Glendronach Cask Strength (Batch 6)

Glendronach from the distillery, at 56.1%. Glendronach is a deep, dark Highland malt of dried fruit, chocolate and spice. The distillery was an early champion of sherry cask maturation, its malt charming Edinburgh society from the start. It was bought in 2008 by Billy Walker's BenRiach company, who rebuilt it as a heavily sherried single malt.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, shaping a rich Highland body with real weight. Maturation ran across Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, layered over the Glendronach spirit. With no age statement, vanillin reads as vanilla and oak lactones as coconut over the rich, fruity spirit. 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. Maturation runs slow and even in the traditional dunnage warehouses on the Forgue site.

At a natural 56.1% it is full and rich. A deep, dark sweetness, with raisin, date and treacle from the cask. It is full and fruity, the spirit carrying the cask. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is Glendronach's deep, fruity Highland style.