Glendronach 37 Years Old 1972

Glendronach from the distillery, a 37 year old, from 1972, cask 719, at 54.8%, 474 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, long a blending malt and now a sherry led name in its own right. Its whisky is now overseen by the master blender Dr Rachel Barrie. It passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal.

It was distilled to a rich, generous cut, for a weighty, full spirit the sherry casks then deepen. It was fully matured in an Oloroso sherry butt, the wood deep in the rich spirit. At a great, fragile age oxidation rules, sotolon lending maple and dried fig as beeswax and old leather linger. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Highland body. Active first fill sherry wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

At a hearty 54.8% it carries real weight. A rich, sherried sweetness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Dried fruit and a treacle sit behind the spice. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is the sherry led malt of Forgue.