The younger GlenDronach single casks were able to meet last year’s high standard. Let’s move on and check on the 1970’s casks. The 1978, 1972 and 1971 are all matured in oloroso sherry.

GlenDronach 31 yo 1978 (51,2%, OB 2010, Oloroso sherry puncheon #3315, 522 btl.)

Nose: elegance is the keyword here. There’s a juicy fruitiness to start with: sour cherries, bramble, soft raspberry. Hints of apple cake as well. Superb freshness of Seville oranges and pink grapefruit. A little mint. Very lively with an incredible smoothness. Water doesn’t seem to work here, the nose is too subtle to survive. Mouth: rich and vibrant. Raspberries, tangerine, some chocolate. Orange peel. Again some undertones of mint. A bit of oak. This time water works nicely and brings out walnut flavours. Finish: long, a tad nuttier.

A very crisp GlenDronach, high on citrus notes. When compared to the older 1970’s releases, it misses a bit of punch. But of course this one is less expensive. Around € 200.

Score: 89/100

This GlenDronach 1989 cask 3315 is the second Pedro Ximénez expression.

PX grapes are dried in the sun instead of being pressed immediately. This transforms them into raisins with less liquid and more sugar. Alcohol needs to be added, otherwise the PX most won’t ferment. The end result is thick and sweet and full of flavour. Be sure to try a PX wine if you have the chance, it’s really unique.

GlenDronach 20 yo 1989 (53,2%, OB 2010, Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon #3315, 522 btl.)

Nose: another clean sherry cask, this time much more fragrant with bigger hints of balsamic vinegar and syrup. Great leathery notes and something of oak polish / paint thinner (a great addition actually) which reminds me of some bourbons. Oranges, prunes and dates. Raspberries. Baked apple pie with rum & raisins. Pencil shavings. Very expressive, with more obvious wood influence than the 1991 cask. Water makes it lighter with fresh red berries. Mouth: really different! Dark and sweet – it’s easy to recognize the viscous character of Pedro Ximenez sherry. Raisins, chewy figs and caramelized sugar. Lots of nuts as well (hazelnuts, walnuts, roasted almonds, mocha). Deep and slightly overweight if you know what I mean. Finish: long on raisins, chocolate and mocha. Getting dry and slightly bitter in the end.

I’d recommend this one if you want to try something different. It’s quite massive and intense, just like the type of sherry it was matured in. Not for beginners I would say. Water helps to find the balance. Around € 100.

Score: 90/100

While last year they only released oloroso casks, the 2010 GlenDronach single casks also include two Pedro Ximenez puncheons (a cask size of at least 320 liters, bigger than hogsheads and smaller than butts).

I’ve tasted both head to head. Here are my impressions for the youngest cask, an 18 year old distilled in 1991.

GlenDronach 18 yo 1991 (51,7%,
OB 2010, Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon #3182, 633 btl.)

Nose: gentle, clean sherry with juicy cooked fruits rather than the usual dried fruits. Pears and plums. Lots of orange peel. Barley sugars and cinnamon. Hints of dusty oak as well, rather unexpected considering its age. When compared to the 1989 PX cask, this one is nice and fruity but relatively shy. Mouth: goes on with stewed fruits but more classic sherry is taking over soon. Milk chocolate, dates and figs. Balanced oak influence. A nice wave of spices and nuts in the end (almonds, hazelnuts). Finish: medium length, slightly drier. Big hints of chocolate with a minty edge.

A clean sherried GlenDronach with nice fruity notes and chocolate. Balanced and quite flawless but not the most intense cask of the series. Around € 95.

Score: 86/100

This GlenDronach 1993 cask 529 is another oloroso version. It’s the youngest expression in this year’s single cask series.

GlenDronach 17 yo 1993 (60,5%, OB 2010, oloroso sherry butt #529, 627 btl.)

Nose: the first thing that struck me was rubber with hints of mushrooms and a sulphury note of fireworks. It’s similar to GlenDronach 15yo Revival in that respect, but less subtle. Also hints of walnuts and meat. On a second level there are hints of mint, cloves, parsley and wet earth with just a hint of sweet berries. A bit of water makes the red fruits stand out. Mouth: very sherried and very spicy with pepper, cloves and cinnamon. Still a bit beefy, earthy and dirty. Hints of dates. Very nice chocolate notes in the end. Again fruitier and more balanced (less spicy) with water. Finish: long with spices and hints of berries again.

Personally I don’t find this kind of nose very appealing, the sulphur is just too prominent for me (once you’ve nosed another vintage, this one really stands out… in a negative way). On the palate it was better but still not completely convincing. Around € 90. I’d save that money for one of the others.

