For all my griping about Glenallachie's underwhelming official bottlings, I have not reviewed one of their single sherry casks, which are the GAs that get the most attention. In the interest of science, I will now try one of them, an oloroso puncheon selected by the Sherry Bomb Whisky Appreciation Society. This also the oldie of this Glenallachie run, a 15 year old. 🙄 So it goes.
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NEAT
No oloroso in sight on the nose, rather it's a loud cocktail of port and crème de cassis. Pink cotton candy and raspberry jam. Maple syrup, caramel, and black peppercorns. The palate follows a similar path, with raspberry fruit leather, dried cherries, and sakura candy up front, and spicy oak in the back. It finishes all raspberries, cayenne, and roses, slightly less sweet than the palate.
DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky
The nose covers similar territory, with untoasted raspberry Pop Tarts dipped in Chambord, toasted oak, and blossoms. Again, port on the palate. Raspberry jam, tart blackberries, and strawberry candy. More sweet than tangy. It finishes similar to the palate, though with a dose of vanilla sneaking in.
WORDS WORDS WORDS
This seems like a whisky that was created for people who like neither malt spirit nor actual oloroso. But that doesn't mean that someone who likes those two things cannot enjoy this single malt. It just reads like a high strength mix of Chambord, crème de cassis, ruby port, and raspberry syrup. It's a delightful dessert liqueur that'll work for any season. But where's the sherry and where's the whisky?
Availability - Sold out
Pricing - ???
Rating - 83