Glendronach 21 Years Old 1995 Cask #3248

A 21 year old Glendronach, a distillery bottling, from 1995, cask 3248, at 51.8%, 531 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt whose founder was an early champion of sherry cask maturation. By 1862 it had grown into the largest duty paying distillery in the Highlands. It joined William Teacher and Sons in 1960 and became a core malt of the Teacher's blend.

The spirit was run slowly off the spirit still, giving a deep, full bodied Highland spirit. A Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters and a darker chocolate, fig and date depth. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich Glendronach make. 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.

At its natural 51.8% it is rich and chewy. A rich, sherried sweetness, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Dried fruit and a treacle sit behind the spice. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is a full bodied Highland single malt of real richness.