Glendronach 24 Years Old 1994

A 24 year old Glendronach, a distillery bottling, from 1994, cask 325, at 51.9%, 623 bottles in all. Glendronach is a rich Highland malt from the Valley of Forgue, near Huntly. Its whisky is now overseen by the master blender Dr Rachel Barrie. It was bought in 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company, who rebuilt it as a heavily sherried single malt.

Worked unhurried through the stillhouse, shaping a rich Highland body with real weight. It was fully matured in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into raisin, fig, beeswax and a bittersweet chocolate. 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 full bodied spirit takes active wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years.

Bottled at a cask strength 51.9%, it is deep and concentrated. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. A dark chocolate and a soft oak give it weight. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is a rich Highland malt of dried fruit and chocolate.