The GlenDronach Original Aged 12 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky, 70cl

Product Information

I think this is my first taste of a GlenDronach. This is the entry level of the range which is matured for 12 years in a mix of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez casks. We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof. Sweet, with a little alcohol nip on entry. You can taste the sherry influence, a little pepper on the development. Water tones down the sweetness a little, makes the development a bit dryer. (22.5/25) There’s certainly been times when I’ve been there myself – almost spoiled – feeling like my musings and notes on decades old expressions are simply superior to those of more mundane expressions. It takes time (and countless tastings!) to put everything into perspective and to recognise the rich tapestry that exists at every level of the diverse world of whisky. As the old adage goes, if you don't know where you've been, you wont know where you're going.

I have praised the folks at Glendronach before because of their commitment to quality, sherried whiskies that provide an unadulterated view into the impressive influence of sherry casks and don’t break the bank. But there is word that Brown Forman – the company that owns Glendronach – may be implementing major changes moving forward. There have been reports of Glendronach losing their “Non-Chill Filtration” labeling, and even some wondering if they will eventually lose their age statements altogether. It seems odd that such a cult brand would move away from some of the things that have made them so beloved but I will try and maintain an open mind. The Master Distiller Rachel Barrie has created some incredible products over the year, so we should have a little faith, right?First, though, let’s get one thing straight: it is always folly to expect or assume that any whisky - or even any distillery - will remain exactly the same forever. This has never happened, because it's impossible. In the world of whisky, the concepts of Tradition, Consistency and Originality are shimmering, mutable, equivocal notions, as we shall see. Whiskybase B.V. (“Whiskybase”, “we” or “us”, company details below) offers a whisky enthusiasts online platform that provides its members access to the most comprehensive, transparent and trusted resource of whisky bottles and allows and stimulates its members to contribute information about whisky bottles to the platform (“Service”). By the way, it’s a racing certainty that all the pre-2009 bottlings were chill-filtered from at least the mid 1980s if not earlier, and in all likelihood they were probably colour adjusted as well. Let’s not forget that chill filtration for spirits has been around since the 14th century. We’re not saying that makes it good, but it is a traditional practice that became widespread in the whisky industry from around the late 1930s and was universally adopted by the 1960s. For starters… flavor. This stuff is great. I can’t attest to how much the PX finishing adds to the already sherried malt since I didn’t taste it before the finishing, but I can tell you that as it is now it’s fantastic and I honestly don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this stuff. It’s rich, it’s supple, it’s flavorful and because it’s not incredibly popular at the moment it’s relatively cheap. A tasty little gem from a distillery that flies under most folks radar… enjoy it while you can. GlenDronach 12 year Review More likely, the immediate improvements to the Walker Glendronachs can be attributed to the switch to 100% sherry casks and upping the strength to 43%, both of which would have a far greater impact on the whisky’s flavour than the presence or absence of colouring or chill filtration.

