Allt-a-Bhainne aged 20 years Signatory Vintage 2000 / 2021 Single Malt Whisky Review by WhiskyJason

WhiskyJason Allt-a-Bhainne aged 20 years Signatory Vintage Cask Strength 2000 / 2021 with 52.6% Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Whiskybase ID WB179150
Category Single Malt
Distillery Allt-a-Bhainne
Bottler Signatory Vintage (SV)
Bottling serie Cask Strength Collection
Vintage 26.07.2000
Bottled 17.02.2021
Stated Age 20 years old
Casktype Hogsheads Finished in Fresh Sherry Butt
Casknumber 11
Number of bottles 701
Strength 52.6 % Vol.

[@keithpetersen560]

I totally agree with your view on the partial sherry finish process with Signatory. I have a Mortlach 11 yr finished in sherry for 13 months. It's very dark, but does not deliver what is expected of me. Good review.

[@WhiskyJason1]

thanks Keith!

[@skylerloftanza2459]

I'm going to buy the sherry one!!! Because I disagree with you about the finishing of old scotch, mabe after 20 years it was an awful whisky and the finish was needed????

[@WhiskyJason1]

Maybe

[@grahamjonathan762]

I have the 23 year old it's delicious

[@koeliejoelie2]

The bourbon matured for sure. When a 18-20 yr old whisky is finished in a sherry soaked cask , that's a sign that the original maturation wasn't good enough.

[@WhiskyJason1]

probably yes

[@mcw2553]

I don't mind the way Signatory does it, at least they clearly mention on the label what was done to the whisky and for how long. I do have an issue with the "secret" re-racking and finishing that Billy Walker did with Glendronach and currently does with Glenallachie. His son (Infrequent Flyers) does the same thing. And judging by the colour of some of their releases over the past year, I suspect Gordon & Macphail have started doing it as well. It's all perfectly legal according to the SWA, but it's misleading the (often uninformed) customer. Answering your question though: there is no way I would ever even consider buying one of these souped-up finished older whiskies. And it doesn't even have anything to do with the insane prices - it's just something I don't wish to support & encourage.

[@WhiskyJason1]

I called it pseudo-transparency what Billy Walker and co. is doing

[@billmonteith1161]

Great points Jason. I saw a 23 yr Longmorn from Signatory that spent its entire life in a first fill sherry butt and I think it might look a shade lighter than that Allt-a-Bhainne

[@WhiskyJason1]

Thanks Bill

[@lyacoubian]

I have always preferred bourbon aged/matured/finished whiskies. Just picked up a bottle of Aberlour A'bunadh Alba Batch 3 @ 60.4% ABV. With a few drops of water it is sweet and magnificent..!!!

[@WhiskyJason1]

we don't have Alba in Eurpoe

[@CrazyAboutVinylRecords]

Not influencing or manipulating me, so no worries about that. It is not like Signatory Vintage kept what was done to the whisky a secret. It is printed right there on the label. So that is entirely on you, as you freely admit. Personally, I don't have any issues with finishing whisky that came from ex-bourbon casks in sherry or port casks so long as the distillery discloses that information on the label (though the result here might be more extreme than what is typical). For the purists who don't want their ex-bourbon matured whisky tainted with flavors from other cask types there are always single cask bottlings.

[@WhiskyJason1]

Thanks Guy!

[@WhiskyLoversSociety]

Now that looks the business. Cheers. Nice review

[@WhiskyJason1]

terrible business practice

[@WhiskyLoversSociety]

@@WhiskyJason1 The whisky business is a messy business. It’s our job to find the gems.

[@WhiskyJason1]

so I am a gem hunter ??

[@bongson691]

Hi Jason I hope you are doing well, I bought a bottle of signatory vintage unchillfiltered collection 11 year old, 16 months in a sherry cask and cask strength 58% abv, I haven't opened it yet and wish if you would do a review on it, this whiskey was bottled for spec's liquor in Texas, maybe you can get close to it, I payed $150.00 us dollars and I don't know if I want to open it just yet, I love your reviews and try and watch all of them, cheers friend and keep up the great reviews !!!

[@WhiskyJason1]

sorry - I don't think I can find anything like that

[@RobertPrinsloo]

Did they even dump the original contents of that sherry cask before filing it with whisky?

[@WhiskyJason1]

it doesn't look like it

[@jbar6284]

A little research tells me that Allt-a-Bhainne is pronounced "Oll ta Vane" (or "oltah-vain") and means "burn of milk"--presumably a stream rather than over-cooked. Gaelic bh spelling = v, as with Bunnahabhain. 100 euro whiskies are pushing my budget, let alone 200 euro ones, so. I like whiskies with some sherry influence but not where that erases the distillate character. You say you don't feel worthy of tasting/able to adequately describe the 23yo whisky, and I know that feeling, but you were beginning to find some interesting characters in it. Not suitable for a yt vid. but the very best whiskies one can sit with for 2-3 hours periodically sniffing/tasting and writing notes, in between other stuff such as reading a book or whatever. It's a learning experience/takes practice.

[@WhiskyJason1]

thanks for the research