Glendronach 1994 Pedro Ximenez 20 Year

#3047 향 : 적절한 중간 달콤함, 화사하고 페퍼민트, 맛 : 깊은 쉐리, 젠틀오크, 풍미, 구운견과류 살짝 피니쉬 : 강한 쉐리폭탄, 오일리, 미들 스파이시, 맨 끝에 살짝 스모키

My one dram / week ( I’ve gone from 2 to 1 now...and only an ounce pour. Just can’t manage). Anyway, this one courtesy of my buddy @LeeEvolved. Celebrating a heartfelt ending to GoT, I wanted a special pour...and this single cask 20 yr old does not disappoint. Viscous and oily, you can feel the weight in the glencairn...even at 1 ounce, just feels heavier. Aroma is amazing...sweet roasted nuts, mocha. Taste just as good: mocha, dark fruits like cherries and plums, tabacco, and some worn leather. This might be the oldest GlenDronach I’ve had. I think the viscosity and aromas were close to the Yamazaki 18, which says a lot. This was a fitting pour for an ending to our generation’s best cultural phenomenon. Thanks @LeeEvolved for the generous sample!

After reading @LeeEvolved glowing review I just had to pull this sample out and crack it open ASAP. I’m a huge fan of GlenDronach (maybe not quite as much as Lee) so it didn’t take much arm twisting at all. This is my first single cask from GD, and I believe the first whisky I’ve ever had that was exclusively matured in a PX sherry cask. Bottled at cask strength of 54.4% ABV, non chill filtered and natural color of a dark red mahogany, almost pure Grade A dark maple syrup kind of color here. The nose is slightly closed off at first, but given a little time you are rewarded with rich, juicy sherry and dark fruits. Raisins, figs, prunes and dates. Very dense and thick chocolate sauce, sweet with a touch of mint. Pipe tobacco, old leather and rich oak. Glazed fruitcake, black cherries, blackberries and dried apricots. Molasses, brown sugar, caramel and toffee, butterscotch and maple. Water brings a bit of brightness to the overall profile with some chocolate oranges, more tobacco, vanilla, ginger, candied pineapple and grapes. The palate...oh it burns so good. A somewhat hot arrival that is tempered by the sweetness of the PX sherry. Luxurious. Lots of oak and, unfortunately, some bitterness to go along with it. Milk and dark chocolate, pepper, tobacco, chocolate cake and fruitcake. A touch of cherry cough syrup but not in a bad way. Water brings the heat down but most of the bitterness remains (though it was never enough to be a deal breaker). Sticky sweet with sherry and chocolate. A full bodied mouthfeel that is thick and oily. It coats your entire mouth in a syrupy dry film, then becomes mouthwatering. The finish is long, sherry, chocolate, cherries, sweet but also some tannins and dry. Good lord this stuff is good. Full flavored, rich and a great mouthfeel. The only drawback (other than the price) is the bitterness. I think it was just too much oak interaction combined with it being cask strength. I think maybe if it was cut to 50% ABV this would have been about perfect. I agree with Lee that it’s not worth the price to buy multiple bottles, but definitely worth doing once just to see what’s out there. A solid 4.75 and a big thanks to Lee for the sample. Cheers

This was my first, and probably my only, GlenDronach single cask offering. I went ahead and splurged for a 20 year old that was distilled in 1994. It was cask number 1079 and was bottled at 54.4% ABV. There are lots and lots of GlenDronach single barrel offerings each and every year- from 8-9 years old up to 40+ years old. They all vary wildly in price, ABV and availability. I paid $300 for this 20 year old. Was it worth it? Let’s try and decide... It was a beautiful dark amber/dirty copper in color. Obviously it isn’t chill filtered and certainly doesn’t need any added coloring. The high ABV left tiny drops behind and made very thin legs when you spin and admire it in your tasting glass. The nose is all sherry- rich and luxurious. Raisins, figs and even some maple wood notes greet you warmly. There’s sharp toffee and caramel with chocolate covered orange wedges and a slight hint of alcohol. It’s very deep and satisfying and you could sit there for hours just sniffing away- completely satisfied. The palate revealed dark fruits and berries, grape must and sun-dried raisins. The heat is there as well, it’s super oily but velvety smooth like any two decade old whisky should be. Rolling it across the tongue rewarded me with sweet sherry, orange citrus and chocolate bitters. ABV and chocolate compliment each other in a way that almost indescribable. I remember eating chocolate liqueur candies around the Christmas holidays when I was a kid (too young to drink) and thinking about how wonderful the heat and chocolate felt as I swallowed them. This brings those memories flooding back. The finish is long and luscious. It’s a typical GlenDronach sherry bomb and that chocolate just stays around forever. I think I still tasted it the next morning. So good. So, back to my initial query- is this worth $300? I kept this bottle around for several months (because I just didn’t want it to be gone). There was no hint of any change from the day I opened it until I poured the last drops- no oxidation, no fouling of any kind. It was as magical from day one to day 200-ish. It was still pretty lively for being 20, as well. I’d say it’s worth a try at least once- drop the serious money and revel in the single cask majesty that GlenDronach offers, but after that I think you can get 80% of the way there for less money. As is, this is still close to perfection and I highly recommend trying it at some point- especially if you adore sherry cask whisky. 4.75 stars. Cheers.

Incredible stuff! Tried at the distillery tasting and it’s classic Glendronach bumped up a notch. Dark fruits and honey on the nose, more fruits and the unique dronach malt backbone that courses through all their juice. Finish goes on and on. Buy a bottle if you see or grab a dram if it’s available!