Glendronach Cask Strength (Batch 8)

Glendronach from the distillery, a 10 year old, at 61%. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, revived from 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company. It passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal. Its whisky is now overseen by the master blender Dr Rachel Barrie.

Taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for the rich, sherried make Glendronach is known for. It was matured in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, the woods working into the full spirit. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. The full bodied spirit takes active wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

At 61%, undiluted, it is dark and full. A deep, dark sweetness, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a rich Highland malt of dried fruit and chocolate.