Glendronach 20 Years Old 1994 Cask #3273

Glendronach from the distillery, a 20 year old, from 1994, cask 3273, at 53.3%, 680 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, revived from 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company. It passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal.

The spirit was worked unhurried through the stillhouse, for the rich, sherried make Glendronach is known for. Maturation came in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, layered over the full Glendronach make. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters and a darker chocolate, fig and date depth. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Highland body. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site.

Bottled at a cask strength 53.3%, it is deep and concentrated. 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. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a dark, fruity Highland single malt.