Guided by revered Master Distiller, Billy Walker, our team is on a ‘Meikle Tòir’ (meaning ‘big pursuit’). The goal: to carefully craft and cask -perfect a peerless peated single malt at our Speyside home.
Being independent, we have complete freedom to do things our way. Every step of the whisky-making journey has been meticulously considered and masterfully optimised to steer the ensuing aromatic and flavour characteristics of the whisky.
Using premium mainland peat for an oaky, sweet smoke style; a process of extended fermentation, exacting distillation and expert maturation elevates the spirit to its pinnacle. After years of patient slumber, the spirit within each cask must meet the rigorous standards of Billy Walker and his team in order to reach the bottle.
Where pioneering passion and painstaking precision are paramount. All in the pursuit of peated perfection.
RAW MATERIALS
BARLEY STRAIN : Laureate
PEAT: Mainland peat from St. Fergus
WATER SOURCE:
- Process water: Henshead
- Cooling water: Blackstank
YEAST: Liquid Distillers Yeast
MALTING
We source our malted barley locally from Scottish producers Crisps Maltings in Port Gordon or Boortmalt in Buckie
We have 9 malt bins storing 30 tonnes of malted barley each
We use approximately 250 tonnes of peated malt during our annual peated production
KILNING
To achieve our distinctively smoky character, we aim for malted barley at around 95 PPM
The use of mainland peat from St. Fergus imparts oak-smoked flavor, rather than the more medicinal or maritime flavor contribution of an island peat
We hand-select peat that is damp and therefore produces more smoke during the burning process, allowing for maximum flavor to be imparted on our barley
MILLING
Our original Porteus mill has been in operation since production began in 1967
This brand of mill is notoriously reliable; so much so that Porteus went out of business as repairs and replacements weren’t required
For every mash, we produce 9.4 tonnes of grist
MASHING
Our semi-lauter mash tun holds 9.4 tonnes
37,200 litres of sparge is mixed with 9.4 tonnes of grist
A 4-water cycle maximises sugar extraction
FERMENTATION
We have 8 stainless steel washbacks
We run a lengthy fermentation time of 160 hours – nearly triple the industry average – giving enough time to not only allow the sugars to convert to alcohol but also create lots of flavor compounds and deliver a distinctly fruity and ester-rich spirit
DISTILLATION
4x copper stills: 2x wash stills & 2x spirit stills
The descended angle of the lyne arms of our stills encourages heavier spirits to fall into the condenser, resulting in a more viscous, fruit-driven new make spirit
First distillation: each wash still distils 21,250 litres for around 6 hours
- The ‘Standard peated’ spirit is cut from 74% to around 58%
- ‘The Turbo’ is the spirit collected from 60% to around 58%
At the end of the peated run, the low wines and feints are transferred into washback #7 for storage until our next peated run
FILLING
We currently fill at the industry standard of 63.5%, as well as at 68.5%
We fill into virgin, 1st and 2nd fill casks to extract caefully considered flavor characteristics at each strength
We only use up to 2nd fill casks for optimum flavor impact on our whisky
MATURING
We follow a similar cask management process as The GlenAllachie’s unpeated malt
An annual wood budget of £2.8m at the distillery means that only the finest casks are used for maturation
The cask types are specifically selected to complement and highlight the rich flavours of our peated spirit’s distillery character
All of our whisky is matured within The GlenAllachie Distillery’s 16 on-site warehouses: 2x dunnage and 14x racked (11x for barrels & hogsheads and 3x for puncheons & butts)
BOTTLING
We believe age statements are important; peated whisky’s smoky character mellows over time, which is why our whiskies capture a bold and punchy hit of peat
We always bottle at 48% or above
We never chill filter our whisky to retain all the natural oils for flavor and texture
We never add any artificial colouring; the appearance of our malts comes naturally from ageing in richly seasoned casks
THE RANGE
Meikle Tòir The Original
The Original’ is our classic Single Malt that truly champions our peated pursuit. Made with mainland peat from St. Fergus, the flavor contribution is sweeter than that anticipated of coastal peat. With an extended fermentation time of 160 hours, nearly triple the industry average, the whisky boasts flavor-rich, complex character. Aged in a combination of first-fill Bourbon barrels, American Virgin Oak casks and Rye barrels, the spirit clocks in at 35 PPM.
50% abv
Nose: Baking spices, burnt honey, and espresso; with hazelnuts, smoked almonds, and butterscotch.
Taste: Sweet peat, rich chocolate, and heather honey; with cinnamon, ginger, and Oak-smoked sugar.
Meikle Tòir The Chinquapin One
Aged in superior Chinquapin Virgin Oak barrels sourced from the Northern Ozark region of Missouri, USA, this Single Malt delivers robust notes of sweet spices and toasted nuts which join the peat smoke. Coming in at 35 PPM, the whisky has a sweeter style of smoke character owing to the mainland peat from St. Fergus used to kiln the barley. After a lengthy 160-hour fermentation, the whisky has a complex character which stands up well to ageing in Virgin Oak casks.
48% abv
Nose: Smouldering Oak embers, burnt licorice, and honey; with ginger, butterscotch, and orange peel.
Taste: Cocoa, crème brûlée, and toasted almonds; with cinnamon, aniseed, and campfire smoke.
Meikle Tòir The Sherry One
Expertly matured in quality Pedro Ximénez & Oloroso Sherry puncheons, the casks have imparted rich, fruity notes that mingle harmoniously with warming wisps of peat smoke. Made using mainland peat from St. Fergus, the sweet phenolic content of the whisky amounts to 35 PPM. A lengthy fermentation period of 160 hours results in a fruit-forward spirit that lends itself perfectly to aging in the finest Sherry Oak.
48% abv
Nose: Cedarwood, cigar box, butterscotch, and mocha; with orange peel, honey, and plum jam.
Taste: Dark chocolate, smoked honey, and mocha; with figs, treacle, burnt sugar ,and puffs of peat smoke.
Meikle Tòir The Turbo
Taking ‘the heart of the heart’ of our distillate – the spirit cut which contains the highest phenol content – ‘The Turbo’ entails an amplified smoky identity. Deploying mainland peat and a lengthy fermentation period, the whisky boasts full-bodied character. The 2023 Release is a combination of three American Virgin Oak casks and five Oloroso hogsheads. The result is a multi-faceted whisky with a powerful punch of peat, hitting a hefty 71 PPM.
50% abv
Nose: Manuka honey, worn leather, and chocolate; with toasted hazelnut, sultanas, and burnt orange peel.
Taste: Intense peat, honey, and mocha followed by smoked spices, roasted chestnuts, and charred Oak.