Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 5
Region: Highland
ABV: 55.3%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Colour: Gold-Amber
Nose: Doesn’t smack you in the face like a classic sherry bomb, instead you get a apples, pears, hints of orange. Dried apricots, hint of nuts, slightly sharp ethanol note, a bit floral, milk chocolate.
The apple and pear reminds me of bourbon cask, which is interesting to find in a pure sherry cask (Oloroso and PX) whisky. The nose got sweeter after 15-20 minutes, and a sip.
Palate: Here comes the sherry! Plums, berries, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, hints of lemon?
Finish: Medium-long finish, a tad on the dry side. Lingering oak, pepper, raisins.
Score: 84/100
Not as complex as I hoped with a cask strength Glendronach, doesn’t have the same impact as two of the A’bunadh (53, 55) I previously reviewed. Rather interestingly on the nose I get some light fruits commonly associated with young bourbon cask. Overall a solid dram, but I would rather have the A’bunadh over this especially when this cost $50 more. Their younger single casks are much more appealing at a lower cost.
Glendronach 20 Years Old Single Cask 1994
Region: Speyside
ABV: 54.2%
E150: No
Chill-filtered: No
Cask Type: Oloroso Sherry Puncheon
Colour: Mahogany
Nose: Sweet ripe cherries, plums, berries, cinnamon, chocolate, very slight hint of orange, hint of soy, hint of ginger.
Really smooth on the nose, lots of sweet fruits, touch of spice, really pleasant.
Palate: Stewed fruit jam, very nice mouth feel. Strawberries, cough syrup without the disgusting medicinal taste, blackberries, dark chocolate, hint of tobacco.
Finish: Long finish, dry, pepper, oak appears, sweet berries.
Score: 90/100
Very different from the 12 and the CS Batch 5, a lot more concentrated, not the most complex dram I have tried, but each notes stands out really well. Lots of cherries on the nose and palate, not too much spices and oak despite spending 20 years in Oloroso cask. Has a bit of a unique value being my birth year Scotch. Overall well balanced, bold, sherry cask whisky, would score myself a bottle if it wasn’t so damn expensive now, almost $300 CAD after tax.