Glenallachie has received a lot of attention lately, after Youtube/Patreon legend Ralfy declared their 12 year old his best whisky of 2019. Glenallachie arrived on the Scotch scene in 1967 as blend fodder - like so many before it. But eventually they worked their way up. And along with their official bottlings, this Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) bottling also entered the radar; 8 years matured in sherry casks, bottled at 63.3%, nicknamed "Bounty of the Galleon":
Nose: Rich, sherried nose, but surprisingly savory. Dates figs, and raisins. Sulfur and brown sugar. A dark rancio aspect. Grilled meat (!) - the official SMWS note is "orange-glazed duck," which isn't far off, I think; although I think I get something closer to teriyaki chicken skewers. Either way, very interesting note. With some water and time in the glass, the meatiness recedes, and a honey note comes forward. Alcohol fumes are always present here - a considerable nose tickle.
Mouthfeel: Quite thick.
Palate: Pipe tobacco, rich sherry, raisins and dates, thick balsamic notes. That grilled meat flavor gets stronger on the palate; pretty consistently follows the nose. One of the official notes is "madeira wine gravy," which I think is just a perfect description of the final flavors of the development. With water and time, the meat pulls back and a strong honey note pushes forward.
Finish: A bit short. Malted barley, Madeira, touches of sulfur, molasses... but doesn't last long.
Verdict: A quirky, and surprisingly meaty, sherried single malt, that's for sure. Here is something strange, though: the whole conceit with the official review from SMWS centers around a Spanish galleon that stops in Madeira, has a fancy meal, and then disembarks. The final sentence of the review goes like this: "Back on board we exchanged views and while some absolutely loved the hospitality on the island, others were not quite so sure."
What on earth can that mean!? What a strange comment. Well, either way, it's full of odd and unusual flavors that remind me of the final pours from Glenfarclas 105 - funky, sulfurous, meaty, REALLY meaty, paired with melted raisins, pipe tobacco... just a really interesting dram. Does "interesting" translate to "good"? Hard to say - depends on your palate and taste for such things. But it's a unique encounter.
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