Single Malt Whisky, 'The Sinteis Series 2014 Chinquapin & PX Cask Matured'

• Limited release Speyside single malt Scotch whisky from The GlenAllachie [glen•ALLA•key] in Aberlour
• Part 1 of the Sinteis [sin•teesh; Scottish Gaelic for “synthesis”] Series, a sub-marque of The GlenAllachie’s Wood Collection
• Distilled in 2014; bottled in 2025
• Double distilled in copper pot stills from 100% malted barley
• Matured in first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry puncheons and Chinquapin (a native American oak from the Ozarks in Missouri) barrels
• Blended by Master Distiller Billy Walker
• The “synthesis” of barrels presents itself right away, with a nose of licorice (Chinquapin’s “tell” is a distinct anise flavor) and butterscotch developing into candied orchard fruits and cocoa with a current of molasses. The palate develops the theme, offering ginger, butterscotch and candied citrus, followed by blackberries and fig jam. Barrel accents dominate the lengthy finish, framed by cinnamon spice and cocoa powder.
• No added coloring
• Non-chill filtered; 57.8% ABV

The first offering from the Sinteis Series offers an introduction to the dynamic flavor possibilities of whisky aged in Chinquapin oak. Chinquapin, Quercus muehlenbergii [mer•len•burg•ee], named for amateur botanist Gotthilf Heinrich Ernst Muhlenberg, is a species of American white oak that mostly grows in the same central and eastern areas of the US as its better-known cousin Quercus alba, but offers distinct flavors that have been accorded niche status by the craft spirits community. By maturing whisky in Chinquapin barrels and then vatting that whisky with whisky aged, more traditionally, in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, master blender Billy Walker showcases the signature amped-up white oak flavors (and sweetness)—combined with a significant pop of anise—that this unique species confers.