GlenDronach The Hielan' 8 Year

I was truly happy to have received a bottle of this U.K. exclusive bottle of GlenDronach 8 year old for my birthday from my good friend @LeeEvolved I opened it on my birthday back in October and have been enjoying it these last few weeks. The Hielan’ is bottled at 46% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of yellow gold. Matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks, which is a departure from the full sherry maturation that GlenDronach is famous for. Let’s see what Mr. Billy Walker can do with 8 year old stock. Before I get into the nosing notes, I have to put everyone on notice that this is what I call a “slow breather”. This must be breathed in very slowly to truly absorb everything that is going on. Breathe in too fast and it’s all a jumble. Some whiskies I’ve found must be nosed rather aggressively to get the best experience, but not this one. Rich, dark and fruity sherry greets you on the nose. Apricots, honeyed dates, raisins, figs, and tangerines. Cinnamon, buttered pancakes drenched in syrup. Intense oak that shifts from elegant to sharp and spicy and then back again, with enough wood spice to balance out the sweetness. Milk chocolate, salted caramels, full on sherry with almost no trace of the bourbon casks. Creamy vanilla, grassy, almonds and hazelnut. Red berries and chocolate oranges. The bourbon notes start to show after some time to breathe in the form of mint, fennel and more cinnamon. This is immensely complex for its age and makes me wonder if any casks were used that were significantly older than 8 years. The palate is spicy, a hallmark of the GlenDronach profile. Strong black tea and dark sherry notes. Chocolate, anise, dark caramel. Darker fruits like dates, raisins, prunes, grapes and black cherries. Red wine notes, spicy oak and a faint bourbon feel. Cloves and cinnamon, heavily toasted nuts, ginger and apricots. The palate is a bit harsh at times which reflects on its youth, but I have to say it is most enjoyable. A medium to full bodied mouthfeel that is creamy and transitions from mouthwatering to dry. The finish is medium length with sherry, oak, wood spice and is dry. The spice lingers on for quite a while. This may be an 8 year old scotch, but it is not a young scotch. I suspect 12-15 year old stock is being added to a majority of 8 year old stock. The bourbon maturation is a new dimension for GD (that I know of anyway) and I think it adds some depth. It’s a real shame that this isn’t available outside of the U.K., and for a ridiculously low price of around $36 I’m not sure why anyone wouldn’t buy this by the case. GlenDronach has become one of my favorite Highland distilleries and The Hielan’ is a feather in their cap. Thanks again Lee, I don’t need to tell you how good this was. The occasional harshness on the palate hurts the score a little, but it’s still a solid 4. Cheers

So, I gave up drinking for Lent. Today's Easter. Despite the global pandemic, I made it the 40+ days through the wilderness watching y'all post one great review after another while resisting the temptation to raid my own cabinet. After such a drought, what do you pour for yourself? Macallan 18? Glendronach 21? Wild Turkey Rare Breed? No folks, instead I present to you the humble Glendronach 8 Year Old, "The Hielan'". This pour is a Europe exclusive for Glendronach, and in a departure from their typical sherry monster aging process, this one is aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry barrels (more on that later). Since I don't live in Europe, I ordered it from Fine Drams (the only online retailer that'll ship to Texas...) for a grand total of $32. A bargain for Glendronach. It comes out of the bottle a remarkable golden amber color, is not chill-filtered, natural color, and bottled at 46%. I'm reviewing a neck pour here, and I'm planning on this opening up more over time, with subsequent reviews to follow. The nose reveals classic Glendronach spice and creamy malt. It's similar to the GD 12 Year, but with more caramel and vanilla from the bourbon barrels. It's more spirit-forward too; not surprising given it's young age, and I'm guessing that the vatting had more bourbon barrels than sherry barrels, as the sherry influence is hardly noticeable on the nose, which is unusual for GD, typically known for their sherry monsters. As I tip it back, the palate is coating and creamy; classic GD profile, but it's light and effervescent. Hardly any fruit. The finish comes in soft at first, but the proof eventually catches up, leaving a slightly astringent note that lingers, albeit not an unpleasant one. There's the sherry barrels. That astringency is likely from tired, refill sherry casks that once held more heavy-hitting Glendronach spirits. The bottle doesn't specify what type of sherry this one is aged in, stark in comparison the the 12, 15, 18, 21, or pretty much anything else they put out. I don't have a final verdict for this one yet. I'm gonna let it sit and open up. It's not bad, or poorly made; rather, it's a challenging and compelling dram, that strips away the sherry veneer of Glendronach's usual offerings and showcases their robust, spicy Highland spirit. This bottle certainly isn't for everyone. Glendronach fans need not apply. What this pour did serve to do in it's initial outing for me was to highlight more of the distillery's spirit character and help me discern it better in their other offerings, thereby enhancing the overall GD experience. 3.75 for now, but I expect this will go up with time, oxidation, and patient exploration. Cheers.

