Based on last year’s single cask series and the single cask for LMdW, 1972 seems to be a special year for GlenDronach, like 1976 for BenRiach. In the 2010 single cask series, GlenDronach bottled a sister cask (first GlenDronach 1972 cask #719, now #718). I hope to discover another gem.
GlenDronach 38 yo 1972 (51,5%,
OB 2010, Oloroso sherry butt #718,
396 btl.)
GlenDronach 38 yo 1972 (51,5%,Nose: wow, this is quite surprising. Plenty of fruits here, but not the obvious dried ones. There’s poached fruits (pears, yellow plums) but also overripe mango, blood orange, some passion fruit and notes that remind me of different sorts of fruit jelly (quince jelly, raspberry gums and cassis sweets). Some butter toffee. Faint hints of cardamom. It keeps developing. This is like a wicked genius: you don’t understand it completely, but you do realize that it has a special and totally intriguing character.
Mouth: continues in the same direction, with slightly sour stewed fruits and soft vanilla, but slowly changes character to milk chocolate and all kinds of nuts (mainly walnuts and almonds). Oak as well, but less tannins than in the 1971 version.
Finish: very long, slightly fruity but really dry with notes of walnut skin.
After the great reviews of last year’s 1972, this cask was highly anticipated. In my opinion it’s less flawless but slightly more unique. It’s different from cask #719 and certainly different from the rest of the series. I’m curious to know what happened in 1972 to achieve such outstanding casks? Around € 350.
Score: 92/100