Here goes the GlenAllachie 10, Batch 4. You might have seen me mention this whisky a couple of times before on this wee website of mine. This is THE whisky that started it all for me. My fiancée knew I liked whisky, but also knew I’d never splurge more than 30 dollars on a bottle. So, she did that for me. Before tasting it, I was still under the impression that whisky at a higher price point would never be worth it’s price tag. But boy, did this whisky proof me wrong!
Experiencing this whisky opened my eyes to the world of whisky and showed me how much it has to offer. It sparked a passion and made me want to explore more of what a dram has to offer. And to me, it made this liquid worth its weight in gold.
So, keep in mind that this is a very special bottle to me. And thus, this review might be somewhat biased. Nonetheless, bias aside, I can still safely say this is an amazing whisky. These tasting notes will serve as a big thank you to my fiancée, and much appreciation to the whisky that gave me this newfound passion.
Tasting Notes: GlenAllachie 10 – Cask Strength, Batch 4 –
Stats:
ABV: 56,1% (112,2 proof)
Age: 10 years old
Distillery: The GlenAllachie Distillery, Aberlour – Scotland
Owned by: The GlenAllachie Distillers Co. Limited (Billy Walker, Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson)
Category: Speyside Single Malt, Scotch Whisky
Awards: World’s Best Single Malt, World Whiskies Awards 2021.
Chill Filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Setting:
Enjoyed neat, in a Glencairn. In my Study, during the day, accompanied by music from The Teskey Brothers.
Nose:
This is a high proof whisky, but I barely get any ethanol burn while nosing. Up front I get light brown sugar, the kind I loved putting on my pancakes as a kid. My mother used to make American style pancakes with raisins in the batter, and that’s what the nose reminds me of. I also get hints of apple and cinnamon, which together brings to mind apple turnovers. A drop of water brings out the fruitiness of the dram even more, specifically dried prunes come to mind.
Palate:
There’s a slight burn on the edges of the tongue, but overall, it’s very light for the proof this dram offers. I clearly pick up oak tones, kind of reminiscent of chewing on a popsicle stick long after the ice cream has gone. I’m also picking up some butter, fudge, and hints of full-bodied red wine. The latter is probably the Oloroso influence, but I describe it as wine because it reminds me more of a pinot noir than a sherry. A drop of water ads a wallop of cream to the palate and dampens the sharpness of the oak. The water seems to make the flavours more well-rounded.
Finish:
There’s a very long and complex finish on this one. Dark chocolate and coffee tones linger. I find myself thinking of tiramisu, but without the mascarpone. The coffee-soaked lady fingers and cacao sprinkling are more upfront. The raisins from the nose also find their way back near the end of the finish.
Verdict:
Like I stated at the very start of these tasting notes, I’m a little biased when it comes to this whisky… But what an excellent dram this is. With much more tasting experience behind my belt, this one still stands out as an amazing quality scotch. There is just so much complexity to it, so many different flavours going on yet it’s still all cohesive. Even more so when adding a tiny drop of water.
When it first came out it had a price point of roughly 60 euro, around my area. For what this dram has to offer, that’s excellent value. The newer batches have hiked up their price to 75 euro, which I would still consider great value for a cask strength whisky of this quality. I cannot speak to how well those batches hold up to this one, but I did order myself a batch 6 for a special occasion somewhere in the future (think wedding bells). So, when that one gets opened, I will let you know how it holds up!
Rating:
94/100
Value:
A
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