Von der Brennerei Glenallachie wurde heute ein besonderer Blend aus der Destillerie angekündigt, und er ist sozusagen die Wiederauferstehung einer Marke, die in den 80ern eingestelt wurde: Der White Heather 21yo ist ein Blend aus Malt und Grain Whiskys aus den Highlands, von Islay und der Speyside, der von Master Distiller Billy Walker komponiert wurde.
Der Blend reifte 18 Jahre lang in einer Kombination von first fill American Barrels, Sherry Butts und second-fill Barrels sowie Hogsheads, bevor er in einer Auswahl von PX-Puncheons, Oloroso Puncheons und Virgin Oak Casks aus den Appalachen in den USA nachgereift wurde.
Der White Heather 21yo soll Noten von Heidehonig, Butterscotch, Torffeuer und zarte Tannin-Anklänge in der Nase zeigen, am Gaumen zusätzlich noch Orangenschale.
Für Billy Walker ist der White Heather ein Herzensprojekt, erinnert er ihn doch an seine Anfänge vor mehr als 50 Jahren, als er seine Laufbahn bei Hiram Walker begann. Er ist nach eigenen Worten ausgesprochen stolz auf den Whisky.
2000 Flaschen vom White Heather 21yo wird es weltweit geben, abgefüllt mit 48% vol. in Großbritannien, wo er noch im März erscheint, kostet er 120 Pfund die Flasche.
Nachtrag: Von Pinkernells.at haben wir noch die englischsprachige Pressemitteilung nachgereicht bekommen – Vorbestellungen aus Österreich für den Blend, der voraussichtlich Ende April auf den Kontinent kommen wird, nimmt man dort gerne in Evidenz.
BILLY WALKER RETURNS TO HIS BLENDING ROOTS AS GLENALLACHIE UNVEILS FIRST BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY
The iconic whisky distiller reverts to his career origins in blending to recreate White Heather as a premium aged small batch blend
With more than 50 prestigious awards in three years, and a Master Distiller with almost 50 years’ experience at the helm, The GlenAllachie Distillers Company is renowned for its exceptional single and blended malt whiskies, and now launches its first-ever Blended Scotch Whisky: the limited release White Heather 21-year-old.
With only 2,000 bottles available worldwide, and a particularly high single malt content, White Heather 21-year-old (UK RRSP £120) is a premium small batch blend, expertly crafted by industry icon, Billy Walker.
White Heather sees Walker call upon his first forays into the industry as a blender whilst taking inspiration from a whisky brand which was discontinued in the 1980s as the industry consolidated. White Heather was acquired by The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, led by Walker, in 2017, along with The GlenAllachie Distillery and MacNair’s Lum Reek Blended Malt brand.
Walker has put his own unique spin on White Heather, elevating the flavour profile with skilful wood management and a watchful eye on the maturation process.
To create this rare and luxurious small batch blend, Walker first sourced some of the finest single malt and grain whiskies from the Highlands, Islay and Speyside. The whiskies spent 18 years maturing in a combination of first fill American barrels, sherry butts and second-fill barrels and hogsheads.
In the GlenAllachie Distillery lab, Walker expertly crafted a unique recipe with an unusually high single malt content, including vintage GlenAllachie. The blend was then laid down for an additional maturation period, highlighting Walker’s acclaimed wood management skills; spending three years in a carefully selected mix of Pedro Ximénez puncheons, Oloroso puncheons and Appalachian Virgin Oak casks to let the flavours marry together and take on additional layers of depth and complexity from the wood.
The resulting whisky, which is presented at 48% ABV with no added colouring or chill-filtration, perfectly balances gentle peat from the Islay contribution, archetypal Speyside fruity notes, the heather honeyed sweetness of the Highlands, and a rich and rounded foundation from the grain components.
Commenting on the landmark release, Walker said:
“This whisky is particularly close to my heart. Creating this blend took me back almost 50 years to when I started my career at Hiram Walker. It was there I started to learn the art of blending and the specialist skills required to select whiskies that when interfaced with each other ultimately amplified the overall flavour experience.
“With White Heather, I poured everything I’ve learned on my whisky journey into crafting a truly memorable small batch aged blend that sits proudly alongside even the very best single malts. I wanted to honour the original blend whilst recreating it in a much more premium form with exceptional wood. It’s a fine balance bringing together the character of such different whiskies and cask types, but I’m incredibly proud to now unveil the end result.”
White Heather is being unveiled in the same week that The GlenAllachie’s Master Distiller Billy Walker is inducted into Whisky Magazine’s prestigious Hall of Fame. In 2022, Walker will celebrate a remarkable 50 years in the whisky industry.
White Heather 21-year-old is available from specialist retailers globally, with a UK RRSP of £120.
TASTING NOTES
White Heather 21-year-old – 2,000 bottles, 48% ABV
- Colour: Natural Gold-Bronze.
- Nose: Beautifully soft background with heather honey, butterscotch, peat reek and hints of tannins.
- Taste: Rich notes of heather honey, butterscotch, orange peel, and soft tannins, with a wonderful presence of peat and smoke.
For more information on The GlenAllachie Distillers Company, please go to theglenallachie.com
