GlenDronach Allardice 18 Year

GLENDRONACH SHOWDOWN GlenDronach 12 “Original” GlenDronach 15 “Revival” GlenDronach 18 “Allardice” Continuing to work through whiskies in my collection that I’ve not yet reviewed. I’ve loved GlenDronach from my first sip way back when, and in addition to these three, I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the 21 “Parliament” and the 25 at Milroy’s in London; they distill several other expressions as well (Core, Travel Retail, Special & Limited Releases). GlenDro is in sherry-bomb territory, and for me, that’s a good territory to be in. It also speaks to the beauty of Scotch whisky: while I’m a huge bourbon lover, that whiskey is almost monolithic in terms of the breadth and depth of styles inherent of Scotch whisky, and sherry-finished or even “bombed” ones represent one part of that spectrum. GlenDronach 12 “Original” Color is a deep amber, or clear Pantone 138. Obvious sherry nose shows sweet fig preserves, candied walnuts, light petrol, quince, white pepper (aroma, not spiciness), pomander, a little vanilla, and a gentle spearmint coolness. Of the three, the 12-year is not nearly as round or generous as the 15- and 18-year expressions. There’s some saline and dates in addition to the olfactory descriptors. Ethanol arrives on the back end, leading to a little chili spice and a shortish finish. The complex nose is the high point for me. The palate lacks the roundness of its two older siblings; the ABV is lower; and the finish is shorter. GlenDro 12 can be had for about $60. Would I buy it again? Yes. 3.75 on the Distiller scale. Non-chill filtered. No added coloring. Aged in both Oloroso and PX sherry casks. 43% ABV. GlenDronach 15 “Revival” The deep burnt orange of the 15 is a few shades darker than the 12-year; Pantone 153. A nose in the glass is greeted by rich and warm aromas of Christmas pudding, brown sugar, tangy barbecue sauce, and a pinch of salt. The whisky is rounder and more expansive than the 12-year; there’s no overt viscosity in terms of mouthfeel. Similar flavors as the nose, along with pralines and a touch more saline. There’s a peanut brittle note on the finish, along with white pepper, dark honeyed yeast rolls, and gentle petrol. The GlenDronach distillery was mothballed for a few years in the late 90s and early 2000s, and the “Revival” naming of the 15-year-old expression is a reference to the distillery coming out of that period. The overall impression of this whisky is one of power, complexity, and finesse. In contradistinction to the dark, stewed-fruit aspects of many aged sherry-casked whiskies, the Revival exhibits a certain youthfulness and strength, appropriate to its name, and the history behind it. It retails for about $90 online, but I rarely see it on local shelves. The GlenDro 15 Revival is outstanding. This sherry bomb is not merely a sherry smack in the face (or palate), but a deep dive into all its complexities. I’d love to have a cask-strength version, akin to Aberlour A’Bunadh (GlenDronach does show a NAS cask-strength whisky on its website, but none with an age statement). Would I buy it again? Yes, assuming I can find it. 4.5 on the Distiller scale. Non-chill filtered. No added coloring. Aged in both Oloroso and PX sherry casks. 46% ABV. GlenDronach 18 “Allardice” The 18-year expression is the darkest of the three: a clear Pantone 159. The nose offers rich raisin paste, toasted and buttered raisin bread, vanilla, apple butter spread, prunes, crème brûlèe, cinnamon, and espresso. It is the richest of the three. The palate begins to show a little viscosity. Like the 15-year, the higher ABV is hidden with the robust flavor profile. Finishes with some smoked pulled pork, dark chocolate, and a dash of espresso bitterness. “Allardice” is a reference to GlenDronach’s founder, James Allardice. The impression of the 18-year is a deeper, richer version of its younger siblings. Not vanilla, but vanilla extract. Not raisins, but warm raisin paste (if such a thing exists). Not dark plum fruit, but prunes. Not coffee, but espresso. Not chocolate, but warm, melted dark chocolate. Quite different than the 15-year, but outstanding in its own right. 4.5 on the Distiller scale. Non-chill filtered. No added coloring. Aged in Oloroso sherry casks.46% ABV. P.S. I purchased the 50 ml nip (of an 18-year-old whisky!) shown in the photo in London; I’ve not seen those here in the U.S. Each of these whiskies, while showing obvious signs of sherry aging, are quite different. There is a progression in color and complexity. While the 12- and 15- year are stated as being finished in PX and Oloroso sherry casks, the 18 states only Oloroso—a bit surprising, since PX is darker, and the 18 is darker as well. I adore both the 15- and 18-year expressions, for different reasons. And the 12, which is significantly less expensive than the other two, is a value for an introduction to GlenDro’s house style. These are quality whiskies that command a premium price not on marketing hype, but rather on the liquid in the bottle. Highly recommended. The GlenDronach distillery, founded in 1827, has seen a few ownership changes over the years. It was most recently purchased by Brown-Forman in 2016. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

