Country: Scotland
Region: Highland - Speyside
Brand: GlenDronach
Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 12 Years
ABV: 43 %
Date: 22/04/2013
Colour: Dark Amber
Nose: Very Nice and Well-Balanced in a Comfortable Way. Lovely Sherry but not too dominating. Fruitcake soaked in Orange Liqueur with lots of Raisins, Nuts, Grapes and Plums. Malt, Brown Sugar, Floral Tones and Vanilla/Oak. Warm Wine with Spices. A hint of Peat in the background.
Palate: Warming with Malt, Sherry, Red Fruit (Berries, Grape) Cinnamon, Pepper, Dried Fruits and Nuts, Coconut, Orange Peel and Buttered Toast. This GlenDronach deserves to be bottled at 46%.
Finish: Middle-Long with Malt, Toffee, Charred Oak, Licorice, Orange Marmalade, Aniseed, Vanilla and a touch of Dark Chocolate.
I added a bit of Water and the Malt, Fruit and Vanilla flourish. Palate and Finish do not improve in my opinion. This GlenDronach is better sipped neat.
Rating: 86
Nose: 21.5- Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21.5 - Overall: 21.5
General Remarks: This distillery was founded around 1826 by James Allardice. It is located in South-East Speyside, close to the town of Huntly. It belonged to Allied Distillers for a long time and was closed between 1997 and 2003. Since 2008 it’s in the hands of BenRiach, which promises great expressions for the near future. The 12 years matured in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso Sherry Casks. It's not artificially coloured and not-chill filtered. Great value for money at around 45 US Dollars!
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: A great desert whisky to end a fine December dinner. But also great to enjoy while reading a good book. A well-crafted Speysider at a very reasonable price. Excellent interplay between Malt and Sherry. One of those standard bottles you should consider adding to your cabinet. Good, solid stuff!
