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