Review | The Glenallachie 35 years old

The Speyside distillery of Glenallachie has announced the launch of its oldest single malt whisky to date - The Glenallachie 35 years old. The whisky has been released to represent the distillery’s unwavering commitment to cask craftsmanship and small-batch whiskies, and has been crafted by Billy Walker, the owner and Master Distiller at Glenallachie.  

For this landmark bottling, Walker selected six ex-bourbon barrels that were distilled and filled in the summer of 1989. This was shortly after he had taken over the distillery and he quickly identified the potential of these six casks. They were transferred to four ex-sherry casks (three ex-Pedro Ximenez and one ex-Oloroso) and two virgin American oak casks in 2017 for a seven year secondary maturation.

 

"Unifying the six spectacular casks has created the perfect equilibrium between the sweet influence of Pedro Ximénez, the nutty contribution of Oloroso, and the spiciness of the virgin oak. It is a whisky to be treasured."

Billy Walker.

 

The Glenallachie distillery is located close to the town of Aberlour in the Speyside whisky region in 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. They have switched focus from the previous owners Pernod Ricard, who used it to supply malt for several blends. The annual capacity is four million litres, although it is currently operating at a quarter of that.

The Glenallachie 35 years old is presented in a wide-shouldered decanter and oak casket that features hand carving and brass detailing. This also features a booklet filled with Walker's handwritten tasting notes and the story of each cask. The limited edition whisky is bottled at 48% ABV and is available from specialist and luxury retailers worldwide. A bottle will cost £1,475.

Our Tasting Notes

The colour is a deep coppery amber and the nose is rich with a mix of sweet and savoury aromas. It kicks off being very nutty (think of walnut and hazelnut especially) and chocolate-like. Then comes some dried fruits in the form of raisin, sultana and candied orange with a hint of date. Underneath are further aromas of cocoa powder, old cigar box and sandalwood.

On the palate this whisky feels silky, rich and viscous. Again the lead characteristics are chocolate, nuts and dried fruit - the combination is reminiscent of a fruit and nut milk chocolate bar. Toasted hazelnut, walnut and brazils marry with raisin, sultana and dates to great effect. Then comes dominant notes of caramel and vanilla toffee with a hint of dark treacle. There are also hints of mocha, baked apple and gingerbread that evolve. 

The whisky becomes more savoury with time. There is a distinct leathery and earthy note that develops, plus some dusty baking spices - imagine cinnamon, ginger and clove here. Later notes of cocoa powder and bitter orange oil also come through, along with that old cigar box vibe from the nose.

The finish is long and decadent. It seems to go on forever. The chocolate and dried fruit notes are the first to fade, but it is a slow process. Then the nutty characterisitics. This leaves the savoury and dusty spice notes to take hold and pull the finish out even more. A woody dryness develops to give a lovely finale.

What's The Verdict?

This is a stunning whisky and one that shows the sympathetic cask management needed for maturing spirit to this sort of age. The depth of character and the complexity is fabulous - there are so many layers and the balance between the sweet and savoury characteristics is spot on. 

We were delighted to have been invited to the launch event in London and Billy hinted that they have even older stock that came as part of the distillery purchase in 2017. Only time will tell what they choose to do with that but if any is as good as this whisky, then they will have done well.