Intro
Today we’re comparing two sherried drams, which in age are very close to each other, but how do the flavours compare? It’s not the fairest comparison, as you can tell from the pictures. One bottle was a bottle kill, the other was a neck pour. The 12 was the 2025 release, the 15 is the 2022 release… Is it ideal? Maybe not, but these were the bottles I had and I wanted to do this head to head, before killing of the GlenAllachie 12…
Review
So with my rambling over, let’s get to it! When we look at the colour, I can see very little difference, they both have a nice darker hue and some dark copper tones. When nosing both after about 5 minutes in the glass, I could tell the 15 was still quite closed, not giving much away besides some slight raisin notes. The 12 is giving me some typical sherry notes, like dades, dried figs, some almond nuts and baking spices.
After 30 minutes in the glass the 15 is opening up, showcasing it’s sherry profiles with a lot of burned caramel, lots of red fruits, raisins and dades. There are also some baking spices, but the spices are a bit more on the background.
Taste notes
The 12 is giving me a lot of sweetness, tons of dark brown sugar, cherries. It reminds me of a pancake with dark brown sugar, where the sugar has been slightly caramelized because the heat. On the finish, the sweet notes continue but quickly make way for a lot of spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, some clove.
The 15 is giving me more of that sweetness, more off that sugar, a bit syrupy. Very similar to the 12 to be honest, but on the finish it’s where it’s very different to me. The spices are still present, but more on the background. I’m getting a lot more of the dried fruits, almonds, almost marzipan, intermingled with some of the spices.
The finish also lasts quite a bit longer over the 12, the spices slightly tingling on your taste buds.
Wrap up
I’ve very much enjoyed the 12 over the winter, it’s been a go to on colder days to keep me warm. For it’s price (I payed 50€ for it) it’s good value for it’s money. The 15 is in some ways like the 12, but the sherry dialed up a bit more and adds a bit more complexity, especially on the finish. This comparison not the easiest, as they are quite similar drams, but it was a lot of fun.
Scoring
Glenallachie 12 85/100
GlenAllachie 15 86/100