Glendronach 25 Years Old 1993 Cask #6601

A distillery release of Glendronach, a 25 year old, from 1993, cask 6601, at 49.8%, 676 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt, founded in 1826 near Huntly in Aberdeenshire. It was bought in 1920 by Charles Grant, a son of the founder of Glenfiddich. It was bought in 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company, who rebuilt it as a heavily sherried single malt.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, giving a deep, full bodied Highland spirit. It was fully matured in a Pedro Ximenez cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into raisin, fig, beeswax and a bittersweet chocolate. Active first fill sherry wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Highland body.

At 49.8%, undiluted, it is dark and full. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. Dried fruit and a treacle sit behind the spice. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is a dark, fruity Highland single malt.