Glendronach 40 Years Old 1971

A distillery release of Glendronach, a 40 year old, from 1971, cask 1436, at 48.5%, 583 bottles in all. Glendronach is a richly sherried Highland single malt from the Valley of Forgue, built on full bodied spirit and Spanish oak. It was mothballed in 1996 and lay silent until production resumed in 2002.

The spirit was distilled in copper pot stills, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. It was matured in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, the wood working deep into the malt. At a great, fragile age oxidation rules, sotolon lending maple and dried fig as beeswax and old leather linger. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich Glendronach make. Active first fill sherry wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit.

Bottled at a cask strength 48.5%, it is deep and concentrated. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is Glendronach's deep, fruity Highland style.