As all the Sherry heads out there already know: GlenAllachie is the new king of high proof single malt whisky that scratches that decadent itch. Billy Walker, the man who re-established Glendronach in that position previously, took his talents to the independent Highland distillery and achieved nothing less than perfection with their new lineup.

As a result, we made sure that GlenAllachie was our first stop for a barrel selection during our trip to the Highlands last year. We originally tasted and selected barrel number 2864 in May of 2022, but the whisky wasn’t bottled for another five months, allowing it to hit its 15th birthday, which was a welcome surprise! You wouldn’t think 150 extra days in wood would make such a huge difference, but when you’re talking about a PX Sherry Hogshead that extra time most definitely makes a difference.

Back in May, this whisky was like a candied orange ready-to-drink cocktail. Now that it’s finally here in bottle, those citrus notes are far more muted and the decadence of the PX Sherry is now front and center, meandering between toffee, caramel, coffee ice cream, and pecan pie. The 59.5% ABV is big and boisterous, but it mellows out quickly and the finish is like a 30 second ride past a restaurant dessert tray. Only 365 bottles of this were made and you’re going to want more than one, so plan accordingly. Trust me—you’ll drink the first third of it simply chasing that finish, like a junky in need of one more hit.

-David Driscoll