Glenallachie 38 Year Old 1972 Old Malt Cask

For my birthday I got this sample pressed into my hand by Steven from Art Malts. On the bottle was a label that only said 'Happy Bday'. He didn't want to reveal what it was. I had to taste it first. Okay, then. Only after I sent him my tasting notes did he want to reveal what was in my glass. In any case, I was already nailed to the ground when just nosing. What a beautiful whisky this is!

Dark sweet nose with some umami puffs, very succulent and aromatic. It also has a sweet edge which really appeals to me. I get beef jerky, coke bottles (the candy, of course), garden herbs, camphor and honey... And if you wait long enough, a salty element appears for a moment, but that is gone in no time. The dark fruit already dominates. Think plums and dates. A freshly polished saddle. I'm nosing this for fifteen minutes before I even feel the urge to taste this. The nose just keeps giving... Delicious.

On the palate it is really a bomb! Sweet, spicy dram that immediately shows some leather, but the tannin is perfectly balanced with the sweet fruit. Heavenly! A fresh fig soaked in honey, supplemented with candied orange peels, raisins and roasted nuts. Brésilienne? In any case, some walnuts, for a soft bitter touch. Midpalate it becomes somewhat dry on camphor and lightly burned caramel. I am in seventh heaven.

The finish is nice and long and satisfying on raisins and a lot of wood spices that slowly fade away to make way for malt sugar and cumin. Let's replace the word finish for this malt with finale.

Thank you, Steven. What a great whisky. Although I let him know in advance that I believed it was a sherry matured Speysider – I thought of Glenfarclas, to be honest – I had not immediately thought of this beautiful Glenallachie. But what a fantastic bottling!

Find where to buy Glenallachie whisky