Meikle Tòir, 2019, 2025, 60.3 %, #8723, WB289160

When you arrive at Glenallachie Distillery, you walk or drive past several storehouses with racks, comparable in size to those at Macallan. Apparently, most of the stock is still in possession of Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard). During the tour, you will see the dunnage warehouses and be led to the tasting room, which showcases artwork of Glenallachie bottlings drawn by the tour guide himself.  

The nose is reminiscent of BBQ sauce with lots of umami notes from grilled or fried roast. There are also hints of baked apples and other fruits that I cannot yet identify...cranberries. There are maybe some tobacco aromas, but not a fired sensation, just a sweaty one.  

Palate: Sweetness paired with an ashtray sensation, despite the high ABV, the beverage does not burn much. There are hints of smoked tofu in soy sauce, sourness and salt. The peat is neither troubling nor challenging, inducing complex yet integrated aromas. Finish: A chilli

kick with a warming sensation and lingering Bordeaux tannins. The oily, sweet residues of the whisky let you enjoy it smoochingly for a long time. 

90/90/90 

 

 

 

Meikle Tòir 5 yrs Glenallachie The Turbo 2025 50%, WB282226

I was quite impressed by this one’s previous twins and siblings. Finally, some successful experiments from Billy Walker. In some circles, Turbo is considered the new Octomore, but I don't know — we shouldn't get carried away. It has its merits, though. Octomore, however, is a different story. What story does this one tell us?
Nose (hours and hours): It's walking in the forest at night. Why? It's a blind tasting; I can smell truffles and other brown mushrooms. It's like burying your nose in the forest floor. There is a dinner going on; meat is being served, heavily fried with lots of umami. I can smell all kinds of sauces, such as balsamic, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and Japanese fish sauce. There is a camp fire in not so much distance. Now I can smell pears, but they are heavily fermented, along with all kinds of other fruits in the middle of a fermentation process.
Palate: A camouflaged sweetness that is easily exposed. Why? Because there is profound saltiness going on here. It is a perfumed experience with some sweet dried fruits, such as apricots and sultanas. Now I can smell sandalwood and liquorice.

Finish: The finish is smoked tofu with a medium length. A creamy sensation lingers alongside dried porcini mushrooms. One should drink more often at night because, as a famous man once said: 'I often think that the night is more alive and more richly coloured than the day' — Vincent van Gogh.
90-89-89