GlenAllachie 10 Year Port Wood Finish

I finally got my hands on the 3 newer, finishing cask whiskies from Glenallachie: Koval Rye 8yo, PX cask 12yo and this 10yo that was finished in Port Wood casks. I paid $54 for it before the international shipping problems and Trump’s tariffs. I’d say it’s a decent deal for what you get inside the bottle. It’s bottled at 48% ABV and I believe it’s natural color and non-chill filtered. It’s a slick, amber/orange and very oily looking in the Glencairn. There’s lots of tiny drops and very thin legs after a hearty spin- both evidence of most higher ABV offerings. That’s a plus. The nose started as mostly oak barrel and youthful spirit. Vanilla and some pepper, and not much port wine. It took some water to coax the raisins and grapes on the nose. The palate had a nice, warming sweetness with faint port and vanilla notes. The mouthfeel was slightly more harsh than I hoped for and you can tell the whisky is still rough around the edges. Water seemed to only dilute the few flavors I picked up- it helped the nose relax, but didn’t improve the palate and finish. Speaking of finish, it’s medium and warm with lingering wood notes and a slightly disappointing sugary flavor. Overall, I enjoyed this bottle more when I first opened it. As it sat, the flavors became more muted and distant. It seemed much more lively through the first 1/3 of the bottle. I really liked the Koval Rye version the most, with this bottle coming in last of the three. Price point is fine and it’s still a serviceable whisky, but I think the other 2 are better. 3-3.25 stars for this one. Cheers.

Quick hit review #5: Man I had high hopes for Billy Walker but this dram was my least favorite of a lineup which didn't blow me away collectively. It was very rough and disjointed. I can't believe he reached released this. It's like seeing a top coach work wonders with a team then he moves elsewhere and loses his magic. He did say he'd never have another like Glendronach in his lifetime and he was right!

This one was very strong. Didn’t like as much. Had to add water.