It’s been a while since I’ve reviewed GlenDronach single casks. It has become slightly problematic for whisky bloggers. There was a time when I reviewed nearly every single cask thanks to bottle shares, purchased bottles and samples, etc. I’ve written around 50 single cask reviews so far.
In recent years their popularity skyrocketed, which made shops put their entire allocation on the shelves instead of making some samples available. The distillery itself has never really worked with bloggers either (especially those outside of the UK), why would they if their products sell like hotcakes? A situation that also makes reviews a bit superfluous perhaps.
Anyway, Batch 15 of the GlenDronach single casks was bottled in May 2017 and hit the shelves in June-July. I heard it took the biggest online shops just 15 minutes to sell out their entire stock.
This GlenDronach 1990 cask #7005 was the oldest expression in this batch. I will review a few of the younger ones too.
GlenDronach 27 yo 1990 (53,4%, OB 2017, PX puncheon #7005, 546 btl.)
GlenDronach 27 yo 1990 (53,4%, OB 2017, PX puncheon #7005, 546 btl.)Nose: very forthcoming, with big hints of polished oak, warm beeswax and juicy red fruits. Heady hints of raspberries and balsamic. Cherry jam and poached pears. A little mint. Leathery touches. A light toasted note in the background. Reminds me of old cognac and some of the great 1970s GlenDronachs.
Mouth: rather excellent. Bright red berries with darker fruits (blackberries, cherries, figs). Hints of sherry brandy before the oak sets in. Sweet herbs (two drops of Fernet Branca), tobacco and a little eucalyptus. Some earthy notes and dark chocolate towards the end.
Finish: long and rich, bittersweet and spicy. Hints of tea and a funny hint of burnt vanilla in the very end.
Very expressive, reasonably fruity and massively sherried – with a fair deal of wood involved. A very good single cask release. Originally around € 280.
Score: 90/100