Kicking off the week with a couple of releases from GlenAllachie, including the newest batch of their 21 year old core range bottling.
GlenAllachie 21 Year Old Batch #4
Region: Speyside
ABV: 51.1%
Price: £306.00
Batch 4 of the GlenAllachie 21 year is a combination of three Pedro Ximenez puncheons.
Nose
Initially, the nose shows some petrol, aged riesling, new world pinot noir, eucalyptus, and treacle. Revisiting, we detect ouzo, figs, pine cones, and aniseed. It's an unconventional, 'funky' nose, which perhaps could be attributed to us drinking the neck pour. However, as we let it sit, more of the expected sherry notes begin to emerge.
Palate
The palate leads with a some smoked venison drizzled in cranberry sauce. It's a more sour and meaty dram than we anticipated. Going back to it we notice concentrated raisins, prunes, figs, fizzy orange juice, and dark chocolate. The finish is more spicy than sweet, yet the pepperiness isn’t off-putting. The mouthfeel is fine, though a little unremarkable.
Nose (with water)
The addition of water has added more traditional sherry notes to the nose, revealing hints of red cola, damp clothes, cranberries, and prune juice. With time, further notes of treacle and dark chocolate appear in the glass.
Palate (with water)
With reduction, we're met with an overpowering hit of spice that's a little too much for our tastes. There’s a pronounced bitterness, and the reduction seems to have done no favours for the mouthfeel. Looking beyond the spice, many of the pre-dilution notes resurface. Personally, we’d advise against dilution.
Conclusion
If you read our blog you’ll maybe have noticed that we’re not usually the biggest fans of GlenAllachie, and definitely expect others will enjoy this more than us. Putting our biases aside, we’ll be fair and give this a 7.5/10 as it's a pretty solid whisky.
Score: 7.5/10
Value
If we remember correctly batch one was only £200 making it a little disappointing to see the price hike.
GlenAllachie 12 Chinquapin Oak finish
Region: Speyside
ABV: 48.0%
Price: £60.00
This 12 year old release is a mix of whisky that was finished in virgin Chinquapin Oak (Quercus Muehlenbergii) sourced from the Northern Ozark region in Missouri. 6,600 bottles were released.
Nose
Initially we’re getting pepper, varnished wood, porridge oats, vanilla essence, tobacco, wood spices and candy floss. Allowing it to breathe in the glass, we then uncover notes of lemon juice, butterscotch, verbena, and salted peanuts. It’s actually a pretty promising nose.
Palate
The palate mirrors a lot of the same notes as the nose. We’re getting tobacco, honey, orange peel and Werther's Original sweets. Ginger nut biscuits and cinnamon powder appear on the medium-length finish. The mouthfeel seems somewhat lacking. Upon revisiting, we find some nutmeg, wood spices, and a hint of nuttiness.
Nose (with water)
With water added, a prominent warehouse funk emerges, relegating most of the other notes to the background. As it settles, we also pick up hints of straw and marzipan. Water has ruined the nose for us.
Palate (with water)
There’s more synthetic sweetness, spice and bitterness appearing on the reduced palate. This bitterness, akin to grapefruit juice, persists on the finish. The mouthfeel remains thin, with perhaps a subtle hint of dark chocolate appearing. Like the nose water has ruined the palate.
Conclusion
We didn’t detect as much of the spirit in this as we were expecting. The Chinquapin Oak finish seems to have overpowered the spirit. Not that we’re complaining. Not terrible but not terribly exciting either.
Score: 6/10
Value
Can’t complain at the price, but we’d have liked to have seen this as cask strength.
- 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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