Sherry cask finished and /or matured scotch whisky. Some of us love them and some of us LOVE them.
And to all of us who do, the Glendronach is a very wanted bottle. Today I am comparing three bottlings that do a comparative chocolate tasting with it.
ORIGINAL AGED 12 YEARS : This superb richly sherried single malt is matured for at least 12 years in a combination of the finest Spanish Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. Non-chill filtered, of natural color and bottled at 43%, the Glendronach 12 year old Original is a sweet, creamy dram
REVIVAL AGED 15 YEARS : After ceasing production in 2015, The Glendronach Revival Aged 15 years had now returned to the core range of the distillery’s line-up. The expression embodies The Glendronach signature style of Spanish Sherry Cask maturation in fine Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía, quietly growing in stature for 15 years in the darkness of their dunnage warehouses and is bottled at 46%.
ALLARDICE AGED 18 YEARS :The Glendronach 18 years old has been named after the renowned founder of the distillery, James Allardice. This exceptional sherried single malt is non chill filtered and of natural color. Matured exclusively in the finest Spanish Oloroso sherry casks and bottled at 46%, this sublime richly sherried malt is truly unforgettable.
On the nose, The Original comes off as warm and nutty, with lots of buttery shortbread, red apples and apricot jam. “Buttery” feels like a good term for the palate, which keeps that shortbread cookie quality going. Orchard fruit (apples/stone fruit) is present, as is cinnamon with very slight, subtle earthy/grassy notes. Overall, this is a nicely subtle profile, which is both very approachable and easygoing. The heat is respectable, but it presents as less assertively sweet or fruit forward than some of the other flagships from distilleries that specialize in sherried single malts. This whisky’s sherry influences are integrated in a considerably more subtle way and is a very nicely balanced dram that would be an excellent introduction to sherried single malts.
The Revival is a different beast on the nose, announcing its presence with strong impressions of nut butter and darker fruit impressions of berry compote, along with a touch of maple syrup. On the palate, cinnamon spice and shortbread mix with deeper caramelization, sweet almond paste and dark fruit that reminds me of the boysenberry syrup one might pour over pancakes. It’s significantly sweeter and richer than the 12 Year. For me, this is a dessert scotch.
Finally, the Allardice which is noticeably quite a bit darker in color than either the 12 or the 15, with a ruddy amber hue that looks particularly rich in the glass.
On the nose, I get plenty of biscuits, ginger, nuts and dried fruit impressions that seem a bit less sweet than the 15 Year Revival. On the palate, this strikes me as simply a more balanced scotch than the 15 Year Old, with considerably more assertive earthy/savory/herbal notes to balance out the raisin, almond candy, apricot and plum. Glendronach single malts are unpeated, but I get a very slight peat presence that contributes the smallest wisp of smoke to complement the combination of fruit, caramelization and old oak notes.
We are trying a chocolate bar made with Madagascar with all three of them. Cacao from Madagascar is typically known from its bright red fruit forward flavors and thus works with many sherried scotches. You will definitely be able to tell how each of the Glendronach changes as the bar melts in your mouth and you slowly sip on your drink.. Sometimes the different sherry notes come forward while at times the bright fruit notes jump right out. Tasting such is a wonderful olfactory and gustatory experience.
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