On Thursday, June 11, Club Mareva Beirut filled to a full house for one of the most anticipated whisky evenings of the season. The occasion was the international launch of the GlenAllachie 19 Year Old Ex Solera Sherry Cask, the second release in the distillery's Masters of Wood Series, poured here on the very day it went live around the world.
GlenAllachie evenings rarely stay quiet on the books for long, and this one was no exception. Seats moved fast, the room was full, and the energy in it told us everything we needed to know about how the Mavericks feel about Billy Walker's work.
A whisky worth the wait
The star of the night was, without question, the 19 Year Old. Distilled in 2005, it spent its early years in American oak ex bourbon barrels before being transferred into something genuinely rare: casks that had held sherry inside a traditional Spanish solera system for more than fifty five years before they ever met this spirit. The result is a whisky of real depth and a velvety, almost viscous texture, carrying brandied plum, mocha, dark cherry, warming spice, and GlenAllachie's signature heather honey.
Bottled at 50 percent, natural colour and non chill filtered, it drinks with remarkable elegance for its strength. Refined, layered, and composed. The kind of dram that rewards patience in the glass.
Closer to a masterclass than a tasting
What lifted the evening was the man at the front of the room. Jean Paul Abdallah presented throughout, and he did far more than pour. He walked the room through the ex solera concept, the difference between Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso cask influence, and why casks carrying half a century of sherry history behave the way they do. It was detailed, generous, and engaging from start to finish. By the end it felt less like a tasting and closer to a masterclass.
Two more from the bench
Beside the headline release, members also tasted two recent GlenAllachie expressions: the 11 Year Old Oloroso and the 11 Year Old Palo Cortado. Two different sherry signatures, side by side, gave the room a wider read on how cask choice shapes a whisky before the 19 Year Old brought the evening to its peak.
The Mavericks first
Evenings like this are why the Mareva Malt Mavericks exists. Rare bottles, expert guidance, and a room of people who take the liquid seriously. Our thanks to everyone who joined us, and to Jean Paul for an exceptional session.
The next one will move just as quickly. Members hear first.
