Allt-a-Bhainne 20 Year (2000), Signatory Vintage Cask 11
Whisky: Allt-a-Bhainne 20 Year (2000), Signatory Vintage Cask 11
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 52.6%
Cask: Hogshead, Fresh Sherry Butt (6 mo.)
Age: 20 Years (Distilled 26 July 2000, Bottled 17 February 2021)
Nose: Big cask-driven sherry notes, cherries, licorice, caramel, hints of pepper and citrus, vanilla.
Palate: Medium-bodied, cask-driven, stewed fruit, berries, caramel, chocolate, leather, varnished wood, stone fruit pits, honey.
Finish: Medium-length with black pepper and stewed fruits.
Score: 6 (77)
Mental Image: Shoemaker’s Dessert Special
Narrative & Notes: Cherries and licorice set aflame; the aroma was spirited and spicy with tons of sherry and oak. Anise and peppercorns danced with orange rind— cherries jubilee with brown sugar, butter, and lemon juice turning to caramel. Pastry cream appeared at times, while varnished wood and vanilla lingered as a constant in the background. Medium-bodied, though on the lighter side, the flavor profile featured bright sherry-driven stewed fruit, berries, and caramel. More musty leather and chocolate lingered in the background like a chocolate raspberry brownie served in a leather boot store. Varnished wood, melted popsicles, and woody stone fruit pits arrived at the end with honey-sweetened granola. The finish was medium-length with black pepper and stewed fruits.
In the words of Kpop icon Jisoo, “Not bad, but not good,” though I should amend that to “not great.” This was good, even if it was a fairly anonymous affair— this could have been any well-aged and fairly light Speyside stuffed into an active sherry butt. The cask was fine, though the malt got a little lost in the marriage, and ultimately was unable to provide depth to the big cask affair.
Overall, a competent sherry bomb that avoided the pitfalls of this uncommon, and often eccentric, malt, by paving over the whole thing with sherry cask dominance. I was surprised at how light this felt on the palate considering the hefty cask and the spirited quality of the aroma. Sherry fiends may find more here to love, I not part of that tribe.
