GlenAllachie 25 Year

The nose is obviously sherried, very soft and warm, with strong dried fruit (plums, dates and candied orange) covered with chocolate. Raisin bread, caramelized butter, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Floral and balsamic background. Rich and varied profile, with personality. Chocolate also reigns on the palate, with lots of candied orange and a pleasant pinch of chilli pepper, which is accompanied by the scent of leavened bread with hazelnuts and raisins which, together with the spices (cinnamon, of course, but also anise and nutmeg), give an acid and bitter profile, reviving the aromatic palette. Balsamic on the background, less accentuated than on the nose, and wood. Medium-long finish, sweet / bitter, with hazelnuts, plums, malt and wood. The aspects felt in the 12yo here seem amplified, kind of a consistency of aging, and appear more orderly and balanced, marking what is evidently the personality of GlenAllachie (and of the work that Walker is doing). A whisky that does not bore and knows how to stand out compared to other sherried, with the risk of not being liked by everyone, but after all... who cares! Perhaps a little overpriced given it's not particularly complex, but it deserves a taste.

(Tasting of a 25y independently bottled by Douglas Laing at 50.6 ABV) Nose: nutty, lemon, fruit tree blossoms, molasses, a bid of smoke, mixed dried green leave spices, the 50.6 ABV or not very present Palate: slight short chili burn, slightly sweet, walnut (both the nut and the shell), mild woody bitterness This whisky is quiet aggressive and it fells like it can’t decide if it really wants to or not. You get the maturity but it feels a little bid one sided. For what it offers it is complex but it definitely is not a dram for relaxation. It really challenges you. Adding water doesn’t do much for it.