Latest news with #GlenAllachie
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Scotsman
I tried the £50 ‘world's best single malt whisky' - and was surprised by one thing
We're fully into whisky month, which kicked off with the Spirit of Speyside whisky festival at the end of April, but before then, the World Whiskies Awards had named their top whiskies for 2025. There were 23 Scotch whiskies in total, among other whiskies from around the world. But it was a Scotch whisky that took home the coveted title of 'World's Best Single Malt.' There was worldwide competition from Brazil, Belgium, America, Ireland, Canada and Australia for the best single malt, but it was the GlenAllachie 12 year old whisky that took the top spot. Judges described it as having: "A nose of rich sultanas, flapjacks, and milk chocolate, alongside acetone notes. On the palate, dried apple, gourmet chutney, orange zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon emerge, complemented by vanilla custard. The finish is medium-long, oily, and slightly warm, making for a very enjoyable dram." I tried the whisky during a warm and sunny spell of weather, and was keen to see if it was one to potentially add to a highball or cocktail and enjoy al fresco. What I found was a nose of spice, red and tropical fruits, vanilla, oak and a hint of creaminess. On tasting the whisky, I got notes of stewed apples, vanilla and citrus while the sweet finish lingered. With water, there was a touch of old school cola cube sweets. What surprised me the most, was how smooth and easy to drink this whisky is. I'd highly recommend it to those curious about whisky but unsure about the strength and associated alcohol burn. At £50 it's also a bargain given the age and weight the GlenAllachie brand has. Pick up a bottle now and enjoy. Our verdict GlenAllachie 12 year old single malt Score: 5/5 Best for: whisky novices and cultured drinkers Buy a bottle for £48.50 from the Whisky Exchange here.
Scotsman
14-05-2025
- Scotsman
I tried the £50 ‘world's best single malt whisky' - and was surprised by one thing
We're fully into whisky month, which kicked off with the Spirit of Speyside whisky festival at the end of April, but before then, the World Whiskies Awards had named their top whiskies for 2025. There were 23 Scotch whiskies in total, among other whiskies from around the world. But it was a Scotch whisky that took home the coveted title of 'World's Best Single Malt.' There was worldwide competition from Brazil, Belgium, America, Ireland, Canada and Australia for the best single malt, but it was the GlenAllachie 12 year old whisky that took the top spot. Judges described it as having: "A nose of rich sultanas, flapjacks, and milk chocolate, alongside acetone notes. On the palate, dried apple, gourmet chutney, orange zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon emerge, complemented by vanilla custard. The finish is medium-long, oily, and slightly warm, making for a very enjoyable dram." I tried the whisky during a warm and sunny spell of weather, and was keen to see if it was one to potentially add to a highball or cocktail and enjoy al fresco. What I found was a nose of spice, red and tropical fruits, vanilla, oak and a hint of creaminess. On tasting the whisky, I got notes of stewed apples, vanilla and citrus while the sweet finish lingered. With water, there was a touch of old school cola cube sweets. What surprised me the most, was how smooth and easy to drink this whisky is. I'd highly recommend it to those curious about whisky but unsure about the strength and associated alcohol burn. At £50 it's also a bargain given the age and weight the GlenAllachie brand has. Pick up a bottle now and enjoy. Our verdict GlenAllachie 12 year old single malt Score: 5/5 Best for: whisky novices and cultured drinkers Buy a bottle for £48.50 from the Whisky Exchange here.
