Glenallachie 1999 14 YO Gordon & MacPhail

The reviewed bottle was aged in a refill bourbon barrel. The reviewed bottle was sampled with the bottle newly opened and then 8 days later. There was no noticeable difference in the flavours over this period of time

Nose: high-pitched lemon citrus, mild malt, a little apple and pear; pleasant, but unremarkable

Taste: fabulous sweet and sour lemon citrus, sharp-edged barley, and some pear and apple. Vivid and bright. Basic malt flavours are done here beautifully and sparklingly

Finish: relatively long, and quite beautiful; the palate flavours fade gracefully

Balance: the simple elements of unadorned barley-malt from Speyside are done very well here. This is a beautiful bright whisky

My whisky-loving older sister has surprised me recently by leaving her usual eclectic gamey-and-robust flavour preferences and buying a few bottles of very simple Speyside malt. This Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseur's Choice Series Glenallachie 14 YO is my favourite of her recent dalliance with mild-mannered malts. "Bright" is one of the best qualities any whisk(e)y can have for me, and this G & M Glenallachie is bright

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