The best whisky collectors pick a distillery and become an expert in it. Here’s our guide to why Glenallachie is a collector’s favourite

Glenallachie is a triumph. Relaunched in 2017 with new ownership and big ambition, this small Speyside distillery is carving out a big footprint in Scottish distilling. Led by a team that includes Billy Walker, the master distiller and whisky hero, it became the people’s champion almost from day one. He was joined by Trisha Savage and Graham Stevenson, making a trio that represented some of the most creative and successful experiences in whisky making and marketing in Scotland. Almost immediately, they started rolling out releases matured in wonderfully diverse cask types and with a standard of whisky that made people sit up and take notice. From day one this personality-stuffed brand made sure whisky collectors knew it was here for the long run. 

Before this relaunch, Glenallachie was a lesser-known brand that was more focused on blends than edgy single malt releases. The distillery required an entire reinvention and this was an exciting prospect for those following its development. They arrived with a bang and a price point that was really accessible too. Suddenly, Billy Walker and the team were unveiling a series of releases into the Speyside region that represented the pinnacle of Scottish distilling, yet were priced competitively enough so that most whisky fans could enjoy them.

Glenallachie is popular, independent and highly bankable. For that reason, we think they are an incredible distillery to focus a collection around. Here are some bottles from our shelves that should get you started on a superb collection.

GLENALLACHIE 15

A glance at the colour of this incredible whisky is enough to entice you to pour. The dark mahogany layers of single malt within it is the product of a perfect finish in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso hogsheads. It’s stuffed with flavour and it was a bold move to place it in the core collection. Balancing the rich aromas and deep flavour elements of this release cask after cask is no mean feat. 

It’s wonderfully priced and comes with a punch of flavours. Master distiller, Billy Walker, considers this the jewel in the crown of their releases so far. Bottled at 46% and boasting honey, chocolate and figs on the nose, it comes with layers of banana, mocha and thick dark treacle on the palate. Finishing with honey, ginger and spice, it’s designed to capture the imagination.

GLENALLACHIE 10 CHINQUAPIN

No one has created as wide a portfolio of cask-finished whisky as the Glenallachie Master Distiller and every bottle he releases demands respect. This 10-year-old single malt is part of a range of Glenallachie releases that champion cask finishing. 

Walker chose an 18-month finish in Chinquapin for this excellent release, creating a 48% single malt that is distinctive in its complexity. Chinquapin is an oak wood that is native to the US and the wood in this cask is from the Ozarks in Missouri.

The wood Billy Walker used was air-dried for four years and then toasted to a medium level before being shaped into casks. This pulls a lot of the tannins out of the wood that might remain in a faster, kiln-dried process. It also generates a microflora growing on the wood itself and these contribute to a flavour and aroma compound in the wood and ultimately in the whiskey. It creates aromas and flavours like warm spices and chocolate with notes of honey and herbs that layer beautifully with the flavours taken from the more than eight years spent in ex-bourbon.

GLENALLACHIE CUVEE WINE FINISH

One of the latest releases from the Speyside distillery, this 2023 release is a solid entrant into the cask story of Glenallachie. Matured initially in ex-bourbon it then received a secondary maturation in four European cask types: Languedoc, Valpolicella, and casks from two premier cru Bordeaux appellations. 

Bottled at 48%, a total of 6,800 bottles were released this year. At nine years old, it’s a rare enough age statement and one that stands out for its innovation. The marriage of these four ex-red wine casks has created a flavour combination that layered the red fruit, spice and herbs of the Languedoc alongside the robust cherries and liquorice of the Valpolicella. 

The Bordeaux casks then deliver espresso, blackcurrant and vanilla notes that somehow blend with the scotch and the other wine influences to create something really fresh for whisky collectors and drinkers alike. 

To see more of our Glenallachie range, click here