GlenDronach Original 12 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.

The nose is right away full on sherry, light sulfur, no youth, px sherry, dark anise bread, musty, butterscotch, raisins, fresh leather, dry autumn leaves, xmas spices, spekulaas or clove and cinnamon, licorice and Tatin - french caramelized apple cake. The palate has good body, fairly dark and sirupy, sweet with notes of oxidised sherry, dates, raisins, also spices, woodspice, black pepper, ginger bread, fresh gingery, lightly herbal. The finish is fairly long (4/5) and oily, rounded with notes of dried apricot, blackberries, dark bread, quaility chocolate/cocoa beans, cashew nuts, pain au chocolat/sweet pastry and oaky bitterness. Overall I liked this bottle from first drop to last but it did not make me a Glendronach fanboy. The nose is intensely sherried with a good balance of PX and Oloroso notes, also spekulaas/xmas spices and my favourite note here, the Tatin - french caramelized apple cake note. The palate is fairly sirupy and it delivers even with 43%, at first sweet like dates and raisins and then the spices arrive with notes like black pepper, woodspice, fresh ginger and ginger bread. The finish has good length, it is oily and rounded with notes of dried apricot, blackberries and a lovely pain au chocolat note. Even though I haven’t became a fanboy, as i mentioned, but still, I would be happy to replace this bottle for a fair price. It is a good introduction to the style of a well sherried highland scotch. *this was still the non chill filtered version In comparison with: • GlenAllachie 12 - much darker and denser in smell and taste, more parfumy, quite different • Glenrothes 12 - it has more like a loud seasoned cask style of sherry in here, also more vanilla, nuts and sulfur but less body and less oily • Bunnahabhain 12 - it is very different but this comparison unlocked some notes here I haven’t had before. More nutty, funky, cheesy, minerality and a lovely tabacco/cigar note.

Review #57 - Whisk(e)y #41 First fully sherry cask matured whisk(e)y for me. Bought it at around 35 euros, which seems like a good deal given average prices it is found for. Chill-filtered - Yes? Added Colour - No ABV - 43% Aspect - deep gold-amber, really quite oily Nose - finally proper sherry influence! Sweet, oily, creamy, dried fruit (raisins especially, dates as well), subtle spices (cinnamon), oak, honey, vanilla, milk chocolate, malt, but also some ripe orchard fruit (red apple). Beautiful nose. Palate - beautiful creamy texture...is it actually chill-filtered? The second thing that hit me is...PEAT! That was unexpected! But acceptable, even for me, adds some complexity, albeit slightly overpowering on the front end (disappears with oxidation). Then the same notes as on the nose, namely honey, vanilla, caramel, oak, malt, nutty, sweet, milk chocolate, general dried fruit, and also earthiness from the peat, with subtle bitterness and spice. Finish - medium, oily, oak, dryness towards the end, with plum. After-taste has some bitterness, dark chocolate, and very prominent raisins, figs and dates. The peat really made it quite different from my expectations, but surprisingly pleasant (given how sickening I have found the Ardbeg 10 to be). However, with more oxidation, the nose and palate clean up (barely any peat), leaving behind a very pleasant hint of smoke, with the spiciness being strengthened on the back-end. Complex, intriguing and great mouthfeel...although slightly too spicy, it is a very good whisky. Rating System: 5.0 - Perfect 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB

It's been about a year and a half since I've had this whisky. Better than my previous note from 10/14/23 (though I don't have the 15 and 18 in front of me for comparison). Lots of sherry-finished typicity: candy apple, caramelized sugar, hazelnut, dates, clove, a touch of orange oil. Lightly viscous mouthfeel; typical Scotch white-pepper pinch on the back end, with a moderate to long finish with espresso, dark chocolate, and a certain gravitas. Just finished a NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve Champagne immediately prior. I don't think this is ratings "inflation" from my previous note, but the whisky elements are likely amplified coming from the acidic and citrus Champagne beforehand. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.0 on the Distiller scale.

NEAT NOSE - A wonderful sherried nose full of raisins and other dried fruits, vanilla, and cinnamon. PALATE - The mouthfeel is a little thin, but the flavors are definitely there. While not robust, it’s well balanced and approachable. On the palate I get raisin and other dark dried fruits as well as orange. Towards the middle of the palate, the sherry notes intensify until the finish. FINISH - Long and drying on the palate. A soft vanilla note appears on the finish immediately after swallowing followed by sherry, light oak, and spice. BUY? - Yes. BUY AGAIN? - Absolutely. This is great scotch. This is a 2023 bottling. I wish I could have had some of the earlier batches which were reportedly much better.

With Autumn in the air--cool breezes and changing leaves--I was in the mood for a whisky, and it's still a little early in the season (for me) for an Islay "burning hospital." That comes with fireplace weather. So I opted for a sherry-finished single malt. What's not to like about Glendro 12? Fruity, spicy nose with apple cider, cinnamon, pomander, and scones. Sweetness continues from nose to palate, which shows a little glycerin and cinnamon red hots, transitioning to a little white pepper and caramelized sugar on the finish. Would I buy it again? Yes--if for no other reason to compare it against the 15, 18, and 21 on occasion. 4.0 on the Distiller scale.