Glenallachie 1995 HB Finest Collection

Fruity and gentle, the aroma drifted from sweet candied ginger to molasses cookies to an herbal tea with pit stops along the way for dried fruits. Orange peel led the way, with hints of slightly underripe mango, passion fruit, and dried plums following some distance behind. Dried grass and mint brought my attention back around to tea with hints of cinnamon and turmeric. The palate was medium-bodied with a good viscosity that delivered a wave of orange— blood orange soda, candied orange peel, and bitter orange slices. Salted plums and yuzu pulled the dram toward something more exotic with mango and dried grass. The back end was quite musty as caramel and molasses faded to a leathery-earthy funk. The finish was medium-length and mostly earthy, with hints of tobacco and fruit. Whiskybase listed this bottle as “American Oak,” but it must have been an American oak cask treated with sherry. The aroma and palate delivered classic sherry-driven fruits and funk— though restrained enough that I would be surprised if this were a first fill cask. It appeared more like a hogshead that had been used a few times and mellowed out its influence over the malt. The effect worked well, and the flavors were generally well-integrated, though the earthiness at the end did stand out a bit. The dram was a tad spirited at times; a bit of prickly heat stood out on the back end especially, but a few drops of water smoothed that out and elevated the sweeter aspects of the profile. Overall, not a terribly complex malt, but certainly an interesting one. It bore some semblance to more recent and younger Glenallachie releases, yet the role of the cask was more subdued, which allowed more of the spicy-grassy spirit to appear. Mental Image: Tea Tin Medicinal Cookies

Some sources mention this whisky matured in a refill sherry barrel and I can relate to that. I also believe this Glenallachie is under rated. No definitely not your intense spiked modern day whisky but a well balanced dram with loads of sweetness from mixed red and forest fruits, chocolates, honey, toffee and spices like cinnamon and ginger. I like this one!

Awful. From the nose to the finish it's one of those sherry casks that should have been thrown out! Lowest rating!

Color: coppery. Very good, an old, godurioso speysider

This whisky is quite difficult to begin with. It requires time both in the glass and in the bottle. If given time, it reveals a very fruity and creamy nose. On the palate, it's still a bit aggressive, with the oak quite evident, but overall, it's enjoyable. The finish isn't spectacular, but it catches up with the nose and doesn't disappoint.