Glenallachie 35 Year Old Sherry Cask SMoS

A very rich nose made from a mixture of sherry and nice coffee notes. Very nice complexity while maintaining a remarkable balance. The nose is a rare quality.The palate is fresher and more diverse than the nose. The original notes of sherry add a nice fresh acidity that evolves constantly going from notes marked by coffee at others showing a nice acid freshness (balsamic vinegar). Some very subtle oak notes.A beautiful mouth.

Beautiful finish. Long, cool. Nice notes of sherry, nice complexity, a delicate wood notes embellish the final complex and extremely pleasant. 93 Points.

Nose

A classic big sherry nose – big marzipan, some soft leather, almost rancio aromas, cedar, tobacco, crushed brazilnuts, hint of balsamico. Develops some fresh herby aromas.

Palate

Very woody – but what great wood! Polished church pews, varnish, some cedar from the nose, strong bitter marmalade. Clearly an epic sherry cask. Becomes more orangey with water, with hints of dark stone fruits (damson, plum).

Finish

Enormous: sweet flavour but drying mouthfeel; tannic - refuses to let go of the tastebuds.

Colour

Amber.

Nose

It’s not an exceptionally monstrous sherry but some sherry there is, as it starts all on notes of old red wine, balsamic vinegar (only touches) and ‘new’ leather. It’s actually close to sherry as such and far from chocolate, prunes and jams if you see what I mean. Whiffs of old wine cellar, saltpetre, flints, touches of farmyard, horse saddle, oyster sauce, game… Isn’t all that a bit like a 1934 Chambertin? ;-). Also a lot of cigarette tobacco (newly opened pack of, say Camels?).

Mouth

Yes, indeed, an old wine! Some rancio like in some old cognacs, prunes this time, milk chocolate, quinces, cherries, coffee and that leatheriness that’s not too far from matches and gunflints but that’s not, well, that thing very en vogue at some writers’ if you say what I mean. What’s sure is that I like these notes.

Finish

Rather long, perfectly balanced, which isn’t always the case with these old sherry-infused malts. Cpffee, cherry jam and a little capsicum in the aftertaste. Comments: no schmaltz at all, and no sulp…y old sherry monster either. Recommended. SGP:552 - 90 points.

Comment

A bottling done by the good folks behind The Whisky Exchange.