Glendronach 11 Years Old 2007

A distillery release of Glendronach, an 11 year old, from 2007, at 46%, 3000 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 passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal.

The spirit was run slowly off the spirit still, for a weighty make built to take active Spanish oak. It was matured in a Pedro Ximenez cask, 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. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow and sweet. A rich, sherried sweetness, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. The close is rich and dark, fruit over a warm spice. This is a dark, fruity Highland single malt.