So the 12 is good, the new 15 (in my book) is exceptional, the 21 is just plain bank busting but the 18... this is achievable for the majority of us if we can be selective about what (and how much) we drink. The pour is a lovely amber with very sparse, very slow legs. For 18 years there is a surprising amount of honey malt on the nose and a blast of sherry. Off the line the nose more closely resembles the 12 than the 15. Odd. There is plenty of raisin, a bit of hey, caramel, slight lemongrass, slight dark cigar wrapper and maybe a bit of leather and buttered toast. The palate... aged wood, slightly bitter walnut, allspice, cayenne, leather and a dark cigar. The youth that the nose would suggest is nowhere to be found. There might be a base of deeply caramelized malt but no hey or honey (think Oban 14) to speak of. The mouthfeel isn't viscous or oily and is honestly a bit hot. The earthy, aged flavors slowly subside through a layer of varnish and then into a light blanket of raisin and tobacco. Breathing out of my nostrils leaves me feeling like I've smoked a cigar rather than sipped whiskey. My tongue, however, says nutty PX sherry well beyond 4-5 minutes So the nose is deceptive and resembles the 12 but the palate is like the 15 cranked to well above 18. Per sordid internet wisdom it may very well be over 18 as GlenDronach was rumored to blend in much older stock for a while (up until 2016?). I would beg the question - is that a good thing? Like 15-18 year bourbon that tends to be predominated by wood and earthy notes (Rhetoric 21, Kentucky Senator 15, Masters Keep BiB 17, etc) this begs the question can scotch be too old? I honestly have no idea. Glenfarclas 25 is something that I find to be amazingly well rounded. This bottling is a bit overboard for my taste buds. It's not that the aromas and flavors aren't there, but rather how they unfold. I would love some of the honey on the nose to show up alongside the earthy notes on the palate and the sherry-forward finish to play a more mid-palate roll rather than appearing like a ghost in the corner. With further sips it does start to come together but unlike the parabolic flavor explosion of 15 this has it's peaks and valleys leaving me puzzled. Wonderful, but puzzling and expensive when the 15 is very reasonably priced and at least for now reasonably available once again. If you like aged wood and earthy notes this is likely to be your jam and could be well worth the price.

