Sherry Bomb Whisky Appreciation Society Selection
Glenallachie is not a distillery I have a lot of experience with. A couple of random pours at bottle shares or sample swaps but I’ve never purchased a bottle for myself. In the last year, there’s been a plethora of picks and single casks in my area. ImpEx has really pushed their brands and selling to stores that normally wouldn’t even stock scotch typically.
Bourbon drinkers offering me Glenallachie samples has been the most surprising thing this past year. There’s been a fervor of interest in the distillery and cask finishes that seems to appeal to a broader audience of whiskey consumers. I’m always down to try new whiskies and especially blinds. The only thing I knew about the sample given to me was that it was ‘Scotch’.
Tasting Notes
Tasted neat in a Glencairn with 15+ minutes of rest to start. No dilution added initially. Slowly added 8 drops of water to the second ounce of the tasting.
Old oak and brown sherry in color with thick, viscous legs in the glass. Shake test revealed big bubbles with a decent dissipation length.
The nose reminds me of those heavily cask influenced Glendronach single casks I have. It’s undoubtedly Oloroso to me. Musty maltiness with lots of grape, wine, currant, raisins, and prunes. There’s a subtle and pleasant citrus kick as well that elevates the darker fruit aromas. Soft cocoa powder and oats. Mulled wine with nutmeg, brown sugar, and molasses. There’s a bran muffin and milled grains quality to the nose as well. Fried dough and oatmeal raisin cookies. After adding a bit of water I noticed more of the dank sherry notes came out. Deeper wood, foliage, and wet pipe tobacco scents.
The flavors remind me of the cigar blend malts. Heavily sherry focused and with a wet, earthy quality. Spiced figs, decadent truffles. Roasted pecans and walnuts, with those earthy and woody flavors associated with them. Aromatic cedar, moss, and dewy underbrush on a chilly camping trip. Toasted bread with savory fresh butter. More malt character comes out with extended rest time. Some apple and dry pear ciders. Grassiness like wild onions or chives. A notable viscous texture that clings to your cheeks. Water here brings unpleasant heat. The proof feels like it would be in the 58-60% range now.
Malted barley and bran cake finish. Grits, buttered sourdough toast. Southern style breakfast. Heavily leaning on a tobacco flavor and baking spices. Nutmeg primarily with a bit of cardamom and dried ginger. The citrus note from the nose comes through on the finish with a touch of expressed orange oils. Praline, dark cocoa, vanilla bean. It’s not all sweet and water brings out a lot of salinity to me. Salted pretzels and a seared meat flavor. Sweet and savory like a brown sugar smoked ham hock. The salinity really enhanced the fruit flavors for me and ties everything together.
Overall
I rather enjoyed this dram. I enjoy oloroso casks generally but this was fun to explore. My blind guess was a ~12yo Glendronach single Oloroso cask and I was so very close! Initially, I had guessed this was around the ~52% abv mark but the addition of water really made those alcohols wake up in the glass.
This whisky really whets my appetite. Pairing with a savory steak or toast and cheese would be delightful. Overall, I do feel as if the malt was well hidden by the cask. I expect a pick from a group named “Sherry Bomb Whisky Appreciation Society” knew what they were selecting and did so intently. For the most part, you are tasting the cask and every once in a while you’re reminded it is in fact scotch in your glass.
Not an everyday kind of dram but one you could pull out for a heavily sherried kind of night.
