Glenallachie – 7 Year Old Hungarian Virgin Oak (70cl, 48%)

This is a 7-year-old Speyside single malt from Glenallachie, released in early 2023 at 48% in a 70cl bottle. It is the third release in the distillery's Virgin Oak series, bottled without colouring or chill filtration. The whisky first matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, then spent 18 months in Hungarian virgin oak casks. The oak comes from the Zemplen forest and is a sessile oak with a tight grain, which makes it tricky to cooper. The nose offers butterscotch, citrus and milk chocolate, with cinnamon, raisins, orchard fruits and ginger. The palate has heather honey and cinnamon, then chocolate, lemon drops and caramelised brown sugar.