12 Apr 2022
TWO NEW WHISKIES JOIN GLENALLACHIE DISTILLERS’ PORTFOLIO
The GlenAllachie Distillers Company today reveals two new product innovations for its brands’ core ranges: The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky and White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky.
Both products are expertly created by industry stalwart Billy Walker, renowned for his exceptional wood management and blending skills, and who this year celebrates reaching his 50th year in Scotch whisky.
The GlenAllachie 8-year-old (UK RRSP £42.50) marries together spirit aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons, along with virgin oak casks and red wine barriques, each specially selected by Walker.
The Speyside Single Malt offers up the brand’s classic heather honey character, leading to rich notes of stem ginger, mint chocolate and chewy raisins, achieving 92 points at the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) 2022.
Looking to follow in the footsteps of highly successful younger releases, such as The GlenAllachie 10-year-old which scooped World’s Best Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards 2021, the 8-year-old will be an ongoing, accessibly priced offering within the brand’s core range.
White Heather 15-year-old (UK RRSP £59.99) is a premium Blended Scotch containing both peated and unpeated malts from Speyside, Islay and the Northern Highlands along with carefully selected grain whiskies.
The White Heather brand sees Walker return to his roots in the Scotch Whisky industry when he earned his stripes as a blender, developing world-leading products for the global market.
To create the new 15-year-old, the whisky underwent a complex dual maturation system, beginning its life in Sherry butts and American oak barrels, before being skilfully blended by Walker and re-racked into Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons as well as American virgin oak casks to spend an additional three years.
With a high malt content of 47 per cent, the amber toned liquid scooped Gold with 95 points at the IWSC 2022, being described as “outstanding” by the expert judging panel.
The new expression joins White Heather 21-year-old, first unveiled in March 2021, to form a core range for the premium Blended Scotch brand.
Both GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are proudly presented at their natural colour, non chill filtered and at a high strength of 46% ABV for maximum flavour.
Commenting on the new products, Walker reveals:
“From the outset, it has been my aim to release quality whiskies at fair and accessible price points. This can be a significant challenge when you also choose to deploy an extensive and costly wood management policy, however, I believe The GlenAllachie 8-year-old fits the bill without any compromises or corner-cutting.
“In terms of White Heather, this has been a real passion project for me. It takes me back to my first forays in the industry and allows me to select and blend whiskies from across Scotland in order to achieve the intended flavour profile. I hold a strong belief that interest in the Premium Blend category is growing, and we very much want to be at the forefront of it with White Heather.”
Both The GlenAllachie 8-year-old and White Heather 15-year-old are available on an ongoing basis through global specialist retailers, with UK RRSPs of £42.50 and £59.99 respectively.
TASTING NOTES
The GlenAllachie 8-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky – 46% ABV
- Colour: Sunset Bronze.
- Nose: Heather honey, butterscotch and cinnamon, followed by waves of ginger, toasted almonds and mocha.
- Taste: Lashings of treacle, dried sultanas and butterscotch, with cinnamon, peppermint and honeycomb.
White Heather 15-year-old Blended Scotch Whisky – 46% ABV
- Colour: Golden Bronze.
- Nose: Waves of heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, pineapple, mint and a hint of peat.
- Taste: Layers of treacle, heather honey and butterscotch, followed by orange peel, grapefruit and almonds, with mocha, ginger and a light whisp of peaty smoke on the finish.
