Glendronach 18 Years Old 1995 Cask #3302

Glendronach from the distillery, an 18 year old, from 1995, cask 3302, at 53.7%, 677 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, founded in 1826 near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. It was mothballed in 1996 and lay silent until production resumed in 2002. It passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal. It was the last distillery in Scotland to fire its stills with coal, converting to steam only in 2005.

Taken gently through wash and spirit stills, giving a deep, full bodied Highland spirit. It was matured in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, the wood working deep into the malt. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters and a darker chocolate, fig and date depth. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich Glendronach make.

Bottled at a cask strength 53.7%, it is deep and concentrated. A deep, dark sweetness, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. It is full and fruity, the spirit carrying the cask. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is the sherry led malt of Forgue.