Glenallachie 15 Years


”A Bitter Pill to Swallow”


Whisky Review # 921
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Brand: Glenallachie
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Quite a mix. Specified below under Conclusion.
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 60-80 (June 2021)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍Reasonably priced for a 15 Years
Buying Advice: 😐Neutral. It's not really bad but just not my thing!

Colour: Mahogany (Natural Color) - Very Dark Color

Nose:

A mix of Sweet and Sour notes. The Sherry influence is quite clear. Dark (Dried) Fruit, Fruit Candies & Nuts lead the way. In a blind tasting I probably wouldn't have given this Malt 15 Years. It's a little Thin despite the adequate ABV. I do believe there's some Fresh Oak in the cask-mix as well.

Main Aromas:

Malted and Toasted Barley, Buttered Bread, Brown Sugar, Nuts like Chestnuts and Walnuts, Dried Fruit like Plums, Prunes and Sultanas, Fruit-Flavored Candies like Apricot or Nectarine, Sour Red Grapes and Cherries, Herbal Tea, Dusty Casks, Wax, Orange-Flavored Chocolate, Straw, Tobacco Leaves, Cinnamon and Nutmeg.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Butterscotch, Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Sweet Apple, Marzipan or Turkish Sweets, Dusty Track, Green Plants and/or Vegetables, Floral Soap, Leather, Curry, Pepper and Cardamom. A hint of Snickers candy bars.


Palate:

Again a little on the Thin side. It basically follows the Nose but the Sweet and Sour notes are now accompanied by an increasing and slightly Harsh Bitterness. It tastes a little Dirty and I could imagine the middle cut to be run a bit shorter. Again, Dried Dark Fruit, Nuts and Spices lead the way.

Main Flavours:

Malted and Toasted Barley, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Dark (Dried) Fruit like Prunes, Plums, Sultanas and Dates, Orange-Flavored Dark Chocolate, slightly Sour Cherries and Red Grapes, Chestnuts and Walnuts, Herbal Tea, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Menthol and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Toffee, Butterscotch, Sweet Apple, Tobacco Leaves, Leather, Espresso, Wax, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Soy Sauce and Ashes.

Finish:

Middle-Long. A mix of Sweet and Sour notes with increasing Bitterness towards the rather Dry end. The Finish is quite Spicy and even a bit Hot. I find Malted/Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Vanilla, Toffee, Brown Sugar, Dried Fruit like Dates and Sultanas, slightly Sour Cherries and Red Grapes, Orange-Flavored Bitter Chocolate, Bitter Espresso, Herbal Tea, Tobacco Leaves, Chestnuts and Walnuts, Wood Polish, Dusty Oak, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger, Cardamom, Ash, Licorice and Menthol.

Drinking Advice:

Added Water further develops the Dried Dark Forest Fruits on the Nose. I do not detect any other additional value so I personnally prefer it neat.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience Neat:

Okay/Good. Not really my type of Whisky. 

Conclusion:

The Glenallachie Distillery is quite new and was founded only in 1967. It is located on a hill above Aberlour, close to Ben Rinnes. It closed from 1987 to 1989 when it was purchased by Pernod Ricard who in turn sold it to The Glenallachie Distillers Company in 2017. Most of the Spirit disappeared in Blends like Clan Campbell, House of Lords, White Heather & Chivas Regal until 2018. At that time a core range was launched by the new owners including the 10 Years CS, the 15, the 18 and the 25. The 15 Years was actually added to the core range in September 2019.

The 15 Years is a marriage of various casks. Some 100% Sherry Matured, Some 100% Sherry Matured although re-racked into new PX & Oloroso Hogsheads and Puncheons and finally some 2nd Fill Bourbon casks also re-racked in PX & Oloroso casks. All spirit that was re-racked matured in the new casks for anything between 18 months and two years.

I suppose that Sherry-Bomb lovers might find this Glenallachie to be an affordable alternative. But I can't say I really like this Whisky. Because there is a sort of Dirty and Bitter over-sherried almost artificial feel to this Glenallachie. Not the good dirty quality of say Springbank or Ledaig mind you. Because that's an asset. In this case it's a liability. I'm not saying this is a bad Single Malt but it's not my kinda Whisky. Happy I only bought a sample!    

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                          June 30, 2021

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