GlenDronach 8-Year
46% ABV - Highlands, Scotland
Nose: A very clean and light mixture of winey, jammy fruits, confectioners sugar, and fresh fruit candies – the REALFRUIT gummies come to mind.
Taste: Darker fruits are more prominent with some sweet, dried fruit mixed in. Mulling spices and citrus zest in the background, with a slight woodiness.
Finish: Dark fruits and spices lead into teasings of cranberry-apple juice and baker’s chocolate.
The time finally came for me to add another sherry-strong whisky to my stock. I have long enjoyed the taste of Glenfarclas – particularly the 15-Year – but I wanted to take this as an opportunity to try something new. Usually I am fighting for a "good reason" to buy yet another bottle of whisky, and, much to my surprise, I only had a few leaning heavy into the ex-Sherry character. Though it was not the time to open them – saving for that "special occasion". So, I wanted a relatively budget friendly new addition...
Enter the #whiskyfabric – a community of friendly, generous, and helpful whisky enthusiasts! I tried my
first Twitter poll and received a number of great suggestions including Glenrothes, Tamdhu, Glenmorangie La Santa, and Aberlour. The poll winner after 24 hours was GlenDronach with a landslide popular vote. The majority of the suggestions reckoned that the 12-Year would be my best bet… however, the only available bottling was the 8-Year in my area. And here we have it!
The GlenDronach 8-Year is bottled at 46% ABV – the golden standard of bottling strength. It has a very light nose full of fresh fruits, and delivers ripe fruits, spices, and a touch of citrus. The finish is thirst quenching and medium length. Fantastic whisky and excellent value. I’m excited to have a chance at the 12-Year again, because this one is delicious and it didn’t take me many drams to arrive at that conclusion.
Tasting Notes (Official): Appearance: Amber with a burnished copper glow. Nose: Rounded waves of orange blossom and a citrus twist flow over buttery, golden sultanas, sundried raisins and ripe yellow plums; all dusted with a touch of vanilla. Palate: Crisp, vibrant oak spices warm soaked sultanas, apricot jam and gingerbread; all rounded by delicate hints of butterscotch, cocoa and toasted almonds. Finish: Classic sherry overtones with a contrasting crisp dimension demonstrate the complexity of the traditional Highland character.
Tasted 02, 07 May 2020. (Posted 13 May 2020.)
