Two contrasting Glenallachie

October 13, 2013

Two contrasting Glenallachie

There aren't many Glenallachies around but sometimes the indies issue some and there can be good surprises.

Glenallachie 16 yo 1995/2011 (50%, Douglas Laing, Old Malt Cask, refill hogshead, 295 bottles)

Colour: white wine. Nose: it's a very young one, the cask's been quite silent and lazy, which the colour suggested. Porridge, barley, cut grass, butter, apple juice and drops of kirsch, not much else. With water: the porridgy sides comes out more. Damp oatcakes and hints of mashed bananas. Maybe! Mouth (neat): apple and pear juice plus plum eau-de-vie. Extremely young and even almost bubblegumy, but the distillate is clean enough to make it kind of pleasant. Resembles many a young naked Speysider. With water: gets rather more interesting, even if it remains very simple. Apple crumble and a little white pepper. Finish: quite short, clean, on apples and barley sugar. Comments: pretty honest young naked malt whisky from Speyside. Not much else to say. SGP:441 - 75 points.

Glenallachie 1973/2013 (48.9%, Maltbarn, bourbon cask)

Colour: gold. Nose: another world. Overripe fruits aplenty, apples, pears, even bananas, certainly guavas, all that being complemented by a wee medicinal touch that makes it more complex. We're rather talking camphor and eucalyptus. Maybe also mashed turnips and celeriac? I like this a lot. With water: that particular smell that I cherish, that starts with a b and that can be quite dangerous for your nose. Right, a beehive. Mouth (neat): superb! Wonderful tropical fruits, passion fruits, mangos, tangerines, grapefruits... Excuse me, but wow! And again, touches of eucalyptus, cough lozenges, then fresh walnuts. Lovely, really. With water (although water isn't needed): peeerfekkkt. More menthol, maybe a little chlorophyll... And more citrus. Finish: not very long, that maybe the only, very tiny flaw. Well, not quite a flaw. Leaves your palate as fresh as a baby's. Comments: very excellent. A bright obscure malt, if I may say so... Sadly, there are very few bottles, it's a micro-bottling by Maltbarn. SGP:641 - 91 points.