Allt-a-Bhainne 7 Year (2011), SMWS 108.18 “Pancetta roulette”
Whisky: Allt-a-Bhainne 7 Year (2011), SMWS 108.18 “Pancetta roulette”
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 63.8%
Cask: 2nd Fill Bourbon Barrel
Age: 7 Years (Distilled 11 Nov. 2011)
Nose: Caramel and beef fat, subtle grill smoke and green olive, cordite and pool chemicals, hints of green banana and raw almond.
Palate: Medium-bodied, bitter orange, salted caramel, anise, old fireworks, cordite, herbal tobacco, lemon, toasted peppercorns, thyme, and oregano.
Finish: Medium-length and herbal with a kiss of salt.
Score: 6 (77)
Mental Image: Celebratory Pop Crackle Boom
Narrative & Notes: The sweet and meaty aroma immediately bringing to mind the Wagyu beef fat caramels a local restaurant provides with the check— who needs after-dinner mints? Creamy sugars gave way to subtle grill smoke, cordite, and pool chemicals; an aroma that felt festively appropriate for the summer with hints of farmyard. More subtle notions of green olives, almonds, and green banana lingered in the background for a salty-starchy twist. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile was herbal and sweet with an initial wave of bitter orange and salted caramel. Cordite and day-old fireworks developed alongside tobacco, camphor, and subtle anise. Fruitier notions of cherries and lemons followed. Caramel continued at end as an herbal rub of peppercorns, thyme, and hints of oregano remerged from the fruits. The finish was medium-length and herbal with a kiss of salt.
This was one of the first bottles I bought from SMWS, during a free shipping event some years back I picked up it and young Glenburgie. I had never had an Allt-a-bhainne before, but with a meaty name and peaty profile, it sounded like something I would enjoy. While the Glenburgie sparked the start of my love affair with the distillery, the Allt-a-bhainne fell to the wayside.
I can see where SMWS was coming with the name on this whisky, the herbal character really did call to mind something along the lines of a “pancetta roulette” though I would have gone with a pork loin roulade. I never got all of the farminess SMWS promised— the Glenburgie had it in spades— yet even without that element the flavors were delightfully weird with an interesting development between fruits, sugars, and herbs and then back again.
Overall, Allt-a-bhainne can be many things, but I have never found it boring.
