GlenAllachie Distillers recently unveiled two new expressions in its core ranges, The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky and White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky.
Both whiskies were created by Whisky Maker Billy Walker, a man known for wood management and blending. In 2022, he celebrates his 50th year in the Scotch whisky industry.
The GlenAllachie 8-year-old (UK suggested retail £42.50) blends whisky aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons, along with whisky matured in virgin oak casks and red wine barriques, each hand selected by Walker.
The Speyside single malt features what’s described as a heather honey character, with notes of stem ginger, mint chocolate and chewy raisins.
Following the brand’s younger releases, such as The GlenAllachie 10-year-old which was named World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2021, the 8-year-old is slated to be what’s said to be an ongoing, accessibly priced offering within the brand’s core range.
The White Heather 15-year-old (UK suggested retail £59.99) is a blended Scotch with both peated and unpeated malts from Speyside, Islay and the Northern Highlands along with selected grain whiskies.
With the White Heather brand, Walker said he returns to his roots in the Scotch Whisky industry when he worked as a blender, developing products for the global market.
The 15-year-old whisky went through a dual maturation system, beginning with Sherry butts and American oak barrels, before blending by Walker and re-racked into Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons, as well as American virgin oak casks to spend an additional three years.
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The new expression joins White Heather 21-year-old, unveiled in March of 2021, to form a core range for the blended Scotch brand.
Both The GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are presented at their natural color, non-chill filtered, at a strength of 46% ABV.
“From the outset, it has been my aim to release quality whiskies at fair and accessible price points,” Walker said in a prepared statement. “This can be a significant challenge when you also choose to deploy an extensive and costly wood management policy, however, I believe The GlenAllachie 8-year-old fits the bill without any compromises or corner-cutting.”
“In terms of White Heather, this has been a real passion project for me,” he continued. “It takes me back to my first forays in the industry and allows me to select and blend whiskies from across Scotland in order to achieve the intended flavor profile. I hold a strong belief that interest in the premium blend category is growing, and we very much want to be at the forefront of it with White Heather.”
Both The GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are available through global specialist retailers, with UK suggested retail prices of £42.50 and £59.99 respectively.
Distiller’s notes:
The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Color: Sunset bronze.
- Nose: Heather honey, butterscotch and cinnamon, followed by waves of ginger, toasted almonds and mocha.
- Taste: Lashings of treacle, dried sultanas and butterscotch, with cinnamon, peppermint and honeycomb.
- ABV: 46%
White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky
- Color: Golden bronze.
- Nose: Waves of heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, pineapple, mint and a hint of peat.
- Taste: Layers of treacle, heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, grapefruit and almonds, with mocha, ginger and a light wisp of peaty smoke on the finish.
- ABV: 46%
For more information on The GlenAllachie distillery and company, check out www.theglenallachie.com.
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