Glendronach 12 Years Old 2004 Cask #5523

A 12 year old Glendronach, a distillery bottling, from 2004, cask 5523, at 58.3%, 664 bottles in all. Glendronach is a deep, dark Highland malt of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. It was bought in 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company, who rebuilt it as a heavily sherried single malt.

Distilled to a rich, generous cut, for a weighty make built to take active Spanish oak. Ex-Bourbon matured, it was given a finish in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon for a final sweetness. 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 wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Highland body. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

Bottled at a cask strength 58.3%, it is deep and concentrated. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a dark, fruity Highland single malt.