Glendronach 12 Years Old 2003 Cask #2330

This official Glendronach, a 12 year old, from 2003, cask 2330, at 55%, 678 bottles in all. Glendronach is a deep, dark Highland malt of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. The distillery was an early champion of sherry cask maturation, its malt charming Edinburgh society from the start.

Taken gently through wash and spirit stills, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. Maturation came in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, layered over the full Glendronach make. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich Glendronach make.

At a natural 55% it is full and rich. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, 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.