The GlenAllachie 15 Years old (700 ml)

When Billy Walker acquired GlenAllachie in 2017, his first act was to slash output by roughly 87% and extend fermentation to 160–164 hours — among the longest standard runs in Scotland — deliberately maximising ester formation in the new make before a single cask was filled. The distillery sits at the foot of Ben Rinnes near Aberlour, Banffshire, drawing process water from Blackstank and Heanshead Dams fed by spring- and snowmelt-fed streams on the mountain's north-east slopes; that cold, mineral-rich water feeds horizontal shell-and-tube condensers — an architectural necessity of the gravity-fed site — producing a heavier, oilier spirit cut than vertical condensers typically yield. The 15 Year Old draws on a cask regime of first- and second-fill only, with the foundation in ex-Bourbon American oak and over 30% of the blend from Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons and hogsheads, supplemented by wine-cask finishes across Port, Marsala, Madeira, and Barolo. Bottled at 46% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural colour — no caramel, no cold-stripping of texture. The special feature: this expression draws on pre-2017 inherited stocks, meaning the cask selection reflects Walker's editorial eye applied to spirit he did not distil — a curatorial act rather than a production one. Dried dark fruit, baking spice, and a honeyed mid-palate carry through a long, warming finish; drink now through the mid-2030s.