Glenburgie 11 years old Valinch & Mallet 2010/2021 Single highland Malt Whisky 52,6%

Cask number 159, 332 bottles, and that was that. Valinch & Mallet are two Italians who bought a bourbon cask of Glenburgie in 2010 and left it alone for eleven years before emptying it. No finish, no adjustment — just the cask as it was.

The expert's description

Glenburgie 11 Year Old Valinch & Mallet 2010/2021 is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a single bourbon cask, bottled at cask strength 52.6%.

The cask was filled in 2010 and emptied in 2021 — bourbon cask number 159, which gave 332 bottles. A single bourbon cask with no finishing period is the most honest way to show a distillery: there is no sherry to cover anything and no blending to smooth out the cask’s quirks. What you taste is what those eleven years ended up giving.

Valinch & Mallet was founded in 2015 by two Italians, Davide Romano and Fabio Ermoli, who wanted to carry the Italian tradition of whisky bottling forward. Italy has had access for decades to Scottish casks that never reached the British market, and a number of the most talked-about bottlings of the 1970s and 80s arrived exactly that way.

Tasting notes

Nose

Bright and clean. Green apple, pear and lemon peel, with vanilla and coconut from the bourbon cask. A cereal malt note sits under the fruit.

Palate

Powerful and fruit-sweet. Honey, ripe pear and vanilla, with a peppery edge from the 52.6%. The soft, fruity Glenburgie style comes through clearly with nothing to hide behind.

Finish

Long and warm. Vanilla and apple first, then a dry close of American oak and white pepper.

Specifications

Name: Glenburgie 11 Year Old Valinch & Mallet 2010/2021 Highland Single Malt Whisky 52.6%
Distillery: Glenburgie
Bottler: Valinch & Mallet
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 11 years
ABV: 52.6%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask no. 159
Distilled: 2010
Bottled: 2021
Number of bottles: 332

Flavour profile

Fruity · Vanilla-sweet · Cereal · Spiced · Cask Strength

Did you know?

Valinch & Mallet was started in 2015 by two Italian friends who wanted to return to the tradition of whisky bottling Italy was known for in the 1970s and 80s. Back then Italian importers had access to casks the rest of Europe never got to see.

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Frequently asked questions about Glenburgie 11 Year Old Valinch & Mallet 2010/2021

Why does it say Highland when Glenburgie sits in Speyside?

Because the label follows the older practice of gathering all of north-east Scotland under Highland. Glenburgie is in Speyside between Forres and Elgin, and most other bottlers write Speyside on their releases from the same distillery.

What does single cask with no finish mean?

That all the whisky in the bottle comes from one cask that was never moved along the way. There is no sherry or wine finish to lay a layer on top, so you meet the distillery and that one cask directly. It makes the bottle more honest, but also more dependent on the cask having been good.

What does Glenburgie taste like?

Soft and fruity. The distillery makes a bright, appley spirit that does well in bourbon casks and rarely turns heavy. It is one of the reasons Glenburgie is so sought after for blending. See the other Scottish styles in our Scotch Whisky selection.

Should I add water at 52.6%?

Try it neat first so you have a reference point. A couple of drops open the apple and vanilla noticeably, but move slowly — an eleven year old from a single bourbon cask does not have endless body to give away.

Who are Valinch & Mallet?

An Italian bottling firm founded in 2015 by Davide Romano and Fabio Ermoli. They buy individual casks from Scottish distilleries and bottle them at cask strength, unfiltered and with no added colour.

How many bottles are there?

332. That is the entire outturn from cask number 159, and there will be no more. It is the basic condition of single cask — once the cask is empty, the story is over.

Is it peated?

No. Glenburgie works with unpeated malt, and there are no peat notes in the whisky. The sharpness you meet in the finish comes from the cask strength and the oak.