So, Glendronach, it should be a very sherry-driven tasting or what? Included in the line-up is the four miniatures from 8-18yo, available in a miniature package in Norway these days, unfortunately the 21yo didn't make it...I think I've set them up against some fair competition from different IB's.
Glendronach 13yo 1990-2003 46% Murray McDavid cask#579
From a bourbon cask. The color is pale and turns cloudy immediately when its poured. It smells of wheat and oak, mashed potatoes and hay, very light. There's a small evaporation in this mini bottle. The taste is of rhubarb, vanilla, sour leaves, apricot jam, honey. The finish is quite sour and bitter, following the initial rhubarb sensation. Its far from unpleasant, just very far from that sherry-flavored Glendronach profile we've learned to love.
A nice, or great if you'd like, twist on Glendronach: 7.5
Glendronach 8yo 46% OB Octarine
A bold move to try adding an 8yo to what else is a very good OB range by todays standard. The first one in the recent standard OB selection in todays tasting.At only 8yo, how much will it have developed? Enough? The color is nicely bronzed. It smells of cloves, coriander, cinnamon, orange zest, salt, stout, lentils, asparagus. The taste is of heather, peat, honey and black peppers, its young age shines through with some spirity and raw notes, and the oakiness suggests the whisky comes from mainly small casks. Some sweet sultanas and raisins too.
A very nice youngster, though a bit raw: 6
Glendronach 12yo 43% OB Original
A bit lower strength than the other OBs. Paler color than the 8yo, light bronze. It smells of toffee, cocoa powder, honey, sherry, less peaty notes this time. It reminds me a bit of the 12yo HP OB actually. The taste is of honey, camphor, sulphur, cointreau, subtle, sweet orange flavors, butterscotch, caramel. For someone that's new to whisky this would be a convincing dram, and to me, its one that will never disappoint me.
Great everyday dram, one of the best out there: 7
Glendronach 15yo 46% OB Revival
This one is 100% sherry matured. I've tried it once, a couple of years back, in 2009 I think, so maybe a couple of batches back then. Bronze/redish hue. It smells of dry sherri, fino or amontillado, figs, dates, cured ham, dry cheeses, leather, tobacco, definitively a heavy sherry influence in this one. The taste is of leather, oak, sulphur, acetone, pistachio, strong, like the end of a cuban. Just barely numbing my tongue. I'd just say it right now, I think this is one of the best, if not the best, quality contra price whiskies out there at the moment.
An old style sherried one, these are getting scarcer by the minute: 8
Glendronach 18yo 46% OB Allardice
The 18yo, the oldest Ob in this session, but remember, there's also a great 21yo OB out there. A light red-ish color on this one. I'd expect there's quite some sherry casks in the v at here as well. It smells of petroleum oil, amontillado sherry, cinnamon, onion powder, stout, not as typical of a Glendronach as the last three I think. The taste is leather, chewing tobacco, malt syrup, porter beer, balsamic vinegar, dates, figs, some chemical notes. The finish is on mushrooms, more vinegar, some bitter oaky notes and a hint of gingerbread.
Its a good whisky, but please choose the revival instead: 6
Glendronach 14yo 54.3% Cadenhead's
Another IB, another one without that red hue that might suggest time in a sherry cask. Let's hope this is just as good, or even better than the one from MM. The color is golden. it smells of barley, wheat, sour dough, orange zest, coriander, leeches, cloves, turmeric, ginseng, much round and gentle flavors if you know what I mean. Not a very expressive malt thus far. The taste is of bittersweet, white grapes and white wine, sort of the same thing? I've never gotten white wine flavors in a whisky quite like this before. A real zesty, sour/dry riesling taste, amazing! Furthermore there's some aniseed, vanilla and peat.
Granted you like white wine, this is a great whisky: 7.5
Glendronach 9yo 2002-2012 55.5% OB Cask in a Van IV
A new try for the van, the fourth edition today, I remember the first one was a bit of a disappointment in my book. "Cask in a Van" means they've driven a van which had a cask in the trunk, around in europe for some time, correct me if I'm wrong. A bit like the Linie Aqua Vitae who's been traveling the world on a ship prior to bottling. The distances apart, but you catch my drift. This one comes from a sherry puncheon,and again its a youngster who's been on its first road trip. Brown color on this one. It smells of resinous sherry, vegetable stock, salt, rubber, dry, wool, ammonium. I'd have to say this is not far from some less sweet batches of Aberlour A'bunadh. The taste is on leeches, pickled anchovies, green peppers, dry, leather, I think it needs some water. Now it turns sweeter, zesty, lemon, gin, dried fruits, quite boring, despite being a bit weird at first, I now prefer it without water.
I still like the "Cask in a Warehouse" versions a bit better: 4
Next tasting: Grain Galore
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