GlenDronach Port Wood
46% ABV - Highlands, Scotland
Nose: Raisins and dried fruits, fruitcake, and some nice sweet, floral notes in the background with spices. Perhaps a hint of burnt orange or citrus and straw.
Taste: It’s a fruit bomb! More dried fruits with black cherry and plum. Notes of chocolate and fruit spices.
Finish: Fruits with a slight minerality, followed by spices.
The GlenDronach Port Wood is a great whisky with solid fruit notes, however, it often feels thin or watery… which is both its strength and its weakness. It makes it incredibly drinkable—even for bottling strength of 46% ABV—but, it leaves me yearning for a stronger mouthfeel and complexity. I would love to chew on this whisky!
For nearly a year the GlenDronach supply started to dry up in my local area—a dispute between distributors was the rumour… Anyway, this one showed up (and finally is available more regularly) and I jumped at the opportunity. It didn’t disappoint! Despite any criticism from me, it’s still well worth buying and highly recommended; a decent value at its price point—I paid roughly $140 CAD after taxes.
Details: Enriched by a second maturation in the finest port pipes from the Douro Valley in Portugal. Bottled 2020/08/18.
Tasting Notes (Official): Nose: Breathe in delightful waves of Victoria plum, bramble and strawberry jam with notes of cherry blossom and honeysuckle on a base of sandalwood and ginger. Palate: Layers upon layers of rich fruits. Sip blackberry and roasted apple crumble with freshly baked gingerbread, developing into a baked orange and black cherry back-note. Finish: Savour orange peel, sultana and cherry cake lingering into the richly fruity finish.
Tasted 22 September 2021. (Posted 17 October 2021.)
