Things I Really Drink: Old Rhosdhu 29 year old 1993 WhiskySponge, Ed. 67

It's been ages since I dropped a TIRD on this blog, and now the time is right!

What is "Rhosdhu", really? TWE says it means "rose" in Gaelic, but dhu means "dark" or "black". So perhaps it's "black rose". It is also the name given to two types of whiskies produced at Loch Lomond Distillery. Old Rhosdhu was an unpeated malt whisky that was "1.5 times distilled, as it took a spirit cut from the wash still," and was discontinued in 2000. The new Rhosdhu, a grain whisky made from 100% malted barley, was first distilled in 2007.

1980s and '90s standard Loch Lomond can be impressively foul with a Taco Bell dumpster note leading the nose and palate. So why on Earth did I buy a '90s distilled Loch Lomond product? Because I had it as part of a blind tasting and found it fabulous. Some whiskies have IT, the eternally mysterious, inexplicable, undefinable "YES" quality. This Old Rhosdhu had "IT", so I bought it, and then opened the bottle for my birthday in August. Now I shall review the whisky, knowing its name.

Distillery: Loch Lomond

Style: Old Rhosdhu

Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Company

Region: Highlands (Western)

Bottler: Decadent Drinks

Range: WhiskySponge

Age: 29 years old (1993 - 2022)

Maturation: refill hogshead

Outturn: 328 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 57.1%

(from the top third of my bottle)

NEAT

Ooooh, the nose starts with moss and mango, with oats and blossoms in the background. Donut glaze and apple cider appear after 30 minutes, followed by barley(!) and yuzu juice. The warm, dusty palate leads with dunnage, honey, and lime zest. Honeydew and oranges fill the midground, while hints of pastry and industrial funk whisper in the back. It finishes tartly, think limes and oranges. More honey and barley than ol' tannins.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose shifts a bit towards the apples and oats, with jasmine buds and bananas in the foreground as well. Things get quirkier once the cologne, rye bread, and old oak notes develop. The palate is sweet, yet slightly astringent. More oak. and maybe some sandalwood, too. Pears, caramel, rye bread crust, and pencil shavings arise once the whisky has been aired out for another 20 minutes. It finishes tart and tannic, with minor notes of metal and Werther's candies.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

"IT" seems to have abandoned my bottle, though I still like the whisky. Angus & Co. proofed the cask down to 57.1%abv — which explains the high bottle count — and I do think it's more vibrant at that strength than at 46%. At 57.1% it feels closer to the grain. At 46% the wood starts to take over. The neat nose is utterly lovely, while the palate has just a hint of Loch Lomond weirdness, which works well here. Overall it's more of a thinker than a drinker, which makes one wonder if it'll take on other characteristics towards the bottom of the bottle. I'll report back if it does...

Availability - A few bottles may still exist in Europe
Pricing - it maybe be north of £300 now, though I got it on sale for £220

Rating - 86

GlenAllachie 15 year old 2006, cask 4786 for SBWAS

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.

pic source

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: 15 years old (27 March 2006 to April 2021)

Maturation: Oloroso puncheon

Outturn: 680 bottles

Alcohol by Volume: 59.1%

Bottled for: Sherry Bomb Whisky Appreciation Society

Chillfiltered: No

Colorant added: No

(from a bottle split)

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

Glenallachie 10 year old 2008 for Abbey Whisky

Online retailer Abbey Whisky has selected 20+ whiskies to sell solely through their shop over the past 12 years. Today's Glenallachie is the youngest of their age-stated exclusives, and by far the most poisonous, at 66.2%abv. That alcohol level puts this 10yo into the top five of the hottest scotches I've ever tried. Like the 9yo 2008 I reviewed the other day, this whisky rumbles in at an ABV higher than the distillery's actual filling strength. Was this due to a hot warehouse or an unusual filling strength? Or a little from column A, and a little from column B? The 9yo turned out to be better than I'd expected, so I will keep my mind (and liver) open to the possibilities here.

Distillery: Glenallachie
Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd
Region: Speyside (Aberlour)
Bottler: Abbey Whisky
Age: 10 years old (2008 - 2019)
Maturation: Sherry butt
Outturn: 150 bottles (a butt split? LOL?)
Alcohol by Volume: 66.2%
(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Yep, hot nose. It's all new make, kirschwasser, and maraschino cherry for a while. Then hints of leather and beef broth appear, followed by brine and yeast. In contrast, the palate burns less than I expected. It's sweet and plummy, with bits of almond, cherry, caramel, and barley mixing well. It finishes with the almond, cherry, and caramel.

