White Heather 21 yo Blended Scotch Whisky by Billy Walker

Master distiller Billy Walker has 50 years of experience in the world of whisky. With White Heather 21 yo, the expert has taken his first steps in the industry as a blender and last year brought the GlenAllachie Distillers Company's very first blended Scotch whisky onto the market. The small batch blend is now available again.

White Heather was acquired by the GlenAllachie Distillers Company in 2017, along with the GlenAllachie Distillery and MacNair's Lum Reek. Industry icon Walker has put his own stamp on the brand, which was discontinued in the 1980s - and raised the level of taste through skilful wood management.

Single malt and grain whiskies from the Highlands, Speyside and Islay are matured for 18 years in a combination of American first-fill casks, sherry butts and second-fill casks and hogsheads. Blended in Walker's GlenAllachie Distillery with an unusually high proportion of single malt, including vintage GlenAllachie, the blend is stored for a further 3 years in a mix of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Puncheons as well as Appalachian Virgin Oak. The result harmoniously balances the gentle peat of the Islay portion, the archetypal Speyside fruit notes, the heather-honey-like sweetness of the Highlands and a full-bodied base of the grain components.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Nice soft background with heather honey, butterscotch, peat smell and a hint of tannins.

Palate: Full-bodied notes of heather honey, butterscotch, orange peel and soft tannins, with a wonderful presence of peat and smoke.