GlenAllachie 2014 KWM Puncheon #1769
$169.99
Our 2nd KWM exclusive single cask from GlenAllachie is a 2014 vintage Oloroso Sherry Puncheon, bottled after 11 years at 62%. This is a sherry bomb, with finesse, that will delight Billy Walker fans, and anyone who likes a proper sherried dram. Despite the punchy ABV it is very drinkable at natural strength.
We can probably assume this whisky was re-racked by Billy and his team at some point after they acquired the distillery from Pernod Ricard. First, the ABV, is a clue that this was put into its original cask at still strength, rather than the industry standard 63.5%, presumably to save on casks. Pernod almost certainly wasn't putting GlenAllachie into top of the line sherry cask in the mid-2010s when demand and pricing for sherry casks was high.
The Billy Walker secret sauce, typified by his time running GlenDronach, is to re rack maturing stocks into more active casks. The Outturn, 700 bottles, which is a lot from a single cask, even a puncheon which can range from 500-700 litres in size, is another clue that this was likely a finishing cask? Probably, but even if true, the reality is the whisky very likely spent more time in the Puncheon, than it would have in the casks it started out in.
Regardless, the result is an excellent GlenAllachie sherry cask, and a bottling we are thrilled to have our name on!
GlenAllachie 12 Year Old
$99.99
Limit 1 Per Customer! Part of the Distillery's core range, the 12 year is bottled unchill-filtered without added colouring after maturing in a mix of virgin oak as well as PX and Oloroso sherry casks.
The GlenAllachie 12 Year is one of the newly independent distillery’s first core releases, alongside a cask strength 10 Year, 18 Year and 25 Year. As with the BenRiach Distillery Co.’s whiskies, Billy Walker has opted to bottle at 46% without colouring or chill-filtering. That tugs at our heartstrings!
Distiller's Description
"In this era of mergers and consolidations we go against the grain; an independent, Scottish owned and managed whisky company. We chose to step away from the corporate treadmill and short-term targets. Instead, we focus on the important things; making great whisky and enjoying life.
"It is in this tradition that we would like to introduce the most important release in the history of The GlenAllachie Distillers Company; GlenAllachie 12 year old, the heart of our range, a landmark bottling. Our best casks selected and bottled under the careful eye of our Master Distiller Billy Walker."
GlenAllachie 25 Year Old
$474.99
The oldest of 4 releases comprising the distllery's core range with Billy Walker at the helm. Bottled at 48% after maturing in American oak ex-Bourbon and both Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks.
Distiller's Description
"Built in 1967 as a small compact distillery, GlenAllachie was the fourth distillery designed by William Delme-Evans. The complete whisky making process was gravity fed and combined with unusual horizontal condensers it was a triumph of engineering and design.
Fast forward 50 years and we’re reaping the benefit when we bring you the GlenAllachie 25 year old. A combination of Pedro Ximinez and Oloroso casks specially selected by our Master Distiller Billy Walker and bottled at a slightly higher ABV of 48%."
GlenAllachie 8 Year
$84.99
This 8 year old GlenAllachie is was created by marrying whiskies matured in PX and Oloroso Sherry, as well as a small amount of Virgin Oak and red wine barriques. 46%
Producer Description
"We are proud to present the latest expression to join our award-winning core range, The GlenAllachie 8-year-old. Guided by his half-century of experience, Master Distiller Billy Walker has implemented a philosophy of wood innovation and sourced the world’s finest casks to elevate the spirit to its optimum, delivering a truly exceptional single malt. Created from a combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry puncheons along with a small quantity of Virgin Oak casks and red wine barriques, the resulting bronze spirit delivers sherry-matured sophistication. The GlenAllachie 8 Year Old is bottled at 46%, non chill filtered and natural colour for maximum flavour experience."
G&M Discovery GlenAllachie 14 Year
$91.99
Bottled at 43% after maturing in ex-Bourbon casks, this 14 year old GlenAllachie has been bottled under Gordon & MacPhail's Discovery label.
GlenAllachie 2012 Vintage Cuvee WineCask
$114.99
This 2012 vintage release from GlenAllachie has been bottled after 9 years at 48%, having finished in wine casks from Bordeaux, Languedoc and Valpolicella.
Producer Description
"To craft The GlenAllachie Wine Cask Series, Master Blender Billy Walker first expertly matured our spirit in the finest American oak ex-Bourbon barrels, before transferring the whisky into hand-selected European wine barriques for secondary aging. Billy added a distinctive twist to this release by ultimately blending four exceptional wine cask finishes into one unique expression: The Cuvée Wine Cask Finish.
"A French term, ‘Cuvée’ is used in the wine sector to reference a blend that typically comprises more than one variety of grape. Likewise, our 9-year-old Cuvée is a marriage of spirit from several fine wine casks sourced from the world-renowned regions of Bordeaux, Languedoc and Valpolicella.
The character development of each individual barrique was carefully monitored, before the whiskies were expertly blended together by Billy. The resulting golden liquid offers up elegant stone fruits, hints of toasted almonds and zesty orange peel on the palate."
GlenAllachie 7 Year Hungarian Virgin Oak
$114.99
This 7 year old GlenAllachie, part of the Virgin Oak Series, was finished in Virgin Hungarian Oak before bottling at 48%.
Producer Description
"From Batch 3 of our Virgin Oak Series, we are proud to present an innovative single malt which enjoyed secondary aging in Hungarian oak. Master Distiller Billy Walker’s search for the unusual led him to the mountains of northeast Hungary to the Zemplén forest. Its rocky volcanic soil, along with its colder climate and higher altitude, means that the trees in this region grow very slowly, giving the oak a tight grain – a desirable trait for aging spirit.
"Keen to experiment with this rare oak, the barrels were toasted and charred to a medium level before hosting our complex spirit. One of the world’s first single malts finished in Hungarian virgin oak (Quercus Petraea), expect an aromatic, well-balanced and wonderfully unique whisky delivering silky smooth richness."
GlenAllachie 8 Year Scottish Oak
$121.99
This 8 year old GlenAllachie was finished in Scottish oak before bottling at 48%.
Producer Description
"From Batch 3 of our Virgin Oak Series, we are proud to present a rare single malt which underwent additional maturation in casks made of Scottish Sessile Oak (Quercus Petrae), sourced from the Atlantic coast. Scottish oak is incredibly challenging to work with at all stages of production: growing, milling and coopering. Its rarity, costliness and tendency to knot mean it is scarcely used for whisky maturation.
"Before being filled, the wood was air dried for 36 months, then toasted and charred to a medium level. Despite presenting difficulties, this desirable oak imparts luxurious notes of blonde chocolate, with hints of zesty orange and smooth toffee to offer a truly unique drinking experience."
GlenAllachie 10 Year Spanish Virgin Oak
$129.99
This 10 year old GlenAllachie was bottled at 48% after finishing in Virgin Spanish Oak.
Producer Description
"From Batch 3 of our Virgin Oak Series, this mahogany malt obtains its spicy, treacly flavours from maturation in hogsheads made of Spanish Oak (Quercus Robur). This particular wood was sourced from the regions of Galicia and Asturias, specifically from the forests of the Cantabrian Mountains, which have a cool, humid climate.
"The oak was air dried for around 18 months and then toasted and charred to a medium level, opening up the oak to allow our complex spirit to extract its cask character. The secondary ageing in these virgin casks deepened the mahogany hue of the whisky and created a palate rich with dried fruits, maraschino cherries and hints of stem ginger."