Today’s scotch review is the GlenDronach Cask Strength – Batch 8. Each year the mast blender, currently the amazing Rachel Barrie, finds and blends casks they feel work well together and, most importantly, taste good at full cask strength. It’s a challenge I’m envious of.
Looking through my notes, it looks like at tastings I’ve only had batch 5 and batch 7 before. So I can’t speak to the long legacy of the whisky or anything like that, but I can speak to enjoying both batch 7 and 5, especially 5. Time to dig in.
GlenDronach Cask Strength Review: Details and Tasting Notes
“By bottling the whisky at its natural cask strength of 61%, The GlenDronach Cask Strength offers connoisseurs a deeper insight into the distillery’s signature profile. The eighth release of this expression has been matured for 10 years in both Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, resulting in an exquisitely rich and full-bodied single malt.”
Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: GlenDronach
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-PX, ex-Oloroso
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 61%
Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Batch: 8
Price: $100
Tasting Notes
EYE
Amber
NOSE
Graham, char, hay-like malt, citrus, tropical fruit, red Twizzlers and dried dark fruit with a touch of dry olde candy sweetness.
PALATE
Fresh pastry, char, earthy malt, citrus, dried orchard fruit, red Twizzlers and dried dark fruit with a touch of dry olde candy sweetness.
FINISH
Med-long -> Fruity, nutty and earthy.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Good sense of balance, full body and an oily feel that fades dry with the finish.
GlenDronach Cask Strength Review: Overall and Score
Aroma is full and fruity with darker earthy notes combining nicely; Palate is very similar with minor shifts in the profile from tropical to more orchard style of fruitiness; Finish is a muddled sweet and earthy profile. It’s nice.
As it opens it gets a tad nuttier and further evens out the fruity and candy notes. Adding water to GlenDronach Cask Strength brings out even more sweet and fruity notes and increases the earthiness a tad. Still like Batch the most of the ones I’ve had.
SCORE: 3.5/5
*Disclosure: The sample for this scotch review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
GlenDronach Cask Strength Review $100
Overall
3.5- Nose (3.5)
- Palate (4)
- Finish (3.5)
- BBF (3)
User Review
0 (0 votes) Comments Rating 0 (0 reviews)GlenDronach Cask Strength Review Summary
The sherry influence is there, but it’s kind of subtle and I’m getting more malt and orchard fruit notes. It’s good but not a sherry monster if that’s what you’re expecting.
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