GlenAllachie 19 y.o. Ex-Solera Sherry Cask - Masters of Wood

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This 19-year-old Speyside single malt is the second edition in the Masters of Wood series. Following initial maturation in American ex-bourbon casks, it underwent a second maturation in selected Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso casks. These had previously held sherry for more than 55 years as part of traditional solera systems. The whisky was bottled at 50% alcohol, with its natural colour and without chill filtration.

In the solera process, younger and older sherries are continuously blended. The casks used for this whisky had therefore been in contact with sherry for decades and, as important components of such systems, are only rarely available. During the second maturation, they shaped the whisky with concentrated dried fruit and warming spice.

The American ex-bourbon casks contributed vanilla, caramel, honey, coconut and gentle spices. The Pedro Ximénez casks brought figs, raisins and a dark molasses sweetness, while the Oloroso casks added drier impressions of walnut, dark chocolate and spices. The result combines these layers with a dense, velvety texture.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, brandy-soaked plums, intense mocha and honeycomb mingle with caramel pastries, molasses tart and rich cocoa.
• Palate: The palate offers plum syrup, dark sugar syrup and warm heather honey, followed by black cherries, mocha and brandy-soaked stone fruit, together with crystallised cinnamon and ginger.
• Finish: The long, full-bodied finish lingers with dark fruit, cocoa, warming spice and sherry-infused sweetness.

Distillery/Bottler:

The GlenAllachie Distillery was built in 1967 and began production in 1968. Billy Walker, Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson acquired the distillery in 2017, and its first core range under the GlenAllachie name followed in 2018.

The Speyside distillery traditionally uses unpeated malt and extends fermentation to 160 hours, allowing additional esters and other aromatic compounds to develop. Around 50,000 casks mature in 16 warehouses on the distillery grounds. Billy Walker and his team monitor their development and decide whether transferring a whisky to another cask type will add further complexity. For this bottling, Walker selected the rare PX and Oloroso solera casks; it was released as an official bottling by The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Limited.

Facts: