Whisky Focus - GlenAllachie Launch Peated Single Malt Brand Meikle Tòir

Independent Scotch whisky distillery The GlenAllachie has unveiled its new peated single malt Scotch whisky brand, known as Meikle Tòir (pronounced mee-kuhl tor).

Led by the renowned Master Distiller Billy Walker, The GlenAllachie Distillery, which achieved sales exceeding £20 million for the first time last year, has garnered numerous prestigious awards, including the highly competitive World’s Best Single Malt title at the World Whiskies Awards in 2021.

This launch marks Walker's inaugural core releases fully supervised by him since acquiring ownership of the distillery in 2017. Meikle Tòir, translating to 'big pursuit,' symbolises Walker and his expert team's persistent seasonal peated endeavour at The GlenAllachie, which commenced in 2018.

Meikle Tòir utilises mainland peat sourced from St. Fergus, the peated production run occurs for approximately six weeks each year, resulting in approximately 100,000 Litres of Alcohol annually, so there will be limited amounts of Meikle Tòir available

The core range of the peated label comprises Meikle Tòir The Original (50% ABV, UK RRSP £51), Meikle Tòir The Sherry One (48% ABV, UK RRSP £50), and Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One (48% ABV, UK RRSP £50), alongside the annual small-batch release, Meikle Tòir The Turbo 2023 Edition (50% ABV, UK RRSP £51). Each whisky carries a five-year age statement.

All Meikle Tòir expressions undergo an extended fermentation period of 160 hours, nearly triple the industry standard, contributing a fruity, ester-rich character to the resulting whisky.

Meikle Tòir The Original 5-year-old matures in sourced first-fill Bourbon barrels, American virgin oak casks, and Rye barrels, imparting "waves of stem ginger, sweet spice, and oak-smoked sugar."

After initial aging in American oak, Meikle Tòir The Sherry One undergoes additional maturation in quality Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry puncheons, resulting in a single malt with an "impeccable balance between dark fruits, mocha, treacle, and puffs of earthy peat smoke."

Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One initially ages in American oak before transferring to superior Chinquapin virgin oak barrels from the Northern Ozark region of Missouri, USA, delivering "smoked spices, roasted nuts, campfire smoke, and crème brûlée."

The Original, The Sherry One, and The Chinquapin One all possess a spirit PPM level of 35, with mainland peat offering a sweeter and oakier smoke style compared to coastal peat's flavour contribution.

Meikle Tòir The Turbo, an extremely limited annual bottling, captures the heart of the peated distillate with the highest phenol content. The 2023 Edition, produced in just 2,500 bottles, matures in three American virgin oak casks and five Oloroso Sherry hogsheads for five years. The resulting whisky presents a robust peat presence with a spirit PPM of 71, accompanied by notes of toasted honeycomb, burnt orange peel, and worn leather.

As you would expect from GlenAllachie, Meikle Tòir products are bottled without added colouring and remain non-chill filtered to ensure the optimum flavour/drinking experience.

The eye-catching packaging features a hand-drawn illustration by prominent Scottish artist Iain McIntosh, portraying the rugged terrain surrounding the distillery, including the iconic peak of Ben Rinnes. The complementary "earthy" colour palette was chosen to hint at the smoky flavour profile.

Despite the additional costs involved, the brand exclusively collaborates with UK-based packaging suppliers to minimise its environmental impact.

The launch will be supported by a series of tastings across Scotland, including barrel-top sampling events in retail stores and exclusive drinks evenings, culminating in Meikle Tòir's presence at The Whisky Exchange Show in London over this coming weekend.

Commenting on the new brand, Walker remarks: "This incredibly exciting launch is a key milestone for us all at The GlenAllachie. Five years in the making, it represents the culmination of our endeavours since we took over the reins at the distillery. Our intention has always been to release a peated single malt, and this is no surprise to those who have followed our journey from the start.

"Every element of the production process was carefully considered to ensure our vision was met. It’s not about accelerating the journey; it’s about expanding the experience. One of the key decisions was to significantly extend the fermentation period to 160 hours, creating thick, ester-rich distillate. Another was to use mainland peat, which delivers a more oaky style of smoke. These choices, along with the use of quality oak casks, are all factors steering us in our pursuit of peated perfection".

I haven't yet had the chance to taste any of the new peated Meikle Tòir whiskies from the GlenAllachie but I have some on the way and will update you with my thoughts on them when I taste them, so watch this space, meanwhile I have posted the official tasting notes below.

You will find the Meikle Tòir whisky range available from specialist online whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt
 

• About Meikle Tòir Peated Single Malt Whoisky From The GlenAllachie
   
• Meikle Tòir The Original 5 Year Old Review
   
• Meikle Tòir The Sherry One 5 Year Old Review
   
• Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One 5 Year Old Review
   
• aMeikle Tòir The Turbo 5 Year Old Review

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