I’m finally getting around to reviewing one of the bottles that I opened during the Happy Hour in the hotel room prior to Whiskyfest DC, back in April. This GlenDronach 8 year old is an age statement, non-US release that also carries the moniker “The Hielan”, in its name. It’s non-chill filtered and has no color added, while coming in at 46% ABV. It’s pale yellow in color, oily and doesn’t produce many legs at all. The nose is pure GlenDronach, as it gives it’s sherry bloodlines away from the initial pour. Lots of sherry sweetness, candied fruits with a restrained oak note. The spicy pepper notes are kept in check a bit, but it’s still there. The palate is orchard and berry fruits mingling with typical, GlenDronach spices and oak. It’s incredibly smooth for such a young spirit and I think that’s why they proudly added the age statement on the label- it’s tough to get something this complex at this age, but they certainly nailed it here. There’s still a slightly thicker mouthfeel, as well. Good stuff. The finish is medium length, fruity and warming thanks to the 46%. The sweetness lingers on while letting the heat fade slowly over time. It’s mouthwatering and begs you to have another pour...and another...and, you get the idea. Overall, this one really works so well. We started our evening with this pour and @Generously_Paul, @Telex and I couldn’t believe how solid it was for only being 8 years old. Now, the kicker- this bottle was $36! An unbelievable price for something of this quality IMO. I recently re-ordered this one from the U.K. for $41. That’s still an incredible deal- even factoring in the $22 in shipping and customs charges. If this was imported in to the US I’d have a bottle on hand at all times. If you have access to this bottle, I highly recommend it. I’d give it close to 5 stars if I factor in the price, but taking only flavor profile into account I’d say 4-4.25 and I’ll bump it up to 4.5 for VFM. Cheers.

Well this is kind of a dissapointment. I believe that one of my favorite distilleries Glendronach has made a very young whisky and not entirely matured in their classic sherry casks, but a great part of it was matured in ex bourbon barrels. "Hielan" seems to be a scottish pronunciation for "highland". Bottled at 46%abv, burnished gold color. On the nose is a little "glendronachy" but also a little.... ardbeg??? It can't be. The thing is this: first 2 minutes it just gave a glazed pork aroma. That can't be right. But then i understood that young sherried whiskies have a different sherry aroma, (and i used a glenfiddich reserve cask to compare the sherriness and got some equal notes) and it wasn't actually glazed pork, but some sort of sherry sweetness that resembles that aroma. Then it opened and i got chocolate, maraschino Cherries, LOTS OF SPICY CINNAMON, black pepper, blackberry marmalade, cherry cola and plum. It sounds like a wonderful aroma but it really lacks some character. On the palate it is a little young and a little harsh. But that was expected. Plum, Young, Pepper, Too oaky and young. Mostly spicy. Sherry young and spicy. Aftertaste is full of Clove and Pepper. Overall for a 8yo whisky, (around $35) its not bad, for a Glendronach you can definitively expect more and i think a fair score for it is 72/100.

This isn't a review for this particular bottle, but rather a five star rating for the individuals who helped turn me onto this bottle. This isn't available in the US, and getting anybody to ship liquor to Texas is next to impossible (Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt won't do it), so thank you to whomever turned me onto Fine Drams (it was either @jonwilkinson7309 or @dhsilv2 ), and bless you and your loved ones. After reading glowing reviews on this one from @Generously_Paul, @LeeEvolved , and @Telex, I had to get this to round out the GlenDronach core age-statement range. Review forthcoming, but just sticking my nose in the bottle shows a very different GlenDronach indeed. Characteristic GD spice, but enveloped in bourbon flavors of caramel and vanilla. Very excited to further explore this one. Just wanted to say thank you to the community here for helping me along my spirits journey and make intelligent choices with my cash. Cheers!

The smell is preeminently sherried, with prunes, black cherries, milk chocolate, nutmeg and a touch of licorice. Butter biscuits. Yeast is very present, almost like smelling a freshly made dough. Young, simple, but pleasant. And it is the malt that makes itself felt on the palate, always loaded with yeast, and carries herbaceous hints and a lot of almonds. Licorice, a pinch of ginger, vanilla. Pain au chocolat and a lemon touch. Full-bodied and fat, sweet but not cloying. The finish is medium long, of bread, almonds and licorice with a wooden background. Young but already with clear ideas, he is in first grade but has chosen which college to go to. GlenDronach's skill can also be seen here, the ability to make a young whisky interesting and tasty, with its own personality in which the defects of low maturation become qualities.