The latest batch from Malts of Scotland was bottled a few weeks ago and we had a preview at Spirits in the Sky. For me this Glenallachie 1973 is one of the most interesting new releases.
Note that Malts of Scotland recently started to use proprietary cask references: a simple ascending numbering of every release instead of the actual cask number. While I still prefer to know the proper cask number, I guess it’s useful to differentiate similar releases.
Glenallachie 38 yo 1973 (44%, Malts of Scotland 2011, bourbon hogshead, MoS 11018, 125 btl.)
Glenallachie 38 yo 1973 (44%, Malts of Scotland 2011, bourbon hogshead, MoS 11018, 125 btl.)Nose: a rich burst of fruit potpourri. Lots of yellow apples, melons, strawberries, raspberries, apricots, mango… Lovely fruitiness, great combo of exotic fruits and a cotton candy sweetness. Hints of (premium) moscatel wine. Some oily / waxy overtones and honey. Also a little vanilla and touches of sandalwood.
Mouth: oily, drier and oakier. More fruit cake or fruit tea than actual fruits. Mixed with marzipan and waxy notes. Soft touches of pepper. Less expressive than the nose.
Finish: rather long with lemon, vanilla, malt and oak.
Like nearby Caperdonich, old Glenallachie seems so much more interesting than younger versions. This is the best version from this distillery I’ve tried so far.
Around € 170.
Score: 90/100