Scotland ~ 56.8% ~ $305 ~
Billy Walker is living his best life. With a half century in the Scotch whisky industry, his entrepreneurial knack for resurrecting underperforming or mothballed distilleries has cemented his legendary status. In 2017, he purchased his latest conquest, GlenAllachie, seemingly just to flex his obsessive wood management skills. That purchase included the blended brand MacNair’s, named after the Victorian-era innovator Harvey MacNair who would blend his whisky in a cottage filled with peat smoke. Not one to be outdone, apparently Billy has set up a workshop akin to that of MacNair where the master blender can mix up his alchemy of Islay peat, GlenAllachie, and a mainland distillery so shocking it can’t be revealed, variously aged in Oloroso, red wine, and virgin oak or some combination there of. Lum Reek is a reference to the old Scottish saying “lang may yer lum reek” which translates to “long may your chimney smoke”, a traditional phrase to wish someone a long, healthy, and prosperous life. Lum reek Billy.
Tasting Notes
By The Master of Malt
From the MacNair's Lum Reek range comes a 21 year old blended malt Scotch whisky, made by the GlenAllachie Distillers Company. Whisky from Islay and Speyside has been used here, all matured for at least 21 years. A trio of terrific cask types were used to create this expression, namely Oloroso sherry, virgin oak, and red wine casks.
Nose
Matured oak and cigar box, with a good whiff of woody smoke gliding through.
Palate
Cedar spices, milk chocolate, apricot, earthy peat, black pepper and a hint of charcoal.
Finish
Thyme honey, bonfire embers, dark chocolate tart.