Happy New Year everyone!

GlenDronach 39 yo 1972 (49,9%, OB 2011, oloroso cask #712, 466 btl.)

Nose: strikingly fresh and floral – the first thing I get are lovely roses and passion fruit ganache. A nice addition to the usual raisins, dried berries, cocoa and leather we were expecting already. Raspberries and redcurrant jam. Cherry plums. Big oak polish. Hints of mint. Underneath is a layer of darker aromas, blackberries and something vaguely meaty with a hint of clean gunpowder. While I’m usually struggling with these notes, they are so tiny I’d say it’s an asset. Simply excellent: very wide, luscious and juicy. Mouth: starts in a classic way, with Christmas cake, dates, sultanas… Rather dry with a velvety mouthfeel. After a few moments, a wave of superb tropical notes comes rolling in. Tangerine, guava, passion fruits again. As if they poured a few litres of BenRiach 1976 in the cask. Wow! It doesn’t last too long though, it returns nicely on chocolate, liquorice and very soft spices. Tiny hints of camphor / mint. Finish: very long, still a tad fruity but it’s mostly leather and spices now.

What a great dram to round off this year. It definitely needs time to open up and unfold the deep, almost oriental fruitiness that was hidden in the first few sips. For me this deserves a bonus point, I’ve rarely seen sherry and tropical fruits combined so beautifully, not even in other GlenDronach single casks. I’m stunned Serge chooses a GlenDronach 15yo (WF92) over this masterpiece (WF91). Around € 380, still available in some places. Many thanks for the sample swap, Mars!

Score: 93/100

Actually I didn’t completely forget, but I felt a little unimpressed with this year’s single casks. Let’s hope they still have some great casks lying around, because upping the price each year and lowering the quality doesn’t make much sense.

GlenDronach 40 yo 1971
(48,5%, OB 2011, PX sherry puncheon #1436, 583 btl.)

Nose: meaty start with some gravy notes and Oxo. Dark crispy bacon. Dried fruits as well (blackberry jam) but none of the fresh fruitiness that we’ve seen in previous 1971 and (especially) 1972 casks. If you wait long enough, there are some nice tobacco notes, roasted nuts and moccha. Disappointing in terms of freshness and complexity. Mouth: perfect drinking strength but an unusual mixture of sharp, slightly vinegary notes and dark, sticky plums, with nothing in between. A little incoherent and too sweet I’m afraid – think actual PX sherry or Greek raisin syrup. After that it becomes spicier (pepper), nuttier but woodier as well. Finish: dry, with walnuts and the return of tobacco notes.

A collector’s item maybe, but not the most rewarding GlenDronach for whisky drinkers in my opinion. Around € 450, still readily available.

Score: 83/100

GlenDronach 19 yo 1991 (50,4%, OB for The Nectar & LMdW 2011, Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon #3181, 624 btl.)

Nose: nice sherry, powerful and round. Dried fruits, some nutty notes. Very polished with some waxed furniture, similar to the great GlenDronach 1992 cask #161 in that respect. Blackberry jam and figs, maybe even some black cherries. Sparkling top notes of orange liqueur and mint as well. Rum & raisins. Plenty of good sherry associations. Mouth: rather oily, not really thick or powerful. Starts on dried fruits again, with some added herbal notes and polished oak. Plums. Cocoa. Not extremely complex, but very pleasant. Nice gingerbread and aniseed in the end. Finish: quite long, a little drier, with some tobacco now and some oak and spices.

This cask was a safe choice. It has a few nice touches (oak polish, gingerbread) while remaining within the “classic” profile everyone has come to expect from GlenDronach single casks. Around € 105.

Score: 88/100

GlenDronach 17 yo 1994 (60,1%, OB 2011, oloroso butt #97, 617 btl.)

Nose: similar. Very mushroomy start, with lots of caramel. Some vegetal and meaty notes (oxo). Lots of roasted hazelnuts. Caramel again. Adding water doesn’t help this slightly sulphury profile, on the contrary. Not my type of whisky, although I want to repeat that these notes can be temporary and letting the bottle breathe for a couple of months can make them disappear. Some pear syrup in the background as well. Mouth: sweet at first, but quickly overtaken by spices and herbs (cloves, pepper, liquorice). Then a wave of wood and dark chocolate. Dry and nutty aftertaste. Water does help on the palate, making it rounder and slightly more fruity. Finish: quite dry and quite long with spices and wood.

I can’t really recommend this one, unless you’re familiar with this style and like your sherry a little dirty. Around € 100.

Score: 77/100

GlenDronach 19 yo 1992 (59,2%, OB 2011, oloroso butt #161, 500 btl.)

