Review by: The Muskox

This was dram #2 at the online Glenallachie tasting I attended last week, which featured special guest Billy Walker. Billy mentioned the difficulty in obtaining tip-top-quality wine casks for Glenallachie, and that he came across the winemaker behind the casks for this release quite by accident. The Grattamacco estate is located in the Bolgheri DOC, right on the Ligurian sea in Tuscany.

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Distillery: Glenallachie.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 48%.

Age: 11 years.

Cask type: Initially matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, then finished for “almost” two years (per Glenallachie’s website) in Grattamacco red wine casks.

Price: N/A, tasting sample.

Color: Light amber. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Fruity and zingy. Strong dried red fruit, strawberry chews, lemon, peaches, and candied orange. Crystallized honey and a bit of bubblegum. It’s floral, and maybe just a little soapy. There’s a grassy cilantro note in there, as well as some olive oil. Underlying light caramel and butterscotch.

Palate: Medium texture. Gentle bright fruit on the arrival with peach candies and rose. Heavy floral, honey, and candied orange flavours on the development, then a pleasant lavender note and sweet soft malted barley. A bit of melted butter and cooked apples.

Finish: Medium-long. Turkish delight and icing sugar. More fruit: plums, strawberries, apricots, and orange peel. More buttery malt. Ginger spice and mint.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Pink Starburst goes to college”

I find I’m not really enjoying unpeated wine-cask whiskies lately, but this was pretty good, and really grew on me as I slowly sipped. Those soapy moments pop up only very briefly, then pass into piles of fruit. There’s a nice soft malty undercurrent which I think really brings everything together. Decent stuff.

Final Score: 80.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.