Single Malts of Scotland Glenallachie Anniversary Selection 35 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

While the Glenallachie distillery is relatively unknown, production-wise it's actually among the top 30 whisky distilleries in Scotland. Built in 1967 by the owners of the Mackinlay brands which were subsequently taken over by Invergordon, the latter company mothballed the distillery in the 1980s before Campbell Distillers bought it in 1989. Present owners, Pernod Ricard (owners of Chivas Bros.), increased the number of stills from two to four.

Glenallachie employs lightly peated malts. Most of the output goes into Chivas' own blends like Clan Campbell, 100 Pipers, Highland Clan, House of Lords and of course - Chivas Regal. There have been two or three official bottlings over the years but these are very rare. This is one of 685 bottles released by the ‘Speciality Drinks’ Co. It's been steadily acquiring top quality casks and since 2005 they’ve been releasing these whiskies under ‘The Single Malts of Scotland’ label.

Tasting note: Deep gold ochre / polished copper appearance. Opening sniff is reminiscent of top-notch Amontillado with its scents of salted nuts and cocoa dusted marzipan. The aroma flattens out momentarily, becoming dried fruit and honey like then surprises with a distinct balsamic note. Given time, a fascinating repertoire. Soft-as-a-kiss entry transforms into a concentrated, warming, spicy profile that’s gently bitter sweet and redolent of dried apricot and oatmeal followed by a delicious bitter dark chocolate note that lingers well into the dry, resiny fade. The balance could be better but the idiosyncrasies on offer make this worth seeking out. 46.9% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... Nose: Rich, sweet and sweaty. Very expressive with fruits and organics struggling for dominance. Leather? Lovely but tempered development over time. Smokey. Stylish and complex - but with a modest disposition. Palate: Leather, tobacco and a fair dose of peat on the palate. No peat monster, but an 'antique' Speysider. Score: 90 points - right up my alley. With stronger and chewier tannins it could have gone even higher. When I sampled this in 2011, it was the very best bottling of Glenallachie I had ever tried. - www.maltmadness.comsize>