We're looking at a couple of sherried GlenAllachie's, one for the Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland, and the other bottled by Cadenheads.
GlenAllachie 2016 8yo cask #6442 (Bottled for IWBOS)
Region: Speyside
ABV: 61.8%
Price: £74.95
Distilled on 25th May 2016, this release spent its life maturing in a first-fill Pedro Ximénez hogshead before being bottled exclusively for the Independent Whisky Bars of Scotland (IWBOS) in February 2025. A total of 349 bottles were released.
Nose
Tobacco, strawberries, sour cherries, and a medicinal whiff of peroxide lead the way. These are followed by orange zest, brown sugar, bread dough, and pink grapefruit as it opens up. For a whisky clocking in at 61.8%, there’s surprisingly little alcohol spice on the nose. That faint hint of peat makes us wonder if this was distilled after a run of peated spirit.
Palate
Despite the high ABV, the mouthfeel is a touch thin. The palate opens with grapefruit, orange juice, and bitter dark chocolate. The mid palate brings herbal and spicy notes: thyme, aniseed, and liquorice. The finish is medium in length, with the sweetness fading into a kick of spice and some not off putting lingering bitter coffee. Whatever faint hints of peat we got on the nose are nowhere to be found on the palate.
Nose (with water)
On the nose, reduction brings out more sourness, while that initial tobacco note fades into the background. The nose becomes drier and slightly dusty, with less fruit and vibrancy than before. Water seems to have closed it off rather than opening it up.
Palate (with water)
Water brings out some milk chocolate and more aniseed, but the mouthfeel remains just a little on the thin side. There’s a touch more spice on the finish, but overall the profile is relatively unchanged. It’s still drinkable with water, but doesn’t necessarily improve.
Conclusion
There are some nice aromas and flavours here, but the dram lacks complexity. To us, it could have come from virtually any Speyside distillery that’s been heavily sherried. The mouthfeel also lets it down. Some may enjoy this more than we did, but we’re sitting at a 6.5.
Score: 6.5/10
Value
A little on the pricey side, especially considering the 10-year-old cask strength can be had for £65.
Cadenheads GlenAllachie-Glenlivet 12yo Authentic Collection April 2025
Region: Speyside
ABV: 65.8%
Price: £65.00
Distilled in 2012 and filled into an Oloroso sherry hogshead, this 12-year-old GlenAllachie was bottled in April 2025 as part of Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection. A total of 402 bottles were released.
Nose
Initially a little closed off, but patience brings out plenty of citrus: lemonade, lime juice, and orange. Alongside the citrus there’s a mix of fudge, smoked brisket, manuka honey, figs, and a touch of chocolate. For such a high ABV, we were expecting more alcohol spice, but it remains quite mellow. Pleasant enough, but a bit one dimensional and lacking complexity.
Palate
The palate opens with chocolate orange, honey, caramel, fudge, and lemon juice. Raw ginger spice appears on the mid palate, but again, it’s not as aggressive as you’d expect given the ABV is nearly 66%. The finish is a good length, with most of the sweeter notes lingering alongside that aforementioned ginger spice. It's got a solid mouthfeel that has a bit of weight to it.
Nose (with water)
With dilution, a prickly pepper spice shows up. The orange note now leans more towards orange creams, and a subtle tobacco note makes an appearance. Otherwise, it remains largely unchanged, still a bit simple overall.
Palate (with water)
The palate loses some of its honeyed sweetness but gains more spice, especially on the finish. Like the nose the palate stays fairly consistent, though the dram becomes slightly more mouth-drying. Speaking of the mouthfeel it’s still got that weight to it. The finish holds its length.
Conclusion
The nose is a little underwhelming for us, but the palate redeems the dram to some extent. It’s not a full-on sherry bomb, as the distillery character still manages to peek through. Definitely our favourite of today’s two reviews, and another solid entry in the Authentic Collection.
Score: 7/10
Value
Four years older and £10 cheaper than today’s other review. It’s hard to argue that this isn’t a good price.
- 10 - Perfection. One in a million
- 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
- 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
- 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
- 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
- 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
- 4 - Below average. Passable.
- 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
- 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
- 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.
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