GlenAllachie Distillery debuts Meikle Tòir

Speyside distillery GlenAllachie Distillery has released its inaugural single malt peated whisky collection, Meikle Tòir, in Australia.

The collection is the first peated release for GlenAllachie Distillery, an uncommon style for the Speyside region, as well as the first release for Master Distiller Billy Walker since he took over the distillery in 2017.

Meikle Tòir, meaning ‘big pursit’, represents Walker’s seasonal campaign to create a high-quality collection of Speyside peated whisky.

“This is an incredibly exciting milestone for all of us at The GlenAllachie. Five years in the making, Meikle Tòir represents our endeavours to perfect a peated whisky and make history at our home in Speyside. Our innovation, wood policy and hands-on approach means only the best whisky reaches the bottle,” he said.

The collection comprises four small batch SKUs; The Original, The Sherry One, The Chinquapin and The Turbo.

The Original is a classic peated single malt, aged for five years a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels, American virgin oak casks and Rye barrel. GlenAllachie describes the flavour profile as rich and complex in character with notes of baking spices, burnt honey, sweet pea and rich chocolate.

The Sherry One is matured for five years in American oak ex-Bourbon barrels, and finished in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry puncheons, and tasting notes identify flavours of dark chocolate, mocha and peat smoke.

The Chinquapin One is aged for five years in Chinquapin virgin oak barrels sourced from the Northern Ozark region of Missouri, USA. The resulting liquid delivers notes of sweet spice and toasted nuts accompanied by peat smoke.

The Turbo is a limited-edition release, utilising mainland peat and a lengthy fermentation period for a full-bodied character. The 2023 release is a combination of three American virgin oak casks and five Oloroso hogsheads, and tasting notes describe strong peat flavours accompanied by notes of Manuka honey, worn leather and chocolate.