Glentauchers 2009 Aged 11 Years Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky – Infrequent Flyers (Alistair Walker) (700ml)

Volume: 700ml           ABV: 57.0%           Age: 11 Years Old          Country: Scotland

Cask: 6254
Date of Distilling: 2009
Date of Bottling: 2020
Matured In: an ex Ruby Port Hogshead
Un-Chillfiltered

Independent bottlers, have been around for a many years. They source whiskies from different distilleries throughout Scotland and around the world, and using their experience bottle them as single casks. These whiskies are then presented in their most natural form which includes no chill filtering, bottling at natural colour, and more options at cask strength. Established in 2008 The Alistair Walker Company is based in Grangemouth in Central Scotland. Alistair has almost 20 years experience in the whisky industry and is not affiliated to any one distillery. Alistair’s career in the whisky industry began in January 1997, at Burn Stewart Distillers in a sales and marketing role for over six years. At that time Burn Stewart was the custodian of two single malt distilleries – Deanston and Tobermory. In October 2004, he joined The BenRiach Distillery Company, and remained with them for over twelve years, until the business was eventually sold. This was a new-start business, that had been set up in 2004 following the acquisition, by three entrepreneurs, of the BenRiach Distillery from Pernod Ricard. In addition to BenRiach, Alistair also had the good fortune to work with the GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh Distilleries, with BenRiach having acquired GlenDronach in 2008, and then Glenglassaugh in 2013. In 2018, Alistair found himself on hiatus, and contemplating what to do next. Keen to be his own boss and also wishing to remain in the whisky sector, he decided to venture into the exciting world of independent bottling. Making the move from distillery to independent bottler is very much a case of ‘gamekeeper turned poacher’. Fortunately, independent bottling is a vibrant category at present; as more and more whisky enthusiasts are seeking out single cask bottlings and whisky releases that are a little different, somewhat unique, and often from less familiar distilleries.

The whiskies the are bottled under the brand name ‘Infrequent Flyers’. That name refers to the nature of many of the casks that are bottled – often whiskies from lesser-known distilleries that are of excellent quality, but have never been widely or consistently available. As such, many of the bottlings are of whiskies that you just don’t see so often – hence the name ‘Infrequent Flyers’.

Glentauchers Distillery is a Speyside distillery which mainly produces whisky for blends, initially Buchanan’s and Black & White, and these days Ballantine’s. The distillery was founded in 1897 by W P Lowrie, a Glasgow-based whisky trader, and James Buchanan, a renowned blender. The distillery was built on the Tauchers farm which sits four miles west of the town of Keith. The distillery boasts long fermentation and slow distillation making the whisky more floral and light than earthy and weighty.

This independent bottling has been sourced from the Glentauchers Distillery where it was distilled in 2009. It was then placed in an ex Ruby Port Hogshead and left to mature for 11 years. It was bottled at 57.0% abv in 2020. 1 of only 288 bottles produced.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Fruits salad and some really intense Esters leading to sour red berries.

Palate: Summer pudding, caramelised brown sugar and Christmas cake spices.

Finish: Toffee apples with sticky toffee and toasted almonds.