16 July 2015 Ruben GlenDronach

GlenDronach Cask Strength (batch 4)

Name: GlenDronach Cask Strength (batch 4)
Brand: GlenDronach
Rating: 4 (2 reviews)

This is Batch 4 of the GlenDronach Cask Strength, matured in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. Shops keep selling this as a ‘sherry bomb’ but based on the colour, we expect a slightly lighter, fruitier dram.

GlenDronach Cask Strength (54,7%, OB 2015, Batch #4, 17.806 btl.)

Nose: more stewed fruits than dried fruits. Fig compote, honey and yellow raisins. Cinnamon pastry, peppery oak and a hint of herbal tea. Apricots. Roasted nuts. A slightly lighter, but very juicy version of GlenDronach’s sherry character.

Mouth: spicy attack (ginger / pepper combo) followed by apricots and prunes. Sultanas and gingerbread. Cinnamon cookies and honey. A nice, spicy sherry influence with big juicy fruits underneath.

Finish: long, showing the same spices and fruits, with touches of peppery oak.

A really good GlenDronach, with a fruitiness that comes close to batch #1. Not entirely what I call a sherry bomb, but definitely a very nice, sherried whisky. Around € 75.

Score: 89/100

4Comments

Add yours

1

Basidium on 3 September 2015 at 23:28

Where can I score a bottle of Batch 4? In the states I’m only seeing Batch 2…
2

DougP on 26 August 2016 at 06:51

Batch 2 vs 4?
Anyone compared these?
I have a Batch 2 bottle & wasn’t overly impressed.
Glendronach 12yr is my “table Scotch” go-to bottle so had been excited to try the Cask Strength but it just didn’t stand out.
Still, I might be interested in trying a different batch if there’s much difference/improvement.
3

WhiskyNotes on 26 August 2016 at 08:31

I reviewed both and thought n°4 was marginally better. In any case the Cask Strengths have a slightly lighter style, less dark and chocolatey and more fruity than 15yo. If you don’t like that, then you probably won’t be impressed by any of the batches.
4

DougP on 26 August 2016 at 22:21

Thanks much for the info/feedback.

Realize that I didn’t express myself very well on the bottle.
I did like the cask strength (batch2) very much.

Think I’ve only tasted it 2 or 3 times (working
way through a bit of a collection the past 2yrs) & ea time poured alongside some other sherry(/-finish) higher-to-cask strengths.

For example some batch 49 A’Bunadh (don’t recall the others in line-up). Recall from my notes that there were things I liked better about ea.

If memory serves – recall it being lighter for a cask strength & neat surprisingly not *biting* for the abv. Definitely more complex, more going on than sever of my “table” std 12yr-sherried “go tos”.

Think I’m going to try some again, as the bottle’s been neglected :), tonight & see how feel about it. Saw a single batch 4 on local shelf & might be tempted to pick it up.

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