So the pandemic has subsided enough that a sorta-whisky festival could still be organised where I am. To comply with pandemic restrictions, distancing is enforced and it has taken on a "trail" format, with the festival split across 15 bars instead of a single location. One of the bottlings exclusive to this festival is this 2008 Glenallachie, which is very tasty indeed.

Distillery: Glenallachie

Region: Speyside

Price: ~22USD/50ml (pricing for Whisky Journey)

Cask Type: Sherry Hogshead, then octave for 9 months.

ABV: 54.1%

Chill-filtered: No

Color: 1.3, russet muscat (natural colour).

Rested for ~10 minutes, before drunk neat in a glencairn.

Nose: Toffee sauce, medjool dates, caramel. Water emphasises saltiness and cinnamon notes.

Palate: Squash, cantaloupe, crazy amounts of marshmallows, tiramisu and mint chocolate Tim Tams, then finally nectarine, stewed apples. Smooth, creamy texture. Water weakens the mint chocolate Tim Tam note here. Avoid.

Finish: Whiff of tiramisu and salted caramel linger. Nougat. Water brings out a hint of sarsaparilla and liquorice.

Conclusion: The bright, sweet musk of cantaloupe and squash is something that I have come to associate with cask strength IB Glenallachie. I previously got that with a 25yo ex-bourbon single cask from Cadenhead bottled for their 175th anniversary. It is still the best unpeated, non-sherried Scotch I've ever had. While that had a much more intense tutti-frutti flavour to it, the fruit notes here are more focused towards musky orange fruits like cantaloupe with less intensity. The boozy tiramisu, marshmallow and mint chocolate thing is front and centre, perhaps reflecting the sherry. What it has going on is extremely fun as well. I cannot overstate how rich and strong that flavour is. Dilute it at risk of losing that. The finish needs a bit more punch, but it could be down to a Bunnahabhain I had in the same session. That had a unexpectedly long and powerful finish that I might not have fully cleansed off my palate before this, despite quaffing lots of water, thus dulling my sensitivity to the finish here.

If it were named by the SMWS: Squash Game After Eight

Score: 86

Scotch Review #22, Whiskey Network Review #24

H.Y.