Glendronach 22 Years Old 1991

A 22 year old Glendronach, a distillery bottling, from 1991, cask 1346, at 52.1%, 701 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, founded in 1826 near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. It joined William Teacher and Sons in 1960 and became a core malt of the Teacher's blend. The distillery was an early champion of sherry cask maturation, its malt charming Edinburgh society from the start. It was bought in 1920 by Charles Grant, a son of the founder of Glenfiddich.

The spirit was distilled in copper pot stills, giving a deep, full bodied Highland spirit. Maturation came in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, layered over the full Glendronach make. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into raisin, fig, beeswax and a bittersweet chocolate. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich Glendronach make. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register.

At a natural 52.1% it is full and rich. Fig, walnut and a bittersweet chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is a full bodied Highland single malt of real richness.