Over the past fifteen years I reviewed the GlenDronach 15 Years several times, the 18 Years, 21 Years, 10 Years, the NAS expressions, Grandeurs, casks strengths and a wide series of single cask releases all the way back to the 1968 cask #1.
Somehow I never published a review of the Glendronach 12 Year Old, even though I definitely tried it several times since its relaunch in 2009. There’s always some batch variation but the 12 Years never really impressed me.
When I saw the announcements of the redesigned Glendronach bottles in July 2024, I had to give the 12 Year Old another chance. Personally I think the new label and bottle design are nice and classy, but the cardboard boxes are wobbly and a bit of a letdown. I did like the round tubes better. Mind that the liquid should be the same as before, no changes there.
Glendronach 12 yo (43%, OB 2024, Oloroso + PX sherry casks)
Nose: starts with a lot of clove studded oranges, along with malty cookies and gingerbread. Then maple syrup, a little white pepper, vanilla and candied ginger. A generous layer of fairly plankish wood too. Also (hazel)nutty notes (Snickers) and a faint whiff of spent matches. Fairly lightweight. Almost good.
Mouth: relatively fruity (raisins, marmalade, stewed apple) before it turns towards nutty notes with toffee and a lot of grainy notes behind them (breakfast cereals and toasted bread). A tad spirity and rough, with low precision. Hints of pain au chocolat and walnuts towards the end, as well as some latte notes.
Finish: medium length, with more oranges, hints of cocoa and wood spice like ginger and pepper.
Average whisky – a normal entry-level expression in that sense, and really close to role model The Macallan in some ways. There are some nice aromas but it feels a little thin and disappointing on the palate. Often the first batch after a (re)launch gets a quality boost, but not here, I guess. Overall a bottle I will not replace. Available from The Whisky Exchange and Master of Malt, as well as plenty of local retailers.