Glendronach 15 Year Old Revival

Description

The GlenDronach 15 Year Old is produced at The GlenDronach Distillery in the Highland region of Scotland, near Forgue by Huntly in Aberdeenshire. Founded in 1826, the distillery adheres to traditional Scottish production techniques that contribute to the whisky’s distinctive character.

The distillery utilises a cast-iron mash tun with a traditional rake and plough system to achieve a clear wort. Fermentation takes place in nine wooden washbacks constructed from Scottish Larchwood, typically lasting between 55 and 60 hours.

The spirit is distilled in four copper pot stills featuring a unique saxophone shape with a gooseneck lyne arm and boil ball, designed to create a bold and oily new-make spirit suited for extended maturation in sherry casks. Process water is drawn from the Balnoon Burn, a mineral-rich underground source.

The 15-year-old expression is matured in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks sourced from the Andalucía region of Spain. Pedro Ximénez casks impart sweet, syrupy fruit notes, including raisins, dates, and figs, while Oloroso casks contribute drier, nutty, and spicy elements. All maturing stocks are stored in traditional dark dunnage warehouses that maintain stable temperatures and humidity levels.

The whisky presents an antique bronze or deep mahogany appearance with natural color. On the nose, dense notes of maraschino cherry, ripe bramble, and dark chocolate mint are complemented by secondary aromas of walnut liqueur, orange bitters, and toffee.

The palate offers honey-glazed apricot and ripe fig that build toward black cherry, angelica, and muscovado sugar, with an oily, mouth-coating texture featuring toasted nuts and cocoa powder. The finish is long and enveloping, fading into notes of manuka honey, herbal bitters, dark chocolate, and warming baking spices, including cinnamon and cloves.

The GlenDronach 15 Year Old is bottled at 46% ABV and features natural colour derived from cask maturation. The expression is commonly enjoyed neat or with a small amount of water to open the flavour profile.