GlenDronach Master Vintage 1993 25 Year

Glendronach is heaven for whisky lovers. Everyone who has ever tasted something from this distillery, loved it. I finally went to the distillery and my wallet showed me two options: you either go for the 26yo hand filled bottle, or the 1993, 25yo Master Vintage. I went for the first one, (and i nailed it), but two days later, i found this bottle on the restaurant in the Scotch Whisky Museum in Edinburgh, and i tasted it. As always a good whisky, but i believe the core expressions, the 18yo and 21yo are better. Well... i think those two are my favorite two whiskies ever so i might be biased. Well, this beauty is 48.2%abv and has a chesnut color. On the nose, is where it is most weak, even if it doesn't feel weak at all. Glazed pork, Tobacco, Vanilla; Sherriness take some time to open. Coffee,Toffee, Orange caramel and Chocolate. Mostly a 15yo glendronach aroma profile. On the palate, Figs, Sweet Chocolate, Cherries, Milk powder and Dulce de leche. Beautiful Aftertaste is all about three notes, but very pleasant: tobacco - chocolate - pepper. Overall this is a great dram, but it is super expensive for what it is. It goes for £275 which is about $350 and that gets you two or maybe 3 (with some luck) glendronach 18yo bottles. My score on it is 91 over 100.

Glendronach is my favorite sherried whisky, but I'm afraid I have to say that this is far from my favorite Glendronach. One recurring theme that I've found in tasting older whiskies is that you are guaranteed to pay for rarity but can only hope for satisfaction. To be clear, I'm not saying that this is a bad whisky. It's a tremendously accomplished expression and one that highlights different facets of the distillery's inventory of incredible barrels. Compared to the dessert drams that characterize the standard lineup, such as the cherry compote of the delicious 12-year-old (which blows Macallan out of the water) and the supreme 18-year-old (again, Macallan who?), this whisky is dry and almost savory. Nutty flavors predominate: bitter walnut, almond and amaretto, and creamy cashew. If I'd tasted it blind, I wouldn't have guessed that it was 20+ years old, because some grassy or herbal notes remind me of younger whiskies. There are bitter components that can be quite pleasurable, like cocoa or coffee, but there are a few too many to achieve the ideal balance.

Color: violin brown, rosin Nose: black pepper, dark fruit, mellow figs, yellow to green apple, Opening: quiet reaction on the lips and tongue, red and dark berries, bitterness of cracked black pepper Midpalate: darker fruits, oxidized fruit flavors and the opening of tingling mouthfeel from sherry spice Finish: thick honey sweetness and a lingering sherry spice that sticks with you for minutes to half an hour after the dram. Beautiful pour from the bottle, color, to half an hour after. Not nearly as Full On as the ALLARDICE but a slower ramp and less sugary journey. Even with big sips the dram is tame off the bat but ramps at a medium pace. Opened with water the honeyed facets and a flowery aromas show up but lie behind the sherry presence.

The Glendronach Master Vintage 1993 was aged for 25 years in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. There is no added coloring and is non-chill-filtered. Bottled at 48.2% ABV. Color: Amber Brown Nose: Delightful hints of dark chocolate, cocoa, hazelnut, almonds, oak, cherries, marzipan, coffee, and sherry. Palate: Strong hints of cocoa, chocolate, nuts (almonds), slight vanilla, oak, wood, oily, and raisins arise. Finish: A little dry but is a pleasant medium to long in length and is full of more cocoa, oak, toffee, and a slight hint of cinnamon spice.

1 of 6 drammers club pours, among Glendronach 15, 2 Glendronach single PX casks At 19 and 21 years old both 1994 vintages, and 2 glenfarclas family casks both distilled in 1994, 1 spring 2015 4th fill sherry and 1 winter 2018 refill sherry. Great stuff with notes of Chocolate, Toffee, Figs, Raisins, Cheries, pepper, Dates, and Floral notes.

Rich full aroma rolls out of the glass carrying a heaviness from the complex, darkly sweet, notes; Palate is equally heavy and full but with more complex fruity notes and bits of oak; Finish comes through darkly as well and lingers far longer than expected, but still not long enough.