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