It's finally Glendronach's landmark 200th anniversary!
Now, this is of course a big moment not just for Glendronach, but really for Scotch as a whole, considering that it few and far between does any category exist for a whopping two centuries! That's a whole lot of history, tradition and stories that have been passed on from one steward to the next, truly making it the case that each guardian of the distillery is but one part of its story and whose job is to build upon all that has been done before them, leaving it in a better place for the next guardian to take over from!
And so Glendronach, one of the oldest active legally licensed Scotch distilleries and also a pioneer in the now haloed Sherry cask ageing, has of course bagged some achievements over its 200 years, and we'll trace through them as we toast to at least another 200 years more of Glendronach!
For a start, Glendronach was established in 1826 in the Valley of Forgue in Aberdeenshire - just several decades after the oldest still actively producing licensed Scotch distillery - by one James Allardice who had also been a pioneer in having figured out that Sherry casks worked brilliantly with whisky ageing, and was thus early in having Sherry casks from Spain's legendary Jerez de la Frontera shipped over to Scotland for use in his whiskymaking. It is thus for that reason that Glendronach's whiskies are all at base aged using Sherry casks - mainly the sweeter Pedro Ximenez (PX) and the drier Oloroso - with many of its expressions in fact fully aged in Sherry. This of course is quite the opposite to most of its Scotch producing peers who typically age their whiskies in Bourbon casks, with then just a shorter stint of the more expensive Sherry cask finishing. It is for this tradition that Glendronach is well known for its signature unctuous, rich and deep character that is typically filled in with dark fruits and earthy tones.
This brought Glendronach much fame and it would eventually grow into the Highlands' largest duty paying distillery by 1862. The distillery was eventually acquired by William Teacher & Sons, which would position the distillery as the core of the famed Teacher's Highland Cream Scotch blend, before it was eventually purchased by the Allied Distillers (the precursor to Pernod Ricard) who would unfortunately mothball the distillery in 1996. Thankfully, its stills would only rest for a mere 6 years before it was rediscovered by the famed Master Blender Billy Walker who would reopen its doors in 2002, shifting its focus to single malts so as to allow the distillery regain its voice and once again speak for itself! Bottle by bottle, the Glendronach name was rebuilt, and by 2016, the distillery would once again be acquired by Brown Forman, putting it snuggly next to BenRiach and Glenglassaugh distilleries, where it continues to produce its iconic whiskies with its Dronach burn waters, Scottish Larchwood wooden washbacks, saxophone shaped stills, traditional dunnage warehouses and of course Andalusian Sherry casks, all under the watchful eye of the beloved Dr. Rachel Barrie!
Fun Fact: Glendronach was famously the last to operate coal-fired stills - famous for producing robust and intense whiskies - in Scotland, all the way until 2005!
The ever wonderful and super passionate and knowledgeable Dr. Rachel Barrie!
And so with all that said, the distillery has gone through so much and it is incredible to see it hoisted where it belongs amongst the very best of Scotch whiskies produced today! For that, Glendronach has released its 200th Anniversary Boynsmill House Edition, a 14 year old single malt Scotch that was aged in the distillery's signature Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks, with then the inclusion of a small part of French Claret (Bordeaux red wine) casks, which thus pays tribute to the historic estate of the distillery's founder, James Allardice's Boynsmill House!
Let's give it a go!
And of course, a very big cheers to Glendronach!
Whisky Review: Glendronach 200th Anniversary Boynsmill House Edition, 14 Years Old, 46.8% ABV
Aged in Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks, with a small selection of ex-Claret / Bordeaux red wine casks.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Copper.
Aroma: Rounded and very golden, mostly driven by both malt and ripe orchard fruit sweetness. It opens very apricotty, generous layers of apricot jam and golden apples up top, with citrus oils, marmalade, zesty orange peels and zest. Garnished by the sweetness of some fresh lavender before we get into a malty core, cereal, grist, biscuits, malt candy with a smooth layer of beeswax. It gets deeper still. There’s a minor red-fruit layer of dark cherries and brambles, before we get into a light sherried base of raisins, plums, new leather and slowly-growing savoury notes of toasted walnut and aged soy sauce. A light touch of wet rocks and fresh tobacco.
Taste: Medium bodied and relatively dense. It’s rich without getting heavy, with caramel and red fruit over a malty spiced core. It opens with decadent notes of caramel, honey, malt candy and biscuits complemented by dried fruits and peel – candied orange peel, figs, plums, raspberries and red currants. The mid-palate shows the fine drying grip of some tannins and is quite Chirstmassy, with heaping cinnamon, cloves, spearmint, menthol before it progresses darker, into some rancio-ish notes joined by cocoa powder, toasted almond.
Finish: Medium-plus in length. It’s dark, spiced and warm. Savouriness and spice concentrates with dark roast espresso beans, cocoa powder carrying through from the palate, before we dip into herbaceous bitterness: liquorice, anise, fresh tilled soil and cedar. Accents of dried lavender, pepper and anise warmth lingering.
My Thoughts
This is a very clean, solid, well-rounded sipping dram that one would immediately recognise as Glendronach, but it also comes with noticeably more golden malted brightness in its profile. It leads with malt sweetness and cereal grist on the nose, before richer sherried notes begin to show up in the aroma and the mid-palate, and finally we get some nutty savouriness and long-drawn out spice as we approach the finish. It’s remarkable how the malt-driven tones appear just as prominently alongside the familiar dark Spanish oak influences.
I should point out that we also do see some of those red wine cask influences that come through in luscious red fruits and florals – with a streak of cherries, raspberries, plums and even lavender. All these red wine influences are very masterfully integrated into the Glendronach structure of dried fruits and spice, giving us that signature Spanish-oak driven influence but with a lift of redder brighter fruits and a touch of florality.
This is a fittingly memorable expression for Glendronach’s 200th anniversary. In an era when good whisky always seems to be in short supply, it is also quite heartening to hear that this anniversary bottling comes at a very accessible price point and outturn quantity for Glendronach fans around the world to join in the celebration!
@CharsiuCharlie
