Glendronach 11 Years Old 2003 Cask #1933

An 11 year old Glendronach, a distillery bottling, from 2003, cask 1933, at 51.4%, 627 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt whose founder was an early champion of sherry cask maturation. It joined William Teacher and Sons in 1960 and became a core malt of the Teacher's blend. It was bought in 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company, who rebuilt it as a heavily sherried single malt.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, giving a deep, full bodied Highland spirit. A Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. In integration coconut and vanilla knit with the malt, the orchard notes deepening to sultana, date and chocolate. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site.

At a hearty 51.4% it carries real weight. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a dark, fruity Highland single malt.