Glendronach 21 Years Old 1992 Cask #271

A 21 year old Glendronach, a distillery bottling, from 1992, cask 271, at 54.3%, 645 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt known for its heavy Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry maturation. It was mothballed in 1996 and lay silent until production resumed in 2002. It joined William Teacher and Sons in 1960 and became a core malt of the Teacher's blend.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for the rich, sherried make Glendronach is known for. Maturation came in an Oloroso sherry butt, layered over the full Glendronach make. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters and a darker chocolate, fig and date 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. Active first fill sherry wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

Bottled at a cask strength 54.3%, it is deep and concentrated. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is the sherry led malt of Forgue.