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 2 tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose is all yeast, brine, golden raisin, and barley eau de vie. The palate shifts towards dried cherry, dried currant, black raisin, and black peppercorn. The finish is full of dried fruit and a hint of plum.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Again, I am pleasantly surprised, especially by the palate which outperforms the nose. The ever-present spirit just starts to merge with the cask here, and I'm left wondering what would have happened if the whisky was given more time to mature, perhaps in a mellower location. This Glenallachie seems like it could have been fabulous at some point down the road. Instead it's a pretty good young whisky that flashes plenty of potential.

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - £75
Rating - 83

Glenallachie 9 year old 2008 SMWS 107.13

I'm going to pause the Glenallachie OB reviews to try a pair of 2008 flame throwers from the indies. Both were aged in Oloroso butts, and were probably sibling casks at some point. The first one is a 9 year old single cask torch bottled by SMWS for the 2018 Spirit of Speyside Festival. Being that the distillery's filling strength is 63.5%abv, I'm guessing that a hot & humid warehouse corner resulted in the 9yo's 65%abv. Or the spirit went into the cask at a higher strength than usual. No matter what, I have water on hand.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Bottler: Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Age: 9 years old (26 Aug 2008 - 2018)

Maturation: refill Oloroso butt

Cask #: 107.13, "Andalusian gazpacho"

Outturn: 624 bottles

Bottled for: Spirit of Speyside Festival 2018

Alcohol by Volume: 65.0%

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

The lively nose leads with a lot of chocolate up front, and cherry juice and dried currants right behind. It picks up hints of leather and pipe tobacco after 15 minutes. At ~30 minutes, new notes of amaretto and Twizzlers appear. The palate is indeed warm, but approachable and sweet, with crème de cassis, cherry macarons, Twizzlers, and cinnamon. Its finish matches the palate to a T, though it does numb the tongue a little.

DILUTED to ~50%abv, or 1¾ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose stays vivid, while changing its colors: blueberries, dried currants, vanilla fudge, dark chocolate, shoe polish, and a hint of toasted oak spice. The palate stays sweet, but with new notes. It's slightly rummy and gingery, with cinnamon rolls, raspberries, and oak spices registering loudly. It finishes with dried blueberries, fresh ginger, and toffee.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This may be the first ≥65%abv baby whisky that I've thoroughly enjoyed. The nose's vibrancy never lets slip any raw ethyl notes, while packing in piles of character. Sure it's a dessert whisky, but the palate appealed to this non-sweet-tooth. I'm not sure what SMWS could have done with this cask other than to shift it to nearly neutral hoggies, or just bottle it like they did. Any more time in this "refill" sherry butt would have driven the whisky over the edge. Now, onto an even hotter cask...

Availability - Sold out
Pricing - less than €100
Rating - 85

GlenAllachie 10 year old Cask Strength, batch 7

Of all the Walker-era Glenallachies that I've tried, the Cask Strength batches are the ones I've struggled with the most. For instance, I found batch 1 and batch 5 to be C or C+ whiskies at best. In both instances, the new/virgin American oak wrecked any coherence or balance that the malts might have otherwise possessed. But, due to an interest in being somewhat thorough, mixed with a barely hidden whisky masochism, I've decided to give another batch a try. Behold, Batch 7.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: minimum 10 years old

Maturation: Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso, virgin oak, and Rioja casks

Outturn: 66,000 bottles

Bottled: February 2022

Alcohol by Volume: 56.8%

Chillfiltered: No

Colorant added: No

(from a bottle split)

NEAT

Chocolate-covered dried currants and almond butter arrive first in the nose, followed by anise and black raisins. With time, it gets slightly beefy, and the anise moves to the front. Lots of PX in the palate, as well as a decent balance of bitter and sweet. It's chocolatey with plenty of almonds. Tart cranberries, raw walnuts, and a mossy hint appear after 30 minutes or so. It finishes slightly earthy and quite tangy, never sweet, with some raw cranberries and raw almonds lingering in the back.

DILUTED to ~46%abv, or 1½ tsp of water per 30mL whisky

The nose shifts pleasantly to cherry coke, orange oil, kiwi candy, and almond extract. Tart berries and semi-sweet chocolate gradually shifts towards tart citrus and milk chocolate in the sweeter palate. It finishes tart, tangy, and sweet.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Well, well. I have found a GlenAllachie I like. This CS batch hasn't had the time to become a deep, complex single malt, but it's very approachable and pleasurable. Macallan and Dalmore fans would probably like it too. The nose improves with water, but the palate may be best when neat. And if you have a bottle of the stuff, you'll have time to find your preferred drinking strength. Meanwhile, I'm sitting here a bit stunned that there's an official 'Allachie that I wouldn't mind drinking again.

