Glenallachie Meikle Toir The Chinquapin One - 700 ml

Meikle Tòir "The Chinquapin One" is an artisanal peated single malt Scotch whisky produced by The GlenAllachie Distillery in Aberlour, Speyside, Scotland, under the direction of Master Distiller Billy Walker. As part of GlenAllachie’s dedicated peated label, Meikle Tòir (The Big Pursuit in Scottish Gaelic), this expression highlights an adventurous maturation approach: pairing earthy mainland peat smoke with virgin Chinquapin oak casks sourced from the Northern Ozark region in Missouri, United States.

Spirit Description

The spirit is distilled from malted barley peated to approximately 35 ppm using mainland peat from St. Fergus in Aberdeenshire, which delivers a softer, heather-tinged, and sweeter wood smoke profile rather than the sharp, medicinal, or seaweed-heavy smoke common in coastal Islay malts. GlenAllachie employs an extended fermentation period of around 160 hours to develop rich fruity esters before distillation. Following primary maturation in American oak ex-bourbon barrels, the whisky undergoes secondary aging in virgin Chinquapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), which is air-dried for nearly 36 months before being medium-toasted and charred. This unusual virgin wood imparts pronounced baking spices, ginger, toasted nuts, and sweet wood tannins.

• Colour: Rich amber-bronze with warm golden copper highlights.

• Aroma: Vibrant, spicy, and smoky. Opens with toasted oak, candied ginger, and cinnamon sticks, layered over sweet heather smoke, campfire embers, warm honey, and crème brûlée.

• Palate: Bold, full-flavored, and textural on the entry. Flavors of charred honeycomb, dark butterscotch, and sweet wood embers are balanced by freshly ground nutmeg, clove, roasted hazelnuts, and a splash of citrus zest.

• Body: Medium-to-full-bodied with an oily, mouth-coating viscosity driven by virgin wood oils and extended fermentation.

• Finish: Long, warming, and distinctly spicy, trailing off with sweet mainland peat smoke, lingering ginger warmth, toasted oak, and a dry, peppery snap.

• ABV: Bottled at 48% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural colour.