Press and Journal
09-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
'Rescued' CASC Bar reopens as Whisky Situation Aberdeen
A new Aberdeen bar serving more than 700 different bottles of whisky is opening today, at the venue previously known as CASC Bar. Whisky Situation Aberdeen, the brainchild of 37-year-old Carlos Yabrudy, promises an exclusive whisky offering, as well as cigars, beer, wine and cocktails. The new owners of the the Stirling Street bar, opening on Friday at 5pm, hope it will become a tourist destination in Aberdeen. 'We want to eventually become the best whisky bar in Scotland,' Carlos says. 'We want people to say: 'when you go to Scotland, that's where you need to go'. 'That's the goal.' CASC Bar closed its doors back in December 2024 after 11 years on the Aberdeen food and drink scene. Carlos – who founded retail company Whisky Situation back in 2023 – has retained several members of staff in his bid to 'rescue' the city centre venue. He adds: 'I found out about this place, and when things were on the rocks I met the old manager and decided to rescue the place. And in doing so, saved three jobs and brought in three more staff members on top of that. 'For a lot of locals, this place was their second home. 'Hence there was a lot of sadness in the closing.' Carlos believes that his new bar – and its sister whisky shop on King Street – could help improve Aberdeen city centre. He says: 'Aberdeen is always playing third fiddle to Glasgow and Edinburgh, isn't it? 'Aberdeen has a lot here – Tall Ships and a lot of festivals. 'It's a city that works more like a town, where people talk more than other places. It's not so disconnected. 'Aberdeen is the closest to distilleries, on the cusp of Speyside – close to Macallan and Tomatin. 'People should be coming here from all over the world. 'Now there is an even better reason for them to come to the city centre. And hopefully start driving the city's regeneration.' The new bar will host private events including weekly tastings from distilleries like Tomatin and Lochlea. The range of whisky on offer is exclusive, says Carlos, with many bottles unavailable elsewhere in the UK. 'The main draw is having over 700 whiskies for people to try,' adds Carlos. 'We can give people the opportunity to try different things. 'A lot of this isn't available to taste before people buy it. So this will be a hub for people to try the newest GlenAllachie or Lochlea.' Unique bottles available to sample include Brother's Bond straight bourbon whiskey from actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, and Japanese whiskey from Yamazaki Distillery. Also boasting the 'largest humidor in Scotland', the bar offers a range of cigars. Drams will range from £4.50 to over £100 at Whisky Situation Aberdeen. 'We can open a bottle that costs £200 per dram, it depends what people ask for,' he adds. 'I'm a very flexible guy. It's not a problem.' Bottles like the single cask Glenfarclas Family Cask range might be more pricy for a dram. Carlos adds: 'You're looking at £8,000 per bottle. 'So if you divide them up, that's about £200-300 per single [dram].' The team are looking forward to opening the new bar and King Street shop this evening. Carlos says: 'I'm excited to have everyone down. 'It feels like your family coming to see you again when you haven't seen them for a long time. 'The atmosphere won't be clinical – or like a dank student bar – but rather a familiar place.' There are plans for refurbishment further down the line to turn the bar into a 'speakeasy style' venue. The new King Street whisky shop will be open Tuesday to Saturday. The Stirling Street bar will be open daily 3pm to 12am Sunday-Thursday, and till 1am Friday and Saturday.
Forbes
29-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
GlenAllachie Crowned Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky At The 2025 World Whiskies Awards
GlenAllachie 12 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky was crowned the World's Best Single Malt at the 2025 World Whisky Awards The World Whisky Awards (WWA) is among the most prestigious whisky competition in the world. It's judging results are closely followed by whisky enthusiasts worldwide. GlenAllachie's 12 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky was crowned the World's Best Single Malt Whisky at the 2025 WWA. Below is a brief description of the distillery and tasting notes. The GlenAllachie Distillery was established in the heart of Scotland's Speyside region in 1967. By Scotch whisky standards, it is a relatively new distillery. The distillery has had several owners since its founding. It was built by Mackinlay McPherson, a Scottish & Newcastle Breweries subsidiary, in response to the whisky boom of the 1960s. The renowned architect William Delmé-Evans designed the facility. In 1985, GlenAllachie was sold to Invergordon Distillers, and in 1989, it became part of Pernod Ricard following its acquisition of Invergordon. Under Pernod, the distillery continued to be a significant source of malt for blended Scotch whiskies. From 2001 on, GlenAllachie was part of Chivas Brothers, Pernod's whisky arm, and supplied malt for its blends. In 2017, Billy Walker, along with Graham Stevenson and Trisha Savage, purchased GlenAllachie. This marked the beginning of a new chapter for the distillery. Walker, a respected figure in the whisky industry, is known for revitalizing distilleries. He shifted GlenAllachie to producing an expanded product range featuring premium single malt Scotch whiskies. Under his guidance, the distillery has embraced traditional methods while implementing innovative aging and finishing techniques to enhance the complexity and uniqueness of its whiskies. The distillery uses traditional pot stills for distillation and sources assorted cask types for aging, including ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and virgin oak. It has also experimented with diverse oak varieties. This diverse cask usage creates various flavor profiles in their whiskies, from rich and deep to light and vibrant. GlenAllachie whiskies are known for their depth, layered complexity, and richness. The whiskies typically exhibit honey, vanilla, and fruit notes on the nose. The richer, more robust expressions show darker fruit, chocolate, and spice notes from the wine and sherry cask influence. The palate balances sweetness from malt, fruitiness, spiciness, and sometimes nutty or woody nuances. The various cask types contribute complexity with flavors ranging from caramel and toffee to dried fruits and nuts. The whisky is aged in American oak, Pedro Ximénez (PX), and Oloroso Sherry casks. The casks impart depth and various flavors, giving the whisky a broad, flavorful spectrum and a nuanced, layered complexity. The influence of the Sherry casks is also evident in the whisky's rich amber color. Honey, vanilla, apple, and pear notes dominate the whisky's nose, followed by butterscotch and almond hints, subtle floral undertones, and a trace of oak spice. This is a classic Speyside aroma profile whose complexity is enhanced by the Sherry cask influence. The whisky is rich, sweet, and robust on the palate. It features a complex array of caramel, fruitcake, and spicy oak flavors. The cooked cereal maltiness is well-balanced by the sweetness, creating a full-bodied, smooth, and creamy mouthfeel with a distinct weight. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering dark chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, and hints of dried fruit notes from the sherry cask influence. The result is a flavorful, complex whisky. Overall, The GlenAllachie 12 YO is a testament to the distillery's dedication to quality and innovation in whisky making. It represents a superb example of modern Speyside whisky, balancing traditional Scotch whisky flavors with new influences from diverse cask aging. Its recognition as the World's Best Single Malt Scotch Whisky is well deserved. At an average US retail price of just $67, you must add this incredible value to your whisky collection. See also the 2025 World Whisky Awards results for The World's Best Single Malts, The World's Best Blended Scotch Whiskies and The World's Best American Whiskeys.
