GlenDronach Allardice 18 Year

It's a chilly, rainy night here in Virginia so I figured it's a great time to get into some single malts. I opened this bottle several weeks ago on my trip to visit family in WV. I took a few sips but didn't really sit down and analyze things. I might as well put it through its paces tonight. The GlenDronach 18 Allardice. This malt comes in at 46% ABV, has no color added and isn't chill filtered. This particular batch was named after Glendronach's founder James Allardes. It's a deep mahogany color and makes some silky legs in the taster. The nose is very sweet: caramel and vanilla along with some dark fruits like plums and raisins. The first full Oloroso sherry casks are also very present. It smells great. The palate is all GlenDronach spice: ginger, spice cake and orange peel. There's a bit of a nutty, oily flavor present as well. It's fantastic. I really love GlenDronach and this one takes that to the next level. It's ridiculously smooth. The finish is all spice. Those dark fruits and that spice cake hang around awhile and really coat the tongue through the entire sip. The ABV is well hidden and those 18 long years in the sherry casks have made a wonderfully smooth whisky. This is one of my favorite single malts of all time. It's deliciously sweet with that signature GlenDronach spice profile. The price point is on the higher side as I believe I paid close to $180 but this is a bottle I'd love to have on hand all the time. Great, great juice. 4.75 stars. Cheers.

I'm not one for heavy sherry aging but it seems unfair to swear them off without trying a good smattering of examples. The nose is quite luxurious. Makes me feel like buying a smoking jacket. There's dried figs, leather shoes, sultanas, almonds, and dried currants. The palate leans a little too heavy on the sherry but there is some dark malt and serious spice amongst all that fruit. The heat from the alcohol clouds the finish so all that gets through is the persistent fruit. I'd rather just buy a bottle of sherry than buy whisky that tastes like it. Though I wager dabbing this behind my ears would make me seem a little more dashing.

On the nose: fresh brownies, cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee, spice. On the palate: milk chocolate, barley, viscous, full mouth feel, not too sweet on the finish. Distilled in 1995 Bottled in 2016 aged 21 years but still not as complex and long lasting as the parliament 21 yr old. Paid only 160.