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4th August 2022 |
Whisky maker
Billy Walker marks 50 years in the
whisky industry with second release in
commemorative Past, Present & Future
Series - The GlenAllachie 50th
Anniversary Present
Edition 16 Year Old Mizunara Virgin Oak
Finish.
 The
GlenAllachie Distillery has unveiled the
penultimate bottling in The Past,
Present & Future Series, it is as an
ultra-rare Japanese cask finished Single
Malt Scotch Whisky: The GlenAllachie
Billy Walker 50th Anniversary Present
Edition 16 Year Old Mizunara Virgin Oak
Cask Finish.
The series was launched in May this year
to honour whisky master Billy Walker’s
remarkable half-century-long career in
the Scotch whisky industry, with each
release in the series symbolising a key
milestone for the veteran blender who is
now plying his talent and knowledge of
whisky making at the GlenAllachie
Distillery.
The Present Edition is a Mizunara Virgin
Oak Cask Finish with a UK RRSP of £280,
this Billy Walker’s first-ever use of
the highly unusual oak species,
representing the pioneering wood policy
he is currently implementing at The
GlenAllachie Distillery.
With a particular focus on experimenting
with interesting and rare casks from
small-scale, premium producers, the
Speyside distillery’s annual cask budget
for 2022 stands at an eye-watering £2
million (US $2.6m).
The ground-breaking GlenAllachie 16 Year
Old underwent a lavish maturation
journey beginning in rich Pedro Ximenez
and Oloroso Sherry wood before being
transferred into the incredibly uncommon
Mizunara virgin oak casks with a medium
level of toasting and charring.
Mizunara is a very scarce species of
Japanese oak rarely utilized in the
whisky sphere due to its expense and the
multitude of challenges it poses to
production.
Its tendency to twist as it grows
creates issues for stave production, and
its porous nature – which on one hand is
beneficial, allowing for greater
interaction between whisky and wood –
makes it much more inclined to leak
during maturation, impacting the final
outturn. Additionally, the trees must
grow to be around 200 years old before
being felled; twice the age of most oaks
used for casks.
Following a luxurious two-step
maturation journey, the consequential
chestnut-hued single malt boasts
indulgent notes of dark chocolate
fondant, forest fruits, stem ginger and
coconut shavings.
Due to the scarcity of Mizunara oak, the
release is limited to just 2,900 bottles
globally; each proudly presented at a
high strength of 48% ABV, without added
colouring or chill filtration.
Walker, who was inducted into Whisky
Magazine’s prestigious Hall of Fame last
year, has spearheaded The GlenAllachie
Distillery since 2017. In that time, it
has racked up enviable awards including
the fiercely contested title of World’s
Best Single Malt (World Whiskies Awards,
2021).
Commenting on his historic release,
Billy Walker said: "As a Master
Distiller, I’m regularly asked what
proportion of the flavour profile of a
whisky I attribute to the wood, to which
I answer at least 70 per cent. As a
chemist, I find supervising the flavour
development of our whisky as it
interfaces with interesting cask types
truly fascinating. One thing I’ve
absolutely learnt in the last 50 years
is that there are no short cuts to
achieving quality.
"I’m incredibly proud to release my
first ever Mizunara virgin oak finished
whisky; a cask type that has of course
been on my radar to experiment with, not
deterred by its undeniable challenges! I
was confident that it would perfectly
complement the bold nature of The
GlenAllachie, and we’re delighted with
the outcome. A very proud moment for a
special personal milestone."
The Present Edition joins the first
release in the range, The Past Edition:
16 Year Old 100% Sherry Matured Single
Malt Scotch Whisky, released to great
acclaim in May 2022.
The GlenAllachie Present Edition 16 Year
Old Mizunara Virgin Oak Finish has a UK
RRSP of £280 and will be available from
specialist online whisky retailers such
as
The Whisky Exchange,
The Whisky Shop,
Hard To Find Whisky
and
Master of
Malt
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GlenAllachie 16 Year Old Mizunara Virgin Oak Finish Review
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Bottled at 48% ABV.
Producer's Tasting Notes:
Colour:
Intense Chestnut.
Nose: Bursting with dark
chocolate, heather honey and grilled
almonds, with hints of sandalwood,
ginger, orange zest, caramelised pecans
and coconut shavings.
Taste: Waves of heather honey,
cinnamon and crystalised ginger,
followed by demerara sugar, dried dark
berries, hazelnuts and fig syrup.
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