Meikle Toir 5 yo The Chinquapin One - Heavily Peated GlenAllachie

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 48% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One brings together sweet peat smoke and the spice of virgin Chinquapin oak. The single malt first matures in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, followed by previously unused Chinquapin oak casks from the northern Ozark region of Missouri. After a total of five years, it is bottled at 48% without chill filtration or added colouring.

Mainland peat from St. Fergus is used to kiln-dry the barley, producing a relatively sweet character reminiscent of wood smoke. The long, 160-hour fermentation encourages a fruity, ester-rich spirit. The figure of 35 ppm refers to the phenol content of the distilled spirit. This smoke character, combined with the finish in virgin oak, shapes the bottling's notes of roasted nuts, sweet desserts and spices.

The gift packaging features a landscape drawn by Iain McIntosh, depicting the area around the distillery and the summit of Ben Rinnes. Its earthy colours echo the whisky's smoky character.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, smouldering oak embers and burnt liquorice meet honeycomb. Heather, ginger, butterscotch and orange peel add further notes.
• Palate: The palate reveals dark chocolate, crème brûlée and roasted almonds. These are followed by cinnamon, crunchy toffee, anise and lingering campfire smoke.
• Finish: The long finish has an oily texture, with lingering vanilla and incense-like notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

Meikle Tòir is made at GlenAllachie Distillery in Speyside. Billy Walker took over the distillery in 2017, and the following year his team began seasonal production of peated whisky there. Around six weeks each year are set aside for this production, yielding approximately 100000 litres of pure alcohol. Launched in 2023, the Meikle Tòir brand takes its name from an expression meaning roughly “great pursuit” and is dedicated to this part of the distillery's production.

For these whiskies, Walker deliberately chose mainland peat and an extended fermentation. This allows the distillery to combine a wood-smoke style with an ester-rich spirit that can hold its own alongside the influence of virgin oak casks. The Chinquapin One is among the first regular bottlings whose production Walker has overseen from start to finish since taking over the distillery.

Facts: