Glendronach 30 Years Old 1985

Glendronach from the distillery, a 30 year old, from 1985, cask 1037, at 52.3%, 507 bottles in all. Glendronach is a Highland single malt whose founder was an early champion of sherry cask maturation. It passed to Brown Forman, owner of Jack Daniel's, in 2016 as part of a 285 million pound deal. Its whisky is now overseen by the master blender Dr Rachel Barrie.

It was distilled to a rich, generous cut, giving a deep, full bodied Highland spirit. It was fully matured in a Pedro Ximenez sherry puncheon, the wood deep in the rich spirit. At a great, fragile age oxidation rules, sotolon lending maple and dried fig as beeswax and old leather linger. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. The casks are picked closely, the wood matched to the rich Glendronach make.

At 52.3%, undiluted, it is dark and full. A deep, dark sweetness, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a dark, fruity Highland single malt.