Glendronach 25 Years Old 1993 (Master Vintage)

A 25 year old Glendronach, a distillery bottling, from 1993, at 48.2%. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, founded in 1826 near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. It passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal. It was mothballed in 1996 and lay silent until production resumed in 2002. It was the last distillery in Scotland to fire its stills with coal, converting to steam only in 2005.

It was distilled in copper pot stills, for a weighty make built to take active Spanish oak. It was matured in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, each wood adding to the dark, dried fruit. In the oxidative, evaporative years the spirit concentrates to dried fruit, dark chocolate and a waxy, resinous depth. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site.

At its natural 48.2% it is rich and chewy. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is the sherry led malt of Forgue.