GlenDronach 1992 Cask #5850

27yrs 54.5% Pedro Ximénez Puncheon “The Belter”

Note: The official tasting notes were written by me, so the following review is purely an extension of the official notes.

First off, this is a personal cask review for me as it's one that I personally picked and had bottled for a group I ran; The GAS (GlenDronach Appreciation Society) The name that is became to be known as was "The Belter" as it is quite frankly, a big and belting dram to behold.

Appearance: Deep Mahogany. Long & slow oily legs

Nose: Huge aromatics. The deepness of the old sherry & wood punches its way out of the glass, through the air and straight into the nose. It’s a thick bubbling stew of dark stone fruits, deep sherry, a touch of cinnamon, and dark juicy raisins. Thick fumes of old waxen polish mixed with a dollop of dark honey now come into play. It just smells like a deep and decadent rich pudding in a glass.

Palate: Thick & sweet dark sherry wash over the tongue and layer every corner of the palate. The deep PX sherry that was originally in the cask is making a huge statement and tells you it’s still strong after 27 long years. And then the whole picture changes to a beautiful wooden oaky dryness with gentle baking spices, transforming into liquorice root. And just when you think it’s going to fade into dryness, there’s a second wave of concentrated rich sweetness. That’s why I fell in love with this cask as it comes at you in waves.

Finish: Long. Really long. The sherry influence marries with the oak and cake spice in perfect harmony and just sit there. You can still taste it 10 minutes after finishing just a small dram.

Water adds.. More fruit on the nose, increased dryness on the palate. I think this cask works best without water.

Conclusion It’s my baby and was a personal cask-selection pick, so was always going to be a big dram.

It even came with a beautiful GAS-branded Copita.