Score: 75/100

Over the next couple of days, I’ll have a look at this year’s GlenDronach single casks. They’ve been bottled in June 2010 but they’re still not available in most countries other than the UK. I’ve thought about a suitable order and I decided to taste them in pairs. The first pair consists of the younger oloroso casks distilled in 1990 and 1993.

Have a look at the 2009 batch of single casks if you wish to compare.

GlenDronach 20 yo 1990 (57,9%,
OB 2010, oloroso sherry butt #2621, 
546 btl.)

Nose: quite a fragrant kind of sherry. Hints of sweet honey and oak polish. Red mosto (grape juice) and sour oranges. After that, a very classy nuttiness starts to grow stronger (walnuts, some roasted coffee beans, almonds). Evolves on dark chocolate. There are undertones of matchsticks as well, but they’re actually quite nice and seem to come and go (with some water they simply disappear). Some mint. Hints of leather. Quite complex! Mouth: starts fruity (figs, dates) with hints of cherry liqueur. Again (clean) matchstick notes. Old oranges. Nice mocha and chocolate truffle. A few drops of water highlights walnuts and almonds. Finish: nice finale on coffee and nuts. Quite long.

This GlenDronach 1990 has multiple personalities. It shows a typical nutty sherry but also fresh fruits and hints of matchsticks that we associate with some Karuizawas. I like it, also because it’s interesting to play around with water. Around € 100.

Score: 86/100

I’ve tasted this Glen Grant 1972 by Whisky-Doris head-to-head with yesterday’s Glen Grant 1973 by Thosop.

Glen Grant 38 yo 1972 (52,4%, Whisky-Doris 2010, refill sherry cask #1650, 202 btl.)

Nose: this one is more expressive from the start. A nice honeyed fruitiness again but more dried fruits this time, with marmalade and syrup . The nutty element is slightly bigger, with coffee notes and caramel. Interestingly, the hints of new oak that I pick up make me think of old single grains while the mint / eucalyptus reminds me of certain bourbons. Very lively and entertaining. Water brings out a little vanilla. Mouth: more alcohol, more punch. It shows the same oranges, tangerines and yellow plums. Compared to the Thosop bottling, more spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, more pepper) and slightly less fruit. More balanced and more fruity with a little water. Finish: long, spicy with a hint of oak.

Another great Glen Grant. This one is slightly more oaky and spicy, which adds nice notes on the nose but also a certain dryness on the palate. Difficult to make a choice - I guess the higher strength is the main difference. Add a little water and they’re quite similar. Available from Whisky-Doris (€ 140).

Score: 89/100

Sometimes whisky releases seem to come in waves. Certain vintages are highly sought after by independent bottlers, certainly after the success of similar expressions. After the Glen Grant 1972 that won the MM Awards 2009, we’ve seen other bottlings trying to match this quality.

This Glen Grant 1973 was bottled by Thosop – I’ll compare it to a slightly older Glen Grant 1972 tomorrow, bottled by Whisky-Doris. Both were matured in (refill) sherry casks. 

Glen Grant 37 yo 1973
(46%, Thosop 2010, sherry butt, 120 btl.)

Nose: very seductive with silky fruit notes and delicate oak polish. Ripe gooseberries, kumquats, lime and a little honeysuckle. Undertones of dried apricots from the sherry cask. A nutty / moccha layer as well. Fresh and maybe a tad shy at 46%, although it unfolds nicely over time. Water adds soft waxy notes. Mouth: rich fruity notes with lots of added spices this time (nutmeg, a little pepper and cinnamon). A whole array of oranges, tangerines, a little grapefruit and apricot. Mouth: long, fruity / spicy with faint moccha.

A classic Glen Grant: fruity and balanced, with gentle spices and a subtle sherry influence. Around € 140.

Score: 88/100

Whisky-Doris is a German shop run by Doris & Herbert Debbeler. They’re known for regularly bottling their own casks and for providing samples of new releases.

This 14 years old Highland Park was bottled in two versions – one at 46% and one at cask strength. We’re trying the stronger version.

Highland Park 14 yo 1995 (55,8%, Whisky-Doris 2010, bourbon hogshead #1468, 205 btl.)

Nose: nice combination of grassy notes, heather honey and interesting fruits (sweet pomelo and lime I would say). Some coastal notes as well as wet limestone. Nicely balanced peat smoke. Mint. Water highlights the heather and mint and adds floral notes. Mouth: the peat is much more expressive now and has a nice chlorophyl coating. Simple fruity centre (apples and pear). Again an evident grassiness and a nice lemon/brine combo. Gently smoked. Slightly sweeter with water. Finish: pretty long and spicy, with liquorice and lemon.

Very good middle-aged Highland Park. Perfectly drinkable at cask strength, with balanced flavours and a nice coastalness throughout. Available for € 55.

Score: 87/100