Bottled exclusively for the UK, this sophisticated 14-year-old Single Malt obtains its classic vanilla and spiced tones from maturation in 1st and 2nd fill American Oak Barrels before being re-racked into Oloroso Sherry Puncheons for over 2 years.
The whisky was monitored frequently by Master Distiller, Billy Walker, to ensure the achievement of exceptional balance between wood and spirit influence, before being bottled at natural cask strength of 55.4% for the ultimate flavour experience.
Glenallachie DISTILLERS Company
Appearance
Not quite as dark as the 18yr old, more deep copper/gold in colour, the swirl line is nice and thick, with a mixture of swift medium legs and slow teardrops. #thewhiskeychaps
Glenallachie 14 yo Oloroso Wood Finish 55.4% ABV
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃🇺🇦 (@whiskeychap) May 19, 2022
Appearance: Another lovely invitingly dark orange (bordering on brown) dram! An instant film coats the glass. Many short medium legs quickly form and stick to the thin tidal mark.
#thewhiskeychaps
Nose
Yep the ABV is a face slapper after the previous 2 lower ABV drams. This comes across richer, bolder and better married imho, and I’m getting that hot mash potato thing, dry cut grass, meadow flowers, plenty of wood interaction. #thewhiskeychaps
A real red berry and red apple skin note comes through strongly, cloves, almonds? Cigar leaves, the bobbly sweets in liquorice all-sorts, and wood varnish. #thewhiskeychaps
Palate
The thick viscous mouthfeel is back, and it’s super chest Warmingly spicy, and almost like heated runny chocolate. Root ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black liquorice, star anise, chocolate coated strawberries. #thewhiskeychaps
Really we’ll married, perhaps a faint touch of sulphur, but easily acceptable, red liquorice, black treacle, cigar leaves like the 18yr old, with dunnage, very nice. #thewhiskeychaps
Palate: Ooh, that's nice! Buttery mouthfeel. Cherry encrusted chocolate, red berry tarteness (if that's a word?!), vanilla, mild chilli heat & a touch drying. It tingles on the lips & tongue. Some wood notes emerge as the glass matures, along with an apple edge. #thewhiskeychaps
— Whisk(e)y Chap 🏴🥃🇺🇦 (@whiskeychap) May 19, 2022
Finish
Nice and long, really nice, everything I’d expect from the casks and much like a continuation of the palate, very enjoyable imho. #thewhiskeychaps
My thoughts
I have to say that i really like this whisky, like the vast majority of the Glenallachie’s iv’e tasted of late. This bottling is robust, deep, well married with plenty of aromas and flavours, it had all i expected and more to be honest, but here comes an issue for me, the price.
It’s obvious to me that this is a really good dram, Glenallachie know this too, and a whisky friend was saying to us that this was originally released at £90-95. My Whiskey Chaps partner in crime looked up the price of these bottles now, while we were tasting it, and it’s now around the £370 mark, £370! This is well out of my budget, and due to the recent price hikes from many distillery owners of late. £90-95 is higher than i’d like to pay for a bottle of whisky, i could see this bottling demanding that price, but £370, seems excessive to me.
All said and done i’d love a bottle in my whisky cupboard, it’s a great dram.
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