A Scotch Drinker’s Delight: A Rare Single Cask Exclusive at an Unbeatable Price
1994 GlenAllachie 24 Year Old “Faultline” K&L Exclusive Single Cask #3560 Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky ($149.99)
“This is EXACTLY the sort of whisky you’ll return to and fall in love with.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L SoCal Spirits Buyer

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Precious few single casks of GlenAllachie ever make it to market, so when the opportunity revealed itself to acquire this 24-year rendition, we jumped. GlenAllachie, perhaps best known as a key component of Chivas Regal, has become something of a darling among collectors. This is due in part to its rarity, but also because their whiskies are just downright delicious. As our SoCal spirits buyer, David Othenin-Girard notes, this is a particularly engaging cask. A tad coy at first blush, in time it opens to reveal a dazzling array of “sweet malty flavors, cinnamon, cinchona bark, and pithy citrus peel.” Bottled at cask strength, which is a whopping 120 proof, it is a potent dram, but one that is easily tamed with a modest addition of water. You will find that other 25-year renditions of GlenAllachie cost in the $400 range. That’s where the beauty of our Faultline label comes in. By importing directly, we are able to offer this stunning single cask exclusive for $149.99. This value here is incontestable. The combination of rarity and price alone make this a compelling proposition. Add in the utter irresistibility of this spirit, and you have a must-buy opportunity. The truth is, we don’t know the next time we’ll see another single cask from GlenAllachie, but if we do, it likely won’t be at such an approachable price. A prized addition to any whisky collection, this easily ranks among our top exclusives this year.

1994 GlenAllachie 24 Year Old “Faultline” K&L Exclusive Single Cask #3560 Cask Strength Single Malt Whisky (750ml) ($149.99)

The GlenAllachie distillery was a candidate for one of Scotland’s most under-the-radar distilleries up until its recent sale to a group of private investors lead by the unrelenting Billy Walker. The distillery, built in 1967, became a workhorse for the Chivas Brands, but despite its importance in blending, the whisky was not traded particularly heavily. We’ve only once bottled GlenAllachie and even historical bottlers like Cadenhead’s, Signatory and Douglas Laing have only offered a handful of expressions over the years. When we do see it, it tends to be young. Having access to old GlenAllachie is a real treat, but being able to sell a nearly 25 year old single cask at cask strength was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. GlenAllachie’s new owners sell their new PX-finished 25 year for $400, which is lovely, but something about the purity and complexity of the spirit unadulterated drew us to this particular cask. Bold and aromatic, this isn’t a lightweight at nearly 120 proof, but subtle nuances of the spirit remain despite the high proof. Expect a huge basket of fruit interspersed with zingy spice and dark fudgy malt. We’re extremely lucky to have access to these casks and while on paper it might not look like the normal Faultline too-good-to-be-true pricing, this whisky overachieves on every level. Now that the distillery has a proper single malt label, it’s unlikely we’ll see exceptional old single cask ‘Allachie on the open market like this one.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: May 27, 2020

This gorgeous ‘Allachie is one of only two casks of the distillery we’ve ever bottled. That’s not for lack of trying, it’s just stuff that doesn’t make it to the open market very often. When I first tasted this set of 3 Glenallachie casks, I was not impressed. This is one of those whiskies that starts ultra shy. First impressions are so important when bottling whisky, but if you judge a book by the first page, you’ll miss so much. It’s not unusual for me to hear from customers about their first sip of a new cask being a let down, only to fall in love with the whisky hours or weeks later. This is EXACTLY the sort of whisky you’ll return to and fall in love with. On first nosing you get hints of pencil shavings and bits of citrus, but as expected it’s completely mute otherwise. Take a nap. Now we’re back, 20 minutes power nap in the books, and a whole new world has opened up in the glass. Gone is the fresh shaved wood and newly arrived are a plethora of yellow things: mirabelle, lemon sorbet, honeycomb and marigolds. Behind that a darker quality light roast coffee, roasted malt, taffy. On the palate, great balance between the sweet malty flavors, cinnamon, cinchona bark and pithy citrus peel. A splash of water and the lemon and herbs come forward. Strangely, it’s become even more spicy and bold on the palate. The water adds richness and sweetness up front, but the big spicy finish is undeniable. I prefer this with just a few dashes of water or cut under 46% (enough water to cloud) rather than somewhere in between, but it stands up straight right out of the bottle if you give it some time. A more nuanced expression than previous Alexander Murray Faultlines, this offers tons of complexity for those willing to tease the whisky out.