Slainte-Mhath
GlenDronach Original 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
March 3, 2017 (edited October 21, 2024)
Pedro Ximénez cask maturation holds a certain magic that is hard to explain, and combined with some fine Oloroso butts you get a true sherry monster of a single malt! On the nose, there is a nice interplay of intense sweetness and fruity acidity with pears, melons and hints of eucalyptus. After a rich brown sugar arrival, the taste gets more aromatic and slightly dry, featuring a pleasant oak complexity. The finish of GlenDronach 12 is long, delicate and chocolaty bitter. This malt is a keeper of consistently high quality and a better choice than Macallan.
RATING: 4.0/5.0 stars ≙ 87 pts → FIRST-CLASS
35.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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Glendronach > Macallan, exactly right.
WHISKY OF THE YEAR 2017: It's time for another award! My personal whisky highlight in 2017 is Glendronach 12, matured in both Oloroso and PX sherry casks. Yes, there are bottles which I have given a higher score, but this Single Malt is affordable, characterful and of consistently good quality. You can't go wrong with Glendronach, it's as easy as that! Best wishes and a wonderful Christmas and New Year celebration to all you fellow malt mates! Slàinte Mhath!
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Anyone who has tried GlenDronach 8yr Hielan? This malt could give a good indication where GlenDronach is heading to in the next years to come...
Great review. I know that Glenfarclas still used direct fire stills and they need a slow turning copper mechanism inside to keep the husks from the barley from burning and sticking to the sides of the stills. I've heard that all that extra copper helps to oxidize the whisky and begins maturation. It will be interesting to see how changing still design changes the character of the whisky
Edit: GlenDronach stopped using coal-fired stills in 2005 and changed production to indirect steam heating. This review is for the 'old' direct-fired still version (bottled in 2016). Time will tell how the change in production will affect the overall quality of this whisky. Hopefully, it will not ruin this first-class malt! Cheers.