GlenDronach 1993 Cask #6853 26yrs
51.1% / Pedro Ximénez Puncheon - Specially bottled for The Whisky Exchange
I can't remember the last time I reviewed a GlenDronach. It's been a while (and for a number of reasons)
But Billy Abbot from The Whisky Exchange has a habit of being quite convincing with some samples.
This particular cask is (I believe), the 4th cask that has been released as a staggered set of 4 by TWE. Initially bottled back in 2019, the company made a decision to release the bottles over a longer than normal period of time. A good move in my humble opinion.
Appearance: Deeply polished walnut, with thick & oily legs that slowly meander down the inside of the glass.
Nose: Deep notes of thick & aromatic sherry with a balanced sour edge. Fruit (raisins, blackcurrant jam, plum juice), moist muscovado sugar, and a slight acidity mingle nicely and seep out of the top of the glass. Held to the nose for longer, a wisp of mint leaf appears.
No notes of sulphur, rubber, bad personality, or evil Dictators are present here at all. It's a solid cask pick.
Palate: And this is why I love the liquid of GlenDronach... Deep, rich & layered sherry that's been aged is heightened with notes of old beeswax furniture polish (and let me make a clear point here - not many distilleries do present this particular profile for me), There are also notes of sticky figs milk chocolate just for good measure.
Gentle woody tannins and oily licorice now come to the fore before tapering off.
Finish: Long, layered, oily and rich. Bla bla bla. It's all good stuff that I've said before and is exceedingly lingering. Really lovely.
Conclusion: An excellent pick, and a beautiful example of what the liquid from this distillery is all about. It's a whisky for sipping slowly and reflecting on the fact you have just spent £399.... but then realising that the latest 1993 releases as part of the annual official distillery batch release program are significantly more expensive than this one, so it isn't so bad in hindsight.
For me, the ABV is also spot on as it's the sweet spot for PX single casks.....sorry......cask bottlings from GlenDronach. (we all know there's been some re-racking going on)
No water is required. It's perfect just the way it is.
Available at The Whisky Exchange for £399 (at the time of writing this review)