Glenallachie 14 Year 2004; Shinanoya Cask Selection
Whisky : Glenallachie 14 Year 2004; Shinanoya Cask Selection
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 57.7%
Cask : PX Sherry Puncheon
Age : 14 Year (Distilled 8 Oct. 2004, Bottled April 2019)
Nose : Starburst fruit candies, fruit punch, and pungent lime leaves. Absolutely bursting with tangy tropical fruit notes: lilikoi/passionfruit curd, guava candies, and pineapple pastries. Beyond the fruit were floral garden and tea notes.
Palate : Medium bodied with loads of tangy sweet punch. Bold sweet fruits come through with a kiss of salt: fruit preserves, ripe berries, and concord grape jelly. On the mid palate notes of tea leaf and cinnamon sticks popped in before a slightly dry finish with marzipan and almond flour pastries.
Finish : Lingering fruits with a hint of vanilla and refined sugar.
Score : 7
Mental Image : Starburst Fruit Salad
Notes : An absolutely wonderful Glenallachie with a bright fruity profile that flirted with malty and herbal notes. This had a wonderful nose chock full of tropical fruits and candies that recalled the coveted tropical fruit variety of Starburst candies. I am not sure I could stomach a pack of those anymore, but as I child I happily gorged on all of the sugar I could— always saving the pink for last.
Sometimes Glenallachie can be overly sweet and too saccharine for my taste, but this one was well composed. There was a great balance to the sweet profile and enough complexity that this did not feel overly one note or too dominated by the sweet PX cask. Overall this was a delicious and well balanced dram.