Nose: a more pronounced version. It has some lovely polished oak and nutty aromas. A little heather honey. Natural caramel. Kirsch and raspberry liqueur. Hints of bread crust. Silky vanilla and almond paste too. There’s a subtle herbal / earthy side as well which makes it stand out. All of this on the expected background of dried fruits and sultanas. Very good, nicely balanced and more complex than the 1989 and 1990 (just like the sherry I would say – PX can be a little mono-dimensional). Mouth: spicy sherry (cinnamon, pepper) with a nice raspberry / cocoa combo. Sweet and sour. Orange cake. Again a range of herbal flavours. Heather honey. Vanilla and nuts. Pretty great. Finish: long, fading on chocolate and herbs.

A very entertaining cask, with all the expected elements but also a wealth of additional layers. Very attractive. If you’d ask me to recommend one of the more accessible bottles of this batch, this would be the one. Around € 115.

Score: 90/100

GlenDronach 20 yo 1990 (50,1%, OB 2011,
PX sherry puncheon #1032, 728 btl.)

Nose: this one seems a bit duller and flatter than the 1989. It has more typical, sticky Pedro Ximénez elements with dried fruits and moscovado sugar. Dark polished wood. Some leather. Thick and jammy (blackberry or plum jam). Mouth: sweet cocoa flavours. Almonds and honey. Red fruit candy. Plums. Different types of jam again. Spices are quite delicate, and there’s not a lot of wood. Some sweet tobacco. Sweetness all over actually. Finish: still quite sweet and rounded, medium long.

This 1990 may be a more coherent package than the 1989, but you have to like a sweet and sticky malt. Rather faultless but slightly overdone for me. Around € 120.

Score: 84/100

GlenDronach 21 yo 1989 (54,1%, OB 2011, PX sherry puncheon #2917, 618 btl.)

Nose: nice sherry, with the obvious dried fruits (mainly dates but also dried prunes and raisins) as well as some sparkling, fresher elements (clementine, strawberry, fresh figs). Something muscaty. Faint hints of rosewater lokum. Rich with a big base of aromas but lots of subtle layers as well. Mouth: quite heavy and sticky now. Dried fruits (dates, raisins). There’s also a more sourish side (balsamic) but this disappears after some time in the glass. A little pepper, followed by liquorice. Some tannins as well towards the end. Finish: medium length, with a more classic cocoa / roasted nuts combination. Still a sourish element.

I really like the nose of this GlenDronach 1989 but the palate seems a bit schizophrenic (heavy stickiness on one hand, slightly sour on the other). Not a bad start of this series but I prefer the 1989 cask #3315 which I tried last year. Around € 125.

Score: 86/100

GlenDronach 8 yo 2002 (55%, OB for Cask in a Van III 2011, PX sherry butt #2009, 660 btl.)

Nose: sweet with lots of moscovado sugar and caramel. Flambéed bananas. Angelica fruit cake. Sweet nuts and honey. Punchy pepper and a few herbs in the background, as well as toasted oak. Mouth: sweet and spicy start (pepper again, but also softer vanilla). Then a burst of forest fruits and praline as well as some winey flavours (hints of chocolates filled with balsamic ganache). Then some liquorice, dark chocolate and a few earthy notes. Finish: rather long, on sweet mocha and milk chocolate with a slightly hot afterglow.

A young GlenDronach that shows typical sherry influences but also a youthful nervousness. Good value for money. Around € 55. Still a few bottles available.

Score: 86/100

While we’re tasting the 2010 release, be prepared for the 2011 edition next week (starting June 20 at TastToe and ending June 25). This time it will be a 2002 Pedro Ximenez finish.

GlenDronach 8 yo 2002 (58%, OB for
Cask in a Van 2010, cask #4521,
Virgin oak hogshead finish, 312 btl.)

Nose: spicy like a new oak cask can be. Vanilla, a little mint and pepper. Some green banana. Also a few toasted notes (burnt sugar, burnt plywood). With water, it becomes very lightly tropical although the spices are still in the lead. Mouth: hot and gingery. Buttered toast and nuts. Slightly too sweet, a bit artificial (like commercial vanilla & cinnamon sugar). Quite some wood again with nutmeg and pepper. Hints of cake. Burnt sugar again. Finish: rather long and sweet.

A bit peculiar and uncommon for this distillery (although GlenDronach 14yo Virgin Oak was similar). The usual qualities of GlenDronach are not really present here, so I’m expecting more of the sherry version this year. Around € 50.

Score: 82/100

It is a vatting of bourbon and sherry casks, said to be 8 years old although there’s no age statement on the label.

GlenDronach Octarine (46%, OB 2010)

Nose: starts on marzipan / walnuts with some citrus notes and apricot compote, but quickly loses a lot of its freshness and moves to roasted almonds and old roses. Interesting smokiness which seems to mute the fruits. Some milk chocolate. A little mineral as well (limestone). Mouth: starts a little shy, with mixed fruits (apple, orange) and evolving to big notes of butter toffee and caramel. Some vanilla. Overall quite coating, with a creamy chocolate body. Finish: quite long, drying with more chocolate.