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The World's Best Single Malt-According To The 2025 World Whiskies Awards
The GlenAllachie Speyside Single Malt 12-Year-Old Scotch lovers rejoice! The World Whiskies Awards, the world's most prominent international spirits competition dedicated entirely to whisky, just announced their champions for 2025. An outrageously affordable bottle was just named the World's Best Single Malt. That's just the type of news Scotch lovers need in these uncertain times. The World Whiskies Awards, founded in 2007, is a highly selective international competition that crowns the world's best whisky. It puts every bottle through a multi-stage judging process where a group of esteemed judges evaluate each entry's appearance, nose, taste, balance, finish, character, and complexity. Part of what makes it so unique is that it takes the best bottles from regions across the globe to all compete for the title of world's best. Think of it as the ultimate booze-based championship where only one bottle remains at the end. This year, The GlenAllachie Speyside Single Malt 12 Years Old beat out 29 other top single malts from around the world, including five other Scots, to claim the title of the world's best. And get this - it only costs $67! What a steal for a world-class whisky. GlenAllachie was opened in 1967 in Aberlour, Scotland, at the foot of Ben Rinnes mountain. It was shuttered in 1985 and sat silent for four years before Pernod Richard/Campbell Distillers purchased it to serve as a production facility for scotch to be used in its premium blended Chivas Regal. Recognizing its potential, legendary Master Distiller Billy Walker, famous for reviving once forgotten distilleries BenRiach, Glendronach, and Glenglassaugh, purchased the distillery and brand in 2017. It has been nothing short of a smashing success since. Part of GlenAllachie's success has been the wide range of aged single malts dating back to the 1970s that were included in the purchase, which attracted Walker to the distillery in the first place. Because the distillery had no past history of bottlings to compete against, Walker envisioned a blank slate where he could pursue whatever flavors he thought fit. They launched their single-malt brand in 2018, and the drinking public took notice. Their first releases were a range of single malts from 10 to 18 years old, solely focused on the Speyside region. Priced affordably, they quickly became highly sought-after bottles. It was in 2021 that The GlenAllachie officially arrived on the international awards circuit. [22] That year, their 10-Year-Old Cask Strength won the World's Best Single Malt title at the World Whiskies Awards, plus Walker was inducted into Whisky Magazine's Hall of Fame. These achievements helped propel the GlenAllachie brand onto the international stage and set the stage for its continued success, including the latest World's Best title this year for the 12-Year-Old expression. The GlenAllachie Speyside Single Malt 12-Year-Old, the distillery's flagship bottling, is made using malted barley from the Moray Firth coast run through its Porteus mill installed in 1967 and water from nearby. It then went through a traditional double distillation process before being racked in the finest wood that Walker could source. It then spent twelve long years aging in the ever-changing Speyside weather in non-climate-controlled warehouses. The resultant liquid, an unpeated single malt, is loaded with flavors that make it an enjoyable dram from first sip. Here is what the judges had to say in their tasting notes. "A nose of rich sultanas, flapjacks, and milk chocolate, alongside acetone notes. On the palate, dried apple, gourmet chutney, orange zest, nutmeg, and cinnamon emerge, complemented by vanilla custard. The finish is medium-long, oily, and slightly warm, making for a very enjoyable dram." With its exceptional quality and depth of flavor profile, all for the remarkably affordable price of $67, it's no wonder the GlenAllachie 12-Year-Old was crowned the World's Best Single Malt. For a complete list of the other winning single-malts, visit the World Whiskies Awards, and if you want to grab a bottle of the champion, you can pick one up here or in most fine liquor stores. In a world often dominated by high-end, premium single malts, this award-winning bottle proves that exceptional quality and value can coexist, setting a new standard for what Scotch whisky lovers can expect from affordable, yet world-class, expressions. As the Scots would say, Slàinte Mhath! Follow here for the most up to date information about the ever changing beer, wine, and spirits industry.