Glendronach is a consistent winner for me and is certainly in contention for my favorite of the sherry cask-heavy distilleries. Unfortunately, the price spikes significantly once you exceed the 15 year, so it’s taken me quite a while to get around to this. Let’s see if it was worth the pinch. Nose: Dried apricot. Fruit cake. A pine note. Hazelnut. Plum, date, fig, and raisin. Cranberry and raspberry. Some orange citrus and plenty almond and walnut. Butterscotch and vanilla. Caramel. Like sherbert. Palate: Plum, grape, date, and fig. Raisin and raspberry as well. A little bit of fizzy cola. Plenty of orange/tangerine citrus. Milk chocolate and vanilla, reminiscent of ice cream. Chewy caramel. Lime or maybe raspberry sherbert. Finish: Almond and walnut. Plum, date, fig, grape. Blackberry jam. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, white pepper, and oak. Red hot tamale heat on the way out, producing a moderate-long finish, bearing credence to the 46% ABV. This is a superb whisky. There’s a ton of complexity here, with the rich, dark fruit notes taking center stage throughout. The dessert sweet notes are also prominent, and the profile is rounded by some nice citrus notes. This has all the hallmarks of a stalwart sherried scotch. The only issue here is the price. At $280, this is a heavy, heavy price tag for an 18-year old, which I consider to be the bridge year between premium and ultra premium. This bears a decidedly ultra premium price tag, and generally, it delivers. I’m going to say that this falls a tad short of hitting its mark for VFM, so I’m taking my raw score of 4.5 and knocking it down a quarter star with consideration to value. It’s difficult to suggest a purchase of this at its current, bloated market price, but from a pure enjoyment perspective, this is absolutely excellent. Also, just to throw in one more note, it did not enjoy my first couple pours of this. It developed tremendously through oxidation and time—this is why I’ll never review a bottle until I’ve had at least two pours out of it. It really made a difference here, because, for as complex and rich as it is now, it just felt flat and devoid of the layers I’m finding at this point. 4.25/5.

Nose: almond, dark stewed fruit, dates, fig, plum, maraschino cherry, custard, mocha, tobacco. thick and viscous even on the nose. There is a tart note here that contrasts all the dark bass notes that elevates the nose. Palate: cherry, plum, raisins, chocolate, slight spicy oak shows up towards the backend. Thick mouthfeel as was hinted by the nose Finish: the age shows itself here with a long dry oaky, with almonds, and chocolate notes This is a 2019 bottling, which is rumored to be well older than the 18 year age statement due to the closure and reopening of the distillery in 2001. Due to this mothballing 2019 is theoretically the last year before the new stocks reaches the minimum 18 year age statement. With that in mind the nose was surprisingly easy on the oak and was instead filled with what I would describe as low bass notes (dark red fruit, tobacco, coffee and chocolate). The palate matches the nose closely, but is a little simpler with a wonderful viscosity. Overall this is my favorite expression of Glendronach's line. Having tasted all but the 21 Parliament, it is also the most unique. I attribute this to the aging solely in Oloroso Sherry barrels, whereas all other expressions in the line are a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez. I love whiskeys that showcase dark and bassy notes and this expression turns them up to 11. While I will admit that the nose is a bit more complex than the palate, that is just a small flaw in a sea of good.

There's a reason why so many whiskies--all five scotch regions, American bourbon and whiskey, and Japanese whisky--employ sherry-cask finishing: because it imparts color, complexity, and complementary sweetness. Glendronach has been finishing in sherry casks for nearly two centuries. Glendro describes the color of the 18 as "bright deep gold with a tawny centre." Not to be pedantic and argue with the distillery, but: it's pretty dark. I'd call it tawny with deep gold edges. There's more darkness than brightness. But the distillery nails it on the first nose descriptor: fudge. The sherry influence is unmistakable, with brown sugar, frangipane, pomander, and spice cake. These aromas translate to similar flavors on the palate, along with subtle heat; the slightly higher than normal 46% ABV is well integrated. Sweet tobacco and leather round out the finish. The Distiller score of 84 by Stephanie Moreno is off the mark. Glendro 18 is a hedonistic, cerebral scotch that gives a pleasurable drinking experience and can be savored over an entire evening. N.B. All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

The nose and the palate are very much in sync. delicate and rich mix of some very well placed aromas: coffee, deep unripe strawberries and other red berries, wine gummies, salty crackers, sour plums, a distinct mild spice mix (pepper, nutmeg, ginger), nice chocolaty nougat and soft blanched almonds. All very charmingly smooth and incredibly intense with a certain dryness. What a great whisky this is. The mother of all sherry bombs. I assume there aren’t many who deliver the sherry bomb experience as nice as this one. But you need to be a fan of that to be able to fully enjoy it, because one might find it a bid too much or too fruity. For everyone else this is close to heaven. 

If GD would release a similar age statement as a peated variant I would buy it in an instant. I love the “Glendronach Traditionaly Peated” expression which is an NAS - can you imagine it at 18 years age?