Whisky : Glenallachie 7 Year SMWS 107.16 “Truly a fairytale”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 67%

Cask : Refill Retoasted Oloroso Sherry Butt

Age : 7 Years (Distilled 4 April 2011)

Nose : Cinnamon bark peeled fresh off the tree.  Tall stalks of green sugar cane.  A bit of citrus, a hint of pastry, and a dash of minty menthol notes season some freshly oiled leather.  A bright cinnamon really shines through and dominates the palate— it is the Brown Mr. Sketch scented marker.  The nose has beautifully sweet and slightly earthy spices.

Palate : Full bodied with a complex melange of different flavors— tons of influence from the Oloroso.  Rich notes of coffee grounds, dark chocolate, and wet soil.  Gradually earthy notes give way to sweet black cherry soda, dried currants, and creamy whipped egg whites.  A bit of water in the glass draws the fruit forward even more.

Finish :  Lovely long and lingering, sweet creamy caramel and black cherries.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Brown; Mr. Sketch Scented Markers

Something Similar : Balmenach 12 Year SMWS 48.84 (similar pastry & cinnamon bark, more malty sweetness)

Something Similar : Something Similar : Laphroaig Cairdeas 2018 (similar black cherry/sherry influence, more smoke/medicinal)

Something Worse : Glenfiddich Fire & Cane (similar grass/sugar cane & cinnamon, more smoke/fire)

Notes :  Can a scotch smell arboreal?  As in, smell like fresh bark or wood?  An aroma that is slightly earthy, musky, and sweet?  It is not the spices of dried wood, but of a living tree, of peeling bark?  Maybe Treebeard after a bath?

I am no more sure that this scotch embodies a “Fairy Tale” than I have any idea what that means.  If I had to peg this scotch to anything else, it would be the Brown Mr. Sketch Scented Marker.  If you have scented markers go smell that brown one and you will have a good idea what this dram is all about.  It is a bit sweet, a bit cinnamon, a bit spice— it is brown.  Brown like a tree, brown like coffee, brown like chocolate, and brown like soil.  If you did not have the fortune to be sniffing scented markers as a child, I feel for you.  I truly do.  Dots and lines of color on your nose after accidentally sniffing a bit too close to the marker is an important life event.

This dram came together beautifully.  It was rich and complex with so many different things going on in the palate, none of which really clashed or struggled.  The influence of the Oloroso was apparent, but the re-char on the cask helped bring in a lot of lovely wood spices that played nicely with the fruitiness of the malt.  This was a great dram and one that I could hardly believe was 7 year old much less a fire hazard 67% abv.