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The
GlenAllachie launch the next instalment
in their Virgin Oak Series - 8 Year Old
Scottish Virgin Oak Finish, 7 Year Old
Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish and 10 Year
Old Spanish Virgin Oak Finish.
The GlenAllachie
has unveiled the next instalment in its
Virgin Oak Series with the release
of a trio of new limited editions.
The next tranche of whiskies includes
the The GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Scottish
Virgin Oak Finish (UK RRSP £65.99), the
7 Year Old Hungarian Virgin Oak Finish
(UK RRSP £62.99) and the 10 Year Old
Spanish Virgin Oak Finish (UK RRSP
£69.99).
‘Virgin oak’ refers to wood that has not
previously been used to age any other
wine or spirit; thus, the influence it
has on the whisky is that of the oak
alone.
The GlenAllachie’s Virgin Oak Series
sets out to explore the impact of oak
provenance, terroir and genus on flavour
development during the whisky maturation
process.
The three unusual cask types were
adeptly obtained by Scotch whisky
industry stalwart Billy Walker who has
built a reputation, during his
half-century-long career, for peerless
wood innovation.
To create the triad of new whiskies, the
spirit was first matured in American Oak
(Quercus Alba) ex-Bourbon Barrels before
undergoing a finishing period of
approximately 18 months in the different
oak varieties.
The GlenAllachie 8 Year Old Scottish Virgin Oak
Finish enjoyed secondary ageing in
Sessile Oak (Quercus Petraea) sourced
from the Atlantic coast of Scotland.
Scottish oak is rarely used for cask
production due to its tendency to knot
as it grows, creating challenges in
crafting staves; its porosity, boosting
the chances of leakages; and its
pronounced scarcity, commanding an
eye-wateringly high price.
Before being filled, the wood was
naturally air-dried for 36 months,
allowing for further development of
flavour characteristics, then toasted
and charred to a medium level.
The GlenAllachie 7 Year Old Hungarian Virgin Oak
Finish underwent an 18-month-long stint
in Quercus Petraea from the Zemplén
forest in the mountains of northeast
Hungary.
A highly unusual oak type for Scotch
whisky maturation, The GlenAllachie are
among the first producers to experiment
with the use of virgin Hungarian wood.
The rocky volcanic soil, along with the
colder climate and higher altitude in
which it grows, means trees in the area
grow very slowly, developing tighter
grain: a desirable trait for ageing
spirit.
The GlenAllachie 10 Year Old Spanish Virgin Oak
Finish used hogsheads made of Quercus Robur from the Spanish Cantabrian
mountains with a cool yet humid climate.
The oak was dried in open air for 18
months, then subsequently toasted and
charred, to open up the pores for
flavour extraction by the whisky.
All three of the single malts were
bottled at a high strength of 48% ABV,
without added colouring or chill
filtration.
Reflecting on the new product
innovations, Walker comments: "Virgin oak of varying provenance
presents endless possibilities to me as
a whisky maker. Exploring a variety of
oak types, toasting and charring the
casks to particular levels, and then
closely observing the spirit development
over time has been a truly joyful
experience.
"These three new bottlings embody the
range of flavours offered by oaks of
different origins. From the Scottish,
expect notes of biscuit, pear and
gingerbread; the Hungarian boasts waves
of lemon juice, cinnamon and raisins;
and the Spanish oak has imparted bursts
of toffee sauce and ripe banana. Each is
as uniquely enticing as the last."
The launch coincides with the release of
Batch 9 of The GlenAllachie 10 Year Old
Cask Strength (UK RRSP £68.99); an
expression which was previously crowned
World’s Best Single Malt at the World
Whiskies Awards in 2021 for its fourth
iteration.
With UK RRSPs starting at £62.99, The
GlenAllachie’s new Virgin Oak Finishes
and the 10 Year Old Cask Strength Batch
9 will begin hitting shelves from today
and will be
available from specialist online whisky
shops such
as
The Whisky Exchange,
The Whisky Shop,
Master of Malt
and
Hard To Find Whisky
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