Slainte-Mhath
GlenDronach The Hielan' 8 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
May 12, 2019 (edited December 18, 2019)
With its combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, The Hielan' offers a nice twist to the GlenDronach theme. Thumbs up for the age statement! On the nose, fresh fruits, butterscotch and beeswax are interwoven with vanilla, cinnamon and hints of thyme. Punchy, crisp and spirit-driven, the palate takes over with citrus-honey, pepper and a touch of arugula. A gentle hug from the casks appears towards the finish, leaving behind a nutty/grassy aftertaste. Although I do prefer the sherry monsters, this young malt qualifies for a perfect everyday dram.
RATING: 3.7/5.0 stars ≙ 85 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE [+]
30.0
EUR
per
Bottle
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Another quality review. Some poking around shows that this one is only in the “core range” in Europe. Can we even get it in the states? Fine Drams is out...
I don't mind drinking a young, spirit-driven malt when it is well-presented. The thing that bugs me is all that 'marketing bla bla' how great it is to remove the age statement in order to 'experiment'. This is just an excuse to sell subpar whisky at outrageous prices. Few distilleries have the balls to put a single-digit age statement on the label, like GlenDronach or Lagavulin did.
@Slainte-Mhath good point. I love it when they show transparency
@Slainte-Mhath excellent point!
Additional comment: I must acknowledge GlenDronach's commitment to give this Single Malt an age statement instead of opting for NAS with a fancy Gaelic name attached. Together with its craft presentation of 46% ABV, natural color and no chill filtration, it demonstrates respect for the customer. I already mentioned this when reviewing Lagavulin 8, and I wished there were more distilleries following the example...