Glendronach 13 Years Old 2006

A distillery release of Glendronach, a 13 year old, from 2006, cask 5538, at 57.4%, 670 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt whose founder was an early champion of sherry cask maturation. It ferments in Oregon pine washbacks over long fermentations for a full, fruity spirit. It passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal.

The spirit was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for a weighty make built to take active Spanish oak. 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. 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 57.4%, undiluted, it is dark and full. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. The finish runs long, full and warming. This is a dark, fruity Highland single malt.