Glendronach 10 Years Old 2008 Cask #3843

Glendronach from the distillery, a 10 year old, from 2008, cask 3843, at 60%, 573 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, founded in 1826 near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. It was the last distillery in Scotland to fire its stills with coal, converting to steam only in 2005. It was bought in 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company, who rebuilt it as a heavily sherried single malt.

It was drawn from a thick, heavy wash, 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. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site. Active first fill sherry wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

At its natural 60% it is rich and chewy. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. It is full and fruity, the spirit carrying the cask. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is Glendronach's deep, fruity Highland style.