Glendronach 24 Years Old 1993 Cask #660

Glendronach from the distillery, a 24 year old, from 1993, cask 660, at 59.2%, 616 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt whose founder was an early champion of sherry cask maturation. It was the last distillery in Scotland to fire its stills with coal, converting to steam only in 2005.

The spirit was drawn from a thick, heavy wash, for a weighty, full spirit the sherry casks then deepen. It was fully matured in an Oloroso sherry butt, the wood deep in the rich spirit. In the oxidative, evaporative years the spirit concentrates to dried fruit, dark chocolate and a waxy, resinous depth. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Highland body.

At a hearty 59.2% it carries real weight. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a rich Highland malt of dried fruit and chocolate.