This Octarine is quite different from what we see in the core range or the GlenDronach single casks.
I may not be the biggest fan, but in this price range it’s very authentic. Around € 30 in France. Around
€ 40 if you manage to find a bottle in other countries.

Score: 81/100

A similar cask #197 was released shortly after as an official bottling – it was available at the distillery only.

GlenDronach 14 yo 1996 (57,2%, Malts of Scotland 2010, oloroso cask #195, 287 btl.)

Nose: very thick and heavy. Chocolate coated raisins. Toffee and balsamic syrup. Prune jam. Lots of nutty aromas (walnut, hazelnut butter, Nutella) and bread crust with honey. Milk chocolate. A few herbal (Maggi) notes as well. Mouth: also very heavy – sweet and sticky. Mocha. Roasted nuts. A little pepper. Stewed fruits and prunes. Dark chocolate. Dates and figs. Walnuts. Finish: Quite long, totally on dark cherries and chocolate sauce.

This is thicker than a’bunadh… thicker than other GlenDronach as well. It’s not bad (not at all) but I think it’s slightly over the top and too focused on the sherry. It is probably great as a sauce for vanilla ice cream, I will try that as soon as I have the chance. Around € 60.

Score: 82/100

GlenDronach 38 yo 1972 (51,5%,
OB 2010, Oloroso sherry butt #718,
396 btl.)

Nose: wow, this is quite surprising. Plenty of fruits here, but not the obvious dried ones. There’s poached fruits (pears, yellow plums) but also overripe mango, blood orange, some passion fruit and notes that remind me of different sorts of fruit jelly (quince jelly, raspberry gums and cassis sweets). Some butter toffee. Faint hints of cardamom. It keeps developing. This is like a wicked genius: you don’t understand it completely, but you do realize that it has a special and totally intriguing character. Mouth: continues in the same direction, with slightly sour stewed fruits and soft vanilla, but slowly changes character to milk chocolate and all kinds of nuts (mainly walnuts and almonds). Oak as well, but less tannins than in the 1971 version. Finish: very long, slightly fruity but really dry with notes of walnut skin.

After the great reviews of last year’s 1972, this cask was highly anticipated. In my opinion it’s less flawless but slightly more unique. It’s different from cask #719 and certainly different from the rest of the series. I’m curious to know what happened in 1972 to achieve such outstanding casks?
Around € 350.

Score: 92/100

GlenDronach 39 yo 1971 (48,8%, OB 2010, Oloroso sherry butt #489, 541 btl.)

Nose: compared to the 1978, it’s clearly darker and more candied. Its smell of strawberry / raspberry ganache (chocolate cream used to fill pralines) reminds me of the workshops of the famous chocolatiers here in Belgium. Lovely cocoa really. Sugared nuts (hazelnuts, almonds). Fresh figs. Raisins. Milk chocolate mendiants. Oranges. A very light meatiness as well. Balanced hints of pine wood with a soft hint of smoke. Really good. Mouth: rich and mouth-coating with big hints of coffee and bitter-sweet notes of dark chocolate. Intense dried fruits. Walnut skin. Clear oak now, a little tannic maybe, but overall the wood is not too invasive. Finish: very long, heavily sherried and a little dry.

Like last year, the GlenDronach 1971 has a more classic profile than its 1972 sister. Perfect balance with all the flavours you’d expect. 
An interesting cask but a bit overpriced.
Around € 370.

Score: 91/100

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

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: 89/100

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

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

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

The current offering is a young GlenDronach 2002 vintage, which has been matured in a Bourbon barrel. I’m not sure if it’s going to prove as popular as the widely praised sherry casks… but let’s wait and see.

Want to fill your own bottle by hand, straight from the cask? Here’s the schedule:

• 21/09 – TastToe (Kampenhout)
• 22/09 – Whisky on Wheels (Erpe-Mere)
• 23/09 – Anverness (Antwerpen)
• 24/09 – TastToe 2 (Gent)
• 25/09 afternoon – Single Malt Whisky Shop (Zammel)
• 25/09 evening – Jurgen’s Whiskyhuis (Zottegem)

Here are some details about the second batch of GlenDronach single casks:

• GlenDronach 1971 39yo (oloroso butt #489)
• GlenDronach 1972 38yo (oloroso butt #718)
• GlenDronach 1978 32yo (oloroso puncheon #1040)
• GlenDronach 1989 21yo (PX puncheon #3315)
• GlenDronach 1990 20yo (oloroso butt #2621)
• GlenDronach 1991 19yo (PX puncheon #3182)
• GlenDronach 1993 17yo (oloroso butt #529)

It’s good to see some sister casks and it would be very interesting to taste them side-by-side with the single cask releases of last year. In the meantime, have a look at the reviews of the first batch (2009) with the wonderful cask #719.