Nose: A deep sherried pillow, stuffed with honey-soaked bananas and vanilla-poached peach skins, a duvet of sweetened carrots and lemon cake, and a marshmallow comforter blanket makes this a comfortable, warm and sleepy experience. The nose offers nice and very sweet sherry. I have samples of sherry in my cabinet and the smell reminds me of Manzanilla or Oloroso, the Glendronach 12yo is not as sweet as pure PX. But of course this is irrelevant, the final whisky is what counts. I am getting aromas like sweet buttery (pop)corn, crème brûlée, honey, dark berries, ripe sweet apples, bananas and plum. In 2004, with the Sherry 15-year-old now discontinued, Glendronach 12 Year Old Original was revived, with the strength at 40% but retaining its ‘original’ 1980s cask recipe of ‘Sherry Wood and Traditional Oak Barrels’. This unloved Original was the last of its type before Billy Walker’s Benriach company bought Glendronach in 2008. Nose: Meaty, sherried nose with lots of dark red plum, chewing tobacco, and a savory quality – like glazed short ribs. Lots going on under the surface – thankfully not too sweet nor too fruity. Just right, in fact. After developing in the glass, there’s a little Maraschino cherry, and maybe some wood varnish. Many a guffaw was heard in response, I’m sure. I don’t think said response helped Glendronach’s image amongst its supporters and single malt drinkers overall. Many of us are clued into the process of chill-filtration, and the thought of it being added to the whisky-making process now seemed baffling and confusing. What would happen to the quality of the liquid? We worried we were soon going to see something akin to a mass-market product, as common our supermarket shelves, from Glendronach.Nose: Not as heavily sherried as the 15 yo (and it's my understanding that some older bottlings of the 12 yo contain but faint traces of sherry). Very floral at first, although this dissipates in a short time and allows a fruit bowl to emerge. Mostly bananas, red grapes, and orange rind. Traces of tea, fresh-baked yeasty bread dough, and maybe a touch of chocolate. This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. Nose: The nose starts off inviting with fresh cut fruit, raisins, melon, and green grass. There is a sweet, syrupy quality like a great dark sugar, but it’s not overpowering. There’s a touch of grape soda and a whole lot of sherry goodness. Not the strongest nose, this is more understated than I had expected but settles down nicely in the glass. For a period of about a decade from around the mid-1980s, Glendronach had two 12 Year Old expressions. These were a new Glendronach 12 Year Old Matured in Sherry Casks; and the first incarnation of Glendronach Original, which was matured in a mix of plain casks and sherry casks. There are a large number of slightly different editions of both these whiskies, at both 40% and 43%.

The last 10 years have seen Glendronach concertedly reinforce its reputation for producing heavily sherried Speyside whiskies – barring the release of the 8 year old Hielan I’ve rarely seen an expression from the distillery in recent years that has not played entirely to its sherry matured DNA. This has become even more the case since the distillery’s sale (in April 2016) to Brown-Forman which has resulted in the ending of peated runs at the Huntly-based distillery – you’ll still find Glenronach Peated on the shelves, but don’t be expecting any more to be produced once that consignment has been and gone. Glendronach has carved out a popular niche in the whisky market and its owners are keen to exploit that positioning. Rightfully so – reputations are not formed overnight and every oddly finished or contrarily peated expression fails to provide the underpinning that Dronach is the place to go for big sherry. As such, it seems these variants of Glendronach have been consigned to the dustbin of history (all of the wood finishes are now listed under ‘ Archive’) – at least for now. Glendronach has also incorporated a randomly selected team to blind taste samples on occasion. This team is ever-changing and can involve anyone from the production team, members of the bottling line, and gift shop workers. This means there is an additional level of quality control incorporated in the process– a bit more due diligence to ensure the liquid remains as it should.Both the GlenDronach 12 yo Original and the 15 yo Revival are among my favorite sherried whiskies. I regard them as subtle and complex versions of the same overall experience. If my tasting evening includes GlenDronach in the lineup, I'll include both expressions and enjoy the natural progression from one to the other. It’s understandable that many malt fans are upset with Glendronach for dropping the promise not to chill filter the 12 year old. Many people believe that chill filtration removes elements of both flavour and texture from the final whisky. Glendronach 12 Year Old has survived the last forty-something years simply because Glendronach is a great distillery. In that time the 12 Year Old Glendronach has undergone all manner of changes - and we’ve not even mentioned the end of coal-fired distillation at Glendronach, which only happened in 2005 and will have had a hugely significant impact on the character of the spirit. Perhaps because that occurred before Billy Walker took over nobody cares? Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates.

It’s 12 years of tastiness all rolled up and dumped into a 750ml glass bottle. It’s a really nice, accessible and tasty single malt that just about anyone could easily grab off the shelf and enjoy. There’s enough complexity for “seasoned pros” to enjoy while not so overly complex that less experienced drinkers would feel lost or overwhelmed. It’s a simple, straightforward and tasty whisky that I’m enjoying every single second of.This expression, reviewed in a Highland whisky glass, is reviewed in my usual manner, allowing it to settle after which I take my nosing and tasting notes, followed by the addition of a few drops of water, waiting, then nosing and tasting.