GlenDronach The Hielan' 8 Year

Generic amber in colour. Some serious heat here, which is unsurprising for an 8 year old whisky. Slight burnt rubber/burnt tire smell, faint brine, stone fruits. Barley sugar, nuttiness, citrus. Lemon zest, watered-down maple syrup. Green, vegetal. Taste is hot and spicy, but soft in terms of flavours--barley sugar, malt, fruity (red fruits, stone fruits, a bit of citrus). Earthy, slight smoke. A kind of odd bready yeastiness. Rubbery? Watermelon and pineapple, strangely. A lot of heat on the finish. Full-bodied. An interesting whisky. Not a classic GlenDronach profile (very little sherry here), but has some depth--a balance of brawn and elegance, base spirit and barrel influence. It's not perfect, and it's not for beginners, but for the price, I actually quite like it.

Of all the Glendronachs this is the one I like least. Very intense alcochol burn and short arrival and finish made it clear - try something else.

Watered down, sugared liquid glue.