I turned one year older recently, so here’s my celebration dram. In fact I have a small stash of 1960s samples and I simply tend to have a small sip and see what strikes me at that particular moment. I decided to go for the Glendronach 12 Year Old bottled for Previ Brescia, an importer in Italy.
This was bottled early-mid 1980s which makes it a late 1960s-early 1970s distillate.
Glendronach 12 yo ‘Sherry Cask’ (43%, OB for Previ Brescia, early-mid 1980s)
Nose: a fairly dry, slightly meaty style of sherry that you don’t find today. Herbal potions, hints of soy sauce, hazelnut and a little coffee. Dark treacle and chocolate. Underneath there is a dusty, slightly mouldy note and a greasy garage note. Bay leaves. Leather, as well as the kind of smoky note that you used to get from old casks, as well as in a VORS Oloroso.
Mouth: surprisingly sweet I’d say, with the same mix of herbal notes, soy sauce, dark plums, liquorice and dark chocolate. Plenty of roasted nuts (walnuts and pecans). Raisins and oranges (fresh, no peel). Great leathery notes, still a meaty hint of broth and ham. Turkish coffee, brown bread crust and some Lapsang tea in the background.
Finish: quite long, mostly on dark chocolate, mocha and tobacco.
This is the old style of sherry casks, with a lot more rancio and dusty, herbal influences than you’ll find in modern casks. More dryness, more actual Oloroso notes. No overdose in any way though. A classic dram and a benchmark for this era.