. On the tongue, it is pleasantly dry with a creamy note, lots of chocolate and crème caramel. After swallowing, a phantom wood smoke lingers but grows stronger when you smack your tongue a few times. Water brings out hints of the forest floor, with some tree bark and fresh rain on tired leaves. A poetic transformation. More caramel than chocolate now on the palate, but it remains sharp and collected.
Word to the Wise: Not the most complex sherried dram, but it does the trick. I scored it on Whiskybase in 2022 and see no reason to alter my initial impression. It got a bit more mellow in my sample library.
Score: 84 points.
GlenAllachie 18 years old, bottled at 46 % abv
First things first: Matured in oloroso, PX and virgin oak casks. Bottled in October 2019.
Upon Sipping: Why on earth would there be virgin oak casks involved in this expression? You get a weird nose from it, that is for sure, with new wood (sawdust) first and then underneath a more tropical fruitiness from the sherried impact. Some mango and banana, finally settling down on hints of apricot. The palate is fruity and jammy, quite elegant with a creamy sidenote not unlike the 15 years old, but lacking that charming combination of chocolate and caramel. Especially on the finish, the virgin oak impact feels like an unwelcome guest. Feels a bit rough at times. Too bad, because the fruitiness of this dram is quite nice. With water, the character shifts towards a more orange zesty marmalade. All quite okay, but I feel the oloroso and PX get no chance to shine in this GlenAllachie, and that is a pity.
Word to the Wise: A very doctored / constructed single malt, where somebody thought it would be a good idea to add virgin oak. That was a mistake. There are enough elements to redeem this GlenAllachie 18 years old, but I liked the more authentic 10 and 15 years old much better.
Score: 82 points.