Review 243. Meikle Tòir The Sherry One

So last week I talked about the Longrow 18. You can obviously easily find it so I won’t really dwell on it here, but  what was interesting (to me at least), is the discussion that evolved in the comment section about prices. In whisky veritas pointed out that you can’t really call Springbank expensive if you’re paying the MSRP (paraphrasing here, ftr) and how something like SB 10 finds itself well in the mid-range of some of its peers when talking prices. And while I feel we ended the discussion in  agreement, I did indeed mention in the review that often Springbank will be ‘a bit more expensive’ compared to a lot of  other distilleries, which was understandable given that their production process requires a lot of manual labour. I’m just pointing this out because when I’m writing a review, some idea for an angle will just pop up and once I start going in a bit deeper on a subject,  it can lead to me riding a certain train of thought, which I always intend to bring across as clear as possible. But in line with the train analogy, trains at some point drive through tunnels and when I find myself going in a certain direction when writing a blog piece, it can on occasion lead to a bit of tunnel vision. I never meant to imply (and also I think – I hope – I didn’t) Springbank is deliberately overpricing itself, but merely that I understand why it’s very unlikely to see a bottle of SB 10 for say, £40/€45. So when somebody picks up on whatever it is I’ve written and comments on it, it’s of interest to me too as it not only helps me to reflect on what I ‘ve said but may also lead to a better understanding and some new insights. It’s always one man’s opinion and these opinions are built on my own experiences and, granted, sometimes preconceptions, but the comment section is deliberately and specifically  there to encourage interaction and  break through  the one way communication that is inevitable and intrinsic about a blog post. Provided things remain  polite and based on evidence or example lead arguments and opinions, I welcome and embrace these little back-and forths wholeheartedly…

Anyway, this week’s review was inspired by Glenallachie’s recent announcement of releasing two new instalments in their peated ‘Meikle Tòir’ range.  Late July, two limited cask strength expressions saw the light of day. One of them being a 7 year old distillery exclusive, the other a 6 year old available (but very likely already sold out) through online retailers. Not to get into the whole discussing prices thing again, but suffice to say that given the fact that  these are limited to some 350 bottles each and both being cask strength releases, prices are hovering close or even north of 3 digits. Expensive? Sure, and while both score high ratings on whiskybase, I have yet to see or read an actual review on either of them (if you’ve tried or know of someone who discussed them, please let me know). Seeing how these are both single sherry casks (one from an oloroso, the other from a PX hogshead), I decided to dig out the sample from the Meikle Tòir The Sherry One I had lying around. This was a 2023 release, so perhaps a bit late to the party, but the angle here is that I’m trying to decide if chasing one of these cask strength releases might be worth your effort,  time and money based on what the standard 5 yo release has to offer. Obviously I’m well aware of how  this approach is not without its flaws given that this is a vatting of multiple casks, released at 48% ABV, but it’s as good an inspiration /excuse to talk about this release as any.

Meikle Tòir 5 yo The Sherry One. Peated Glenallachie single malt whisky, 2023 release. Matured in bourbon barrels, PX and oloroso puncheons. NC, UCF, 48% ABV, app. €50-€55 (£44-£50) and still readily available.

The original ‘core range’ consists of several 5 year old expressions. There’s also ‘the original’ (matured in bourbon, rye and virgin oak casks) and the chinquapin oak release. All are priced in that €50-€55 bracket (good!) and then there was ‘The Turbo’, a limited release of 2200 bottles,  bottled at a slightly higher ABV after being matured in virgin oak and oloroso sherry casks. This one too is already cruising well north of €120/£110. I remember trying the 3 core range releases at a festival 2 years ago, and that the Chinquapin was my favourite of the lot (which I ended up buying as a Christmas gift to the old man). Other than that I have no real recollection of what they were like  as nothing destroys a palate quite like a whisky festival, so I’m basically re-acquainting myself with this one by means of a sample kindly provided by the wonderful person that is Sabrina Benoit.

Nose

Lovely fruity – jammy with blackberries, a whiff of plums and forest fruit. In fact it’s  going into full-fledged (straw)berry marmalade territory. Soft smoke and very mild peat. Overall a fruity-dense experience. Not the most complex but it really delivers with its dense character and mild smoke, and it once again proofs how the combo of sherry casks  and peated spirit works a treat.

Palate

The smoke and peat are way more upfront on the palate, pushing the fruit back a bit. Despite the moderate ABV also a bit feisty-peppery, which I’m putting down to the youth.  With a few drop of water the fruit notes are restored somewhat, but it also dials up the peat and smoke notes.

Finish

Medium long, with clear echoes of peat, smoke and pepper.

Final thoughts

What we got here is  a quite pleasant whisky. Nothing jaw dropping, mind,  just plain decent. Overall, and I think this is probably my one ‘issue’ with this: I can’t’ shake off the feeling that the nose is writing out checks the palate can’t always cash. That doesn’t mean I’m disappointed, seeing how the price is reasonable and we can of course only embrace the fact that this comes with an age statement, something they could’ve  just as easily chosen to drop as that ‘5 year old’ on the label might actually cause some people to reconsider. I have nothing but respect for Billy Walker and it’s frankly remarkable to see how back in 2017 he managed to put an obscure, easily forgettable  workhorse distillery like Glenallachie on our radar pretty much from day 1 – that’s how much of a legend he truly is! I absolutely see the point of this range, as it has its place in the whisky spectrum and I get why and how this can appeal if you’re in the mood for something decent yet unobtrusive, as this is a whisky that can grab your attention – particularly on the nose -  but doesn’t necessarily require it, if you know what I mean? Also, if you’re trying to appreciate peated whisky but find it hard to get accustomed to: this might well proof to be a good segue / stop-along-the-way before diving into something more heavy hitting  like Ardbeg or Laphroaig. And while these will probably also appeal to a lot of enthusiasts for all the reasons mentioned above, I feel as if  they might really not be a fair comparison or introduction to their more recent single cask, high ABV relatives as those are, I feel, specifically aimed at ‘invested’ Glenallachie fans. It’s the same DNA, so there will undoubtedly be similarities,  but likely they will also proof to be different characters.  The approach or angle I chose  seemed like a good idea on paper, though, and as said: it was as good an excuse as any to dig out this sample and discuss it. To me this is a try before you buy bottle. Not because it’s bad, but because at this point  in my journey I would perhaps rather buy one bottle of something a bit more expensive but also a bit more ‘remarkable’ than two perfectly decent yet less ‘gripping’ bottles like this. As always: just my 2 cents.