Dreaming-of-Islay
GlenDronach Original 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
October 22, 2017 (edited November 25, 2019)
GlenDronach 12 may be my favorite entry-level sherried scotch. GlenDronach is not as well-known or widely distributed in the U.S. as Macallan, which I think is a shame. The distillery almost exclusively makes sherried scotches, and are masters of the art, although they do branch out for a few unusual expressions, like the excellent GlenDronach Peated. GlenDronach 12 is the distillery's introductory expression. Its aromas include ample amounts of vanilla and dates, so it has a Mediterranean dessert feel. On the palate, I get those classic sherried flavors of dates, figs, olives, and a bit of sulfurous smoke, but it's a hair too thin to be ideal. Warm, toasty oak and tobacco are the defining features of the lengthy finish. I'd stack this up against Macallan 12 any day. At $60 or so, it's also fairly priced.
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I have it on good authority that Generously Paul is a paid actor for Tamdhu distillery. The funny part, though, is that all it took to earn his employ was a free 2oz sample... 🤣
Let's hope this malt remains as good as it is, now that first batches of the 'non-direct fired stills version' hits the market...
I've said it a few times now, and at the risk of sounding like a paid spokesman, try the Tamdhu 10. I loved it. Don't know how well it compares to the Glendronach 12, but I think it's better than the Macallan 12