Availability - (multiple batches) Whisky specialist retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - (multiple batches) US: $95-$120; Europe: $50-$90
Rating - (this batch) 85

Revisiting GlenAllachie 12 year old (2020)

Five years ago, I tried a batch of 12 year old Glenallachie and found it to be a better whisky than the 18yo, but it wasn't more than a B- malt. I'm going to try the 12 again, since I know this sample's actual bottling year. This official expression is less of a cask hodgepodge than the 8yo, as wine casks have yet to be invited to this party. I hope that has resulted in a better constructed whisky.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: minimum 12 years old

Maturation: PX, oloroso, and virgin oak casks

Bottling code: L 02 12 20
Bottling year: 2020

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Chillfiltration? No

Colorant? No

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose begins with Granny Smith apples dipped in almond butter. In fact, there are a lot of apples in here. Quieter notes of florals, lime, and split lumber spread around the edges. Vanilla and moss show up at the 30-minute mark, then the vanilla pushes directly to the front.

The palate arrives silkily (a word?) with fudge, toasted coconut, whipped cream, and pears. Cinnamon and vanilla fill out the mid- and background. Most of these characteristics never come together.

It finishes drier than the palate with some dry oloroso to go with milk chocolate, blueberry jam, and vanilla.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Again, this whisky is less than the sum of its parts because the parts remain separate. American oak feels like the guilty party here as it leads the way throughout, never attempting to be a team player. But like the similarly-priced 8yo, the 12 has a pleasant nose and a comfortable ignorable palate that would suit casual drinking. This one gets the slight edge with its thick mouthfeel and occasional bright fruits. Alas, this gets the highest grade of any official GlenAllachie so far.

Availability - Whisky specialist retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - US: $65-$85; Europe: $35-$70
Rating - 82

GlenAllachie 8 year old (2022)

Glenallachie is but a baby distillery, born in 1967, younger than some of you handsome readers. Despite its limited existence, it has already been closed and reopened, while seeing a quartet of owners. It was founded by Mackinlay, McPherson, and Co., a branch of Newcastle Breweries. Newcastle then sent the brand over to Invergordon Distillers in 1985, where it stayed all of four years. Pernod Ricard bought it in 1989 and kept it until 2017 when, for the facility's semicentennial, Glenallachie was purchased by a group including former Glendronach Magician, Billy Walker.

For its first 50 years (or 48, because it was closed for two), Glenallachie's malt was used primarily for its owners' blends, but since 2017 the market has seen shipping containers full of its official single malts. Because the company has also bottled many dark-colored single sherry casks, the single malt has gained quite a fanbase, a group of which I am not a member. Walker's persistence in using new oak in most(?) of Glenallachie's standard releases has resulted in products that aren't suited to my palate. But since I like to pretend that I have an open mind, I will try six Glenallachies (including one retry) over the next two weeks.

First appearing on the market in 2022, the Glenallachie 8-year-old was distilled by Pernod Ricard, but then blended by the new company. And by "blended", I mean it includes PX, Oloroso, new oak casks, and wine barriques. Sort of a Long Island Iced Tea approach to a single malt.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Ownership: The GlenAllachie Distillers Company Ltd

Region: Speyside (Aberlour)

Age: minimum 8 years old

Maturation: PX, oloroso, virgin oak casks, and wine barriques
Bottling year: 2022

Alcohol by Volume: 46%

Chillfiltration? No

Colorant? No

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

A whiff of comfy extracts, like almond, vanilla, and maple hit the nose first, followed by grape jam, toffee, dried cranberries, and almond butter.

The palate comes in sweet with a bit of wine separation. It settles into cherry syrup, black raisins, and root beer candies, with a slight peppery tannic bite in the background.

It finishes with the black raisins and cherry syrup up front, and peppery, tangy notes in the back.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Though the whisky is a bit discombobulated, it's not a total mess. It has an enjoyable nose, and the palate works as a casual, background thing. Nothing sets it apart from other official sherried whiskies, since so many of them have also not been afforded the time to let their ingredients merge into a coordinated experience. This is just a whole lotta words that mean: this whisky is okay.

Availability - Whisky specialist retailers in the US and Europe
Pricing - US: $60-$80; Europe: $35-$60
Rating - 81