Murray McDavid has built its name on giving whisky one last, distinctive turn on unusual cask types — and here that turn is cognac. This GlenAllachie, distilled in 2008 and bottled in 2020 after 12 years, spent its final year in ex-cognac casks following maturation in a sherry butt. The result is creamy malt, fruity toffee and a touch of vanilla.
Expert's description
GlenAllachie 2008/2020 Murray McDavid 12 Year Old is a Single Speyside Malt Whisky, matured in a sherry butt and finished in 1st fill cognac casks, bottled at 50% ABV.
Murray McDavid calls itself the "pioneers of whisky maturation" and has built its reputation on exactly this kind of cask experimentation, where an already mature distillate is given one final finish that pulls it in a new direction. Here, the last 12 months of maturation took place in two specific 1st fill cognac casks (#1910865 and #1920865), after the whisky had already drawn its base character from a sherry butt.
The result is a whisky where GlenAllachie's creamy, fruity sherry character meets the softer, more perfumed wood notes of cognac casks — a combination rarely seen outside the kind of independent bottlings Murray McDavid is known for.
Tasting notes
Nose
Creamy malt and fruity toffee, with an underlying note of soft oak and a touch of vanilla from the cognac casks.
Palate
Soft fruit and vanilla sit up front, supported by a round, creamy sweetness from the original sherry maturation.
Finish
Medium length, with a gentle oak note and a lingering hint of cognac's perfumed sweetness.
Specifications
Name: GlenAllachie 2008/2020 Murray McDavid 12 Year Old 1st fill Cognac Casks
Distillery: GlenAllachie
Bottler: Murray McDavid
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Single Speyside Malt Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 50%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry Butt, finished in 1st fill cognac casks (#1910865, #1920865)
Number of bottles: 771
Edition: Limited Release – Benchmark Series
EAN no.: 5060353302645
Flavour profile
Creamy malt · Fruity toffee · Soft oak · Vanilla · Cognac finish
Investment potential
With only 771 bottles and a rare cognac finish from a respected independent bottler like Murray McDavid, this release sits at the high end of investment potential. The Benchmark Series is known among collectors for exactly this kind of unconventional cask choice, hard to come across twice.
Did you know?
The two specific cognac casks behind this finish — #1910865 and #1920865 — are named by their own cask numbers, something Murray McDavid often highlights to underline just how specific and traceable each finish is.
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