Glenallachie

glenallachie-distillery

Glenallachie 12

History The Glenallachie distillery was built in 1967 by Mackinlay McPherson. It was bought and mothballed by Invergordon Distillers in 1985. They sold it to Campbell Distillers in 1989, who restarted the distillery, and expanded the capacity with two extra stills, bringing the distillery to a two wash- two spirit still configuration. The building of the Glenallachie distillery was designed by S. Lothian Barclay from Lothian, Barclay Jarvis & Boys and Delme Evans It is located at the foot of Ben Rinnes, close to the Lour burn. The grounds has ponds that are fed by the Lour, that provide water for cooling. The distillery draws its water from sping fed and snow water fed streams on Ben Rinnes. It uses lightly peated malts. The distillery uses a semi-lauter mash tun, and six stainless steel washbacks. It uses two lantern shaped wash stills, and two onion shaped spirit stills for distillation. The distilled spirit is matured in used oak bourbon barrels. Though the malt is mainly used in blends, it produces a 16-year-old cask-strength bottling since 2005, and an 18-year-old bottling since 2008. It is mainly used in the Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Clan Campbell blend, and also in the Legendary and White Heather blended whiskies. The whisky is bottled and sold as a twelve-year-old single malt by Delhaize, and Signatory bottles vintage editions of the whisky. Sold by Pernod Ricard on 2nd October 2017 to Billy Walker, Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson, who have since launched a standard range and single cask series of releases, similar to those at previously owned distilleries GlenDronach and BenRiach.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling
  • glenallachie-11-year-old-2009-cask-3728-single-cask-whisky Glenallachie 11 Years Old 2009 Single Cask 3728 (2020) - Full of honey and fruit from the Sauternes cask maturation, good malty body present here too which persists through to the finish. Delicious. 86/100
  • glenallachie-grattamacco-11yo Glenallachie 11 Years Old Grattamacco (2021) - A fruity and zesty expression with plenty of spice, long lasting and takes water well which really softened the palate here and improved things slightly for me. 84/100
  • glenallachie-12-year-old-chinquapin-oak-finish-whisky GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Chinquapin Oak Finish (2020) - Despite another light spirit nature this had a little more wood to chew over and complimentary fruit and floral notes too. 83/100
  • glenallachie-12-year-old-french-oak-finish-whisky GlenAllachie 12 Year Old French Oak Finish (2020) - Very pleasant, much more woody and oaky presence here though oddly slightly vinegary on the nose I did wonder if this was a pale/Amontillado sherry cask finish at one point. 82/100
  • glenallachie-12-year-old-spanish-oak-finish-whisky GlenAllachie 12 Year Old Spanish Oak Finish (2020) - Another quiet woody expression and not too dissimilar to the previous French oak edition with a touch more wood spices added here. 82/100
  • glenallachie-rioja-13yo Glenallachie 13 Years Old Rioja (2021) - Similar influences to the Super-Tuscan Grattamacco 11yo but very different bias and intensities generated something a whole lot more integrated and delicious. In particular the roasted nut and chocolate are very welcome additions to my palate which really appreciated the increased gravitas here. 86/100
  • glenallachie-14-years-old-oloroso-wood-finish-uk-exclusive Glenallachie 14 Years Old Oloroso UK Exclusive (2021) - An absolute and utter Sherry Bomb! A mixture of Christmas cake, espresso coffee and nutty chocolate served to perfection. With an evocative nose of Christmases past and full-on sherry drenched palate, even better despite being perfectly drinkable as presented it also waters well if you desire. 88/100
  • glenallachie-distillery-edition-whisky Glenallachie Distillery Edition (2017) - Glenallachie Distillery Edition (40%, OB, 2017) Category: Speyside single malt Scotch Whisky Origin: Glenallachie Distillery Bottling: Pernod Ricard, Chivas Brothers ABV: 40% Cost: £29.95 What they say: The Glenallachie Distillery Edition gives […]
Independent Bottling
Douglas Laing
Gordon & MacPhail
  • GM_Connoisseurs_Choice_Glenallachie_1999_46_70cl Glenallachie 1999 Connoisseurs Choice (2016) - Glenallachie 1999 Connoisseurs Choice (46%, Gordon & MacPhail, 2013) Whisky Review Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Glenallachie Distillery Bottling: Gordon & MacPhail; Connoisseurs Choice ABV: 46% Cost: £33.12 What they say: […]
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS-festival-bottlings-speyside-2018 SMWS 107.13 Andalusian Gazpacho (2018) - Whisky Review: SMWS 107.13 Andalusian Gazpacho: Sweet and spiced cured meat, followed by more sweet dried fruit, nut and tannin from the cask before the malt is included. Plenty of staying power and takes water well. I much preferred this one reduced but then 65% is a challenge. 87/100