Some bottles are a whisky. This one is a piece of distillery history, wrapped in handcrafted woodwork and built around four cask types, one of which is rare enough that it barely exists in any other Scotch distillery's stock. The GlenAllachie 1990 Billy Walker spent 35 years on its way to the bottle, and it shows in every single measure.
Expert's description
The GlenAllachie 1990 Billy Walker is a 35 year old Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky, matured across four different cask types and bottled at cask strength of 50.2%.
The name GlenAllachie derives from the Gaelic for "valley of the rocks," and this release is one of the most ambitious and luxurious the distillery has ever put its name to. The whisky spent its 35 years split across Mizunara virgin oak, American virgin oak, Oloroso Sherry and Pedro Ximénez Sherry - a combination that demands both patience and a sharp sense of when each individual cask has given its best.
The Mizunara oak comes from trees around 200 years old and is used extremely rarely in Scotch whisky production, owing to its scarcity and the particular demands the wood places during processing. Combined with two sherry casks and American virgin oak, the result is a whisky with an intense, rich mahogany colour and a depth that matches its age in full.
The whisky is both non-chill filtered and free of added colour, presented in its most original form.
Tasting notes
Nose
Mocha and crystallised cinnamon meet treacle tart, cocoa and toasted hazelnuts, with pineapple, ginger and heather honey lingering in the background.
Palate
Cocoa and baking spice unfold alongside chocolate-coated raisins, coconut and brandied fruits, underpinned by sandalwood and vanilla.
Finish
Long and rich, with dried red fruits and a lingering sweetness of honeycomb that stays with you long after the last measure.
Specifications
Name: The GlenAllachie 1990 Billy Walker
Distillery: GlenAllachie
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 35 years
ABV: 50.2%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Mizunara Virgin Oak, American Virgin Oak, Oloroso Sherry, Pedro Ximénez Sherry
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Flavour profile
Mocha · Cinnamon · Cocoa · Hazelnut · Honeycomb
Investment potential
High. With 35 years behind it, an extremely rare Mizunara maturation and a handcrafted wooden box, this is the distillery's most ambitious bottling - a whisky that speaks directly to the serious collector rather than everyday drinking.
Did you know?
The bottle arrives in a bespoke, handcrafted wooden box inspired by the character of Mizunara wood and traditional Japanese Kumiko woodworking. The box is decorated with four different geometric patterns, one for each of the four cask types the whisky was matured in - a craft that matches the whisky's own complexity.
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