Glenallachie, Strathisla and Ben Nevis

Glenallachie 12 yo (46%, OB, -/+ 2020)
That is from one in all Billy Walker’s batches, however there already seems to have been fairly just a few of them and I could not inform you which one that is. Most appear to say a mix of Oloroso, PX and virgin oak. Color: amber – surprisingly darkish. Nostril: very good, moderately classical on fudge, Dundee cake, shoe polish, blended peppercorns and a barely sticky jammy high quality – sticky darkish fruits I suppose. Seems like fairly a sherry-dominated batch. Mouth: some energetic oak, but additionally moderately numerous darkish grained breads, stout beers, molasses, dates, treacle cake and walnuts. Natural bitters too, together with some sturdy recent black espresso and bitter chocolate. Bish bash bosh! End: medium, fairly bready, darkish and savoury. Umami paste, forest mushrooms and leathery notes. Feedback: the oak is there, draping every part in maybe a notch an excessive amount of spice, however there’s many gooey sherried treats to take pleasure in beneath. Unsure all batches have been as much as this spec although.
SGP: 561 – 85 factors.

Glenallachie 24 yo 1995/2020 (55.1%, The Duchess ‘Recreation & Wildlife’, cask #23, hogshead, 289 bottles)
But extra birds on whisky labels, we’ll know the world has stopped turning when the indy bottlers run out of avian wildlife with which to adorn labels. Color: vibrant straw. Nostril: very gentle, light orchard fruits with an underripe sharpness about them. So pears, apples and gooseberries all moderately inexperienced and crisp. Some firmer maltiness behind all that and a few sunflower oil. With water: nonetheless moderately dry and mild, some pollens, Bakelite, yellow flowers and oatmeal. Mouth: a bit extra assertive and charismatic than the nostril, which is enjoyable. Extra on shoe polish, oily cereals, buttered breads, dried flowers, canvass and putty. Fairly good I feel. With water: barely juicier with some yellow plums and dried apricot, some plasticine, fennel seed and a single spoonful of custard. Fairly humorous whisky actually. End: medium and nonetheless a bit drying, flippantly peppery, dusty and extra of those pressed and dried flower emotions. Feedback: It is actually a palate whisky in my e-book, one for a glass and mild sipping moderately than a nosing glass. Similar ballpark because the OB 12yo however a world aside stylistically.
SGP: 451 – 85 factors.

Strathisla 2008/2012 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail)
An iconic label for positive, however I’ve not tried a lot Strathisla from this licensed sequence for a good whereas now. Color: deep gold. Nostril: barely sticky fruit loaf, flower honeys, bow resin, a way of barely splintery trendy wooden and extra classical stuff like sultanas and candy stout beers. Straightforward peasy and really good total. Ha, ‘good’. Mouth: significantly better within the mouth up entrance I might say, a lot of pretty milk chocolate and roasted nut notes – a Snickers bar maybe. Caffe latte, cinnamon pastries with raisins, lemon curd and a few tinned custard. End: medium, nonetheless on toasted nuts, milk chocolate and touches of espresso and tobacco. Will get a bit of gamey within the aftertaste which is cool. Feedback: Not too positive who may very well be in opposition to this. Positively some kind of benchmark, and an epitome of ‘simple’ malt whisky.
SGP: 551 – 84 factors.

Strathisla 18 yo 1974/1992 (57.8%, Gordon & MacPhail ‘CASK’, casks #2206 + 2207)
Let’s shortly examine that in opposition to this outdated one… Color: amber. Nostril: very typical old style G&M sherry cask fashion. A lot of Maggi, bouillon, flowers, gamey touches, leather-based, tobaccos and varied crystallised fruits. There’s additionally this fairly distinctive mentholated and resinous edge as nicely. Natural medicines, flower pollens and blood orange. Highly effective and glorious to date. With water: water brings extra of those dried flowers, vase water, dry earthiness, black tea and mushroom powder. Mouth: huge, wealthy, leathery sherry. Many dried fruits, sport broth, bouillon powder, heavy umami seasoning flavours, huge impressions of spicy ramen broth and salted liquorice. Actually very highly effective! A number of Szechwan pepper, cocktail bitters and star anise. With water: in all probability too aggressive and a bit drying now, some cardboard and a moderately too singular pepperiness. End: lengthy however jagged, scorching and really peppery. Feedback: It is attention-grabbing trying again within the WF archives, Serge seems to have tried this in 2005 and located the identical points with water on the palate. Anyway, one other whole beast below this livery by G&M and there are a lot of very fantastic elements – the neat nostril alone is price…
SGP: 471 – 84 factors. 

