Glendronach 27 Years Old 1992 Cask #6049

A distillery release of Glendronach, a 27 year old, from 1992, cask 6049, at 49.2%, 694 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt whose founder was an early champion of sherry cask maturation. It was bought in 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company, who rebuilt it as a heavily sherried single malt. Its whisky is now overseen by the master blender Dr Rachel Barrie. It was founded in 1826 by James Allardice, said to be the second man in Scotland to take a licence after the Excise Act of 1823.

The spirit was run slowly off the spirit still, for a weighty, full spirit the sherry casks then deepen. A Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. 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. Active first fill sherry wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

At its natural 49.2% 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 deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is the sherry led malt of Forgue.