GlenAllachie 11 Year Port Wood Finish

Open Date = 12-1-2020 Tasting Date = 7-1-2021 Weeks open = 8 months Tasting proof = 86 Bottle Fill Level =60% Exhibits a strong alcohol burn characteristic of young spirits. I'm not detecting significant cask influence. I had high hopes for this one but unfortunately, it's overhyped and not particularly memorable due to its fairly low quality, despite the appealing bottle design. I will not be purchasing any more young spirits from Billy Walker! Rating system: 5 = outstanding; 4.5 = excellent; 4 = very good; 3.5 = good; 3 = above average; 2.5 = average; 2 = acceptable; 1.5 = adequate; 1 = inferior; 0.5 = very poor; 0 = undrinkable You might get what you pay for, but you never get what you don't pay for...........Slainte'

The aroma has some really nice perfumed berry and grape notes. It comes across as creamy and very delicious. However, all of it is a bit faint. You need some time to be able to perceive them. The palate is smooth and sweet. No alcohol is noticeable. It goes down like warm buttery syrup. Then you get nice port cask influence as well with a not-too-sweet spiciness. Later, some nice bitter nuts appear along with some great spices. It becomes less sweet over time, which is really interesting - that allows the wood and spice flavors to come through. This is truly an above-average whisky. It has a lot of character and for its age, it has sufficient depth. The transition and palate development are impressive.

I own the 12-year expression, but I'll assume comparable qualities. This is the second wine-aged GlenAllachie I've tried, and I must admit, they seem to have a knack for their cask management. It offers a rich, smooth character that doesn't overshadow the underlying spirit. The cost of these GlenAllachie bottles, whether re-casked or otherwise finished, has been steadily rising, and the reason is becoming clear. I'd be willing to pay between $90-$110, but beyond that, I'd lean towards the standard 12-year, which is about $40 less expensive in my area. In my opinion, this is a marginal improvement over that one.

Nose: Fruits, Cherry, dark fruits. It has a slightly sweet wine aroma. Palate: Spicy, round, deep, dark fruits, strawberries, banana, red wine, spicy fruits. It's good! It's not a light spirit. Better than the 10 CS. Less spicy than the 12.