Ben Nevis 6 yo 2015/2021 (58.4%, Elixir Distillers ‘The Whisky Path’, cask #319, barrel, 256 bottles)
Color: vibrant straw. Nostril: younger, however freshly so and truly exhibiting fairly a little bit of apparent Ben Nevis character already. So waxed lemons, citrons, olive oil, hints of sheep wool – in some methods it feels impressively mature for the age. With water: extra peppery, some extra notes of waxed canvass, crushed greenery like grass and ferns, additionally a bit of sandalwood and breadiness. Mouth: excellent arrival, very oily, all on waxes, citronella, olive oil, wee sooty touches, camphor and barely overripe fruits. Solely 6 years outdated? Actually? With water: identical feeling, all on oils, orange skins now as nicely, minerals, ointments, putty and extra fatty waxy notes. End: lengthy, citric, waxy, peppery and with extra gentle medicinal touches. Feedback: it is simple to get blinded by the undoubtedly luminous late 90s Ben Nevis vintages. However bottlings like this present it is rather removed from a one trick pony. A particularly good and vastly spectacular wee teen.
SGP: 562 – 88 factors.

Ben Nevis 25 yo 1996/2021 (47.6%, Milroy’s of Soho, cask #20, refill sherry butt)
Color: pale amber. Nostril: that pretty impression of barely overripe oranges, bitter marmalade and darker issues like shoe polish, coal mud, dunnage earth and touches of cured sport meats, old style bitter ales and mineral oils. A perfectly ‘phat’ distillate with a properly built-in and moderately natural sherry profile. In time I discover wee notes of almond oil and a few vibrant notes of citrus zests. Mouth: the sherry is kind of forwards on arrival. Very flinty, flippantly mentholated, drying, salty and nervous. Resinous notes of darker fruits, tobaccos, bitter chocolate with sea salt, heather beers, liquorice, treacle and in addition some acquainted Ben Nevis waxiness beneath. Extra of those overripe orange and marmalade notes. Certainly fairly flinty and filled with polish and gun steel vibes. End: good size, exhibiting an earthier facet with many darkish grains, breads, cocoa, mineral oils once more, extra delicate cured meats and this acquainted Ben Nevis pepperiness. Feedback: a chic and really nicely balanced cask that retains the sherry and distillery traits in shut concord.
SGP: 562 – 90 factors.

Ben Nevis 24 yo 1996/2021 (50.2%, Milroy’s of Soho, cask #1485, refill sherry butt, 70 bottles)
Color: amber. Nostril: a notch extra scented and natural, with orange blossom, dried darkish fruits, brown bread and umami seasonings. A equally dry and earthy fashion of sherry however maybe a tad extra assertive and concentrated than the opposite one. Issues like bergamot, treacle, rancio and a bit of outdated balsamic. With water: bouillon, soot, dried banana chips, sultana, Guinness and wee touches of leather-based, mustard powder and cured sport meats. Mouth: ooft, fantastically targeting the palate. Maggi, balsamic glaze, good rancio, dried out unique fruits, impressions of tropical fruit teas in actual fact. Refined natural extracts, chocolate liqueur, outdated leather-based – actually an impressively older fashion of sherry occurring right here. Some agency waxy and peppery vibes as nicely. With water: actually glorious now! An ideal stability of salty, earthy, nervous and pure sherry, with waxes, pepper and crystallised tropical fruits. Completely excellent! End: lengthy, deeply earthy, resinous, darkish fruits and unique fruits collectively, black tea, mineral oil, leather-based, tobacco, chocolate, umami… goes on and on. Feedback: an impressive sherry cask with some equally excellent Ben Nevis distillate combining into one thing larger than the sum of its elements. A phenomenal dram that’s all about nuance, complexity and stability.
SGP: 562 – 91 factors.

Ben Nevis 24 yo 1996/2021 (51.5%, Elixir Distillers ‘The Single Malts Of Scotland’, cask #1535, hogshead, 223 bottles)
Color: gold. Nostril: completely different wooden, completely different fashion. That is nearly extra in direction of a few of these outdated Irish malts with this exuberant grassy and unique mixture that instantly makes you consider prime notch Kiwi sauvignon blanc with ardour fruits, crushed nettles and a moderately jangling and vibrant minerality. Lime, chalk, guava and, over time, extra of those acquainted waxes and hessian which reorients us again to the west coast of Scotland. With water: turns into a bit of leaner, extra mineral, extra pure and freshly on grass, citrus fruits and touches of cod liver oil and camphor. Mouth: a fruit bomb. Unique fruit salad juices lower with prime class olive oil, a tiny thread of mineral salts, loads juicy, simple waxes, and in addition some barely natural and medicinal touches. With water: much less ‘overtly’ fruity, extra mineral as soon as once more, extra on resins, costly cooking oils, white pepper, jasmine tea, waxes and crystallised citrus fruits. End: lengthy, grassy, tautly mineral, olive oil as soon as once more, pepper, waxes and inexperienced fruits now. Feedback: I am very sorry, however I am afraid it is simply one more completely excellent Ben Nevis 96. These refill examples are simply fully disarming.
SGP: 652 – 91 factors.