GlenDronach 1993, one of my favourite vintages, and we’re trying two single casks head-to-head.
The first one is cask #475 bottled in 2014 for The Nectar and La Maison du Whisky. Thank you, Wim, for this sample! I’m putting it against a bottle that I used to own, but that I opened in a tasting with sherry and whisky: cask #30 also for La Maison du Whisky.
GlenDronach 21 yo 1993
(56,4%, OB for The Nectar & LMdW 2014, Oloroso sherry butt #475, 627 btl.)
Nose: really aromatic, with this typical brandy-like note, polished furniture and all the typical sherry notes like raisins, chocolate, prunes and dates. Hints of strawberries. Big, big hints of damp tobacco and clove here as well, and a (faint) beefy side (broth) that I’m less fond of.
Mouth: thick, slightly bloated, very sweet (lots of treacle), with spices building in the background. Prunes and raisins, forest fruit jams. Cherry liqueur. Cloves and pepper. Chocolate, maybe more milk chocolate than high-end examples. More earthy notes coming out, coffee and bitter almonds.
Finish: long, woody with coffee and black tea.
Yes, good, but also a bit bombastic, missing some of the elegance and volatile aromatics found in the lower cask numbers from this vintage. Sold out.
Score: 89/100
GlenDronach 20 yo 1993
(53%, OB for LMdW 2013, Oloroso sherry butt #30, 626 btl.)
GlenDronach 20 yo 1993Nose: similar style, but with even more volatile notes (wax, peonies) and even more bright, fruity notes. Raspberries and redcurrants, actual Oloroso, blood oranges and mocha. Armagnac. Almonds. Whiffs of bergamot and vanilla. Hints of cigars and dried herbs as well. Complex, delicious. Lovely nose.
Mouth: classic. Figs and chocolate, raisins, raspberry ganache. Then some gingerbread and honey. Seville oranges. Blackcurrants and herbal tea towards the end, quickly drying.
Finish: long, on plenty of dry chocolate and dark tea.
A bit of a Macallan-style, intense but elegant and balanced. Once more: all casks filled 15th of January 1993 (around 35 casks) are aces. Sold out of course.
Score: 91/100