Glendronach 15 Year Old Revival Sherry Cask
Meaty
0 686
Review by @MaltActivist
- Nose21
- Taste22
- Finish22
- Balance21
- Overall86
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Distribution of ratings for this:
- Brand: GlenDronach
- Type: Scotch
- Region: Speyside
- ABV: 46%
Glendronach seem to have a cult following. I follow their page on Facebook and can see the intensity and the passion that the fans have for it. And I think that's fair. It is a wonderful distillery with some very special releases. Their single casks are a stuff of legend, though, feel that their core range could do with a bit of a lift.
This 15 year old sherry bomb has quite a reputation and even before I started writing anything about it I posted a pic of it on the Malt Maniacs Facebook page. The response was immediate and quite flattering.
But do I think this one is the stuff of legends? Well,not really.
Nose: I think I can sniff out the Oloroso Sherry cask from a mile away. It is so strong and meaty that there can be no doubt. Once the black salts fade away you are greeted with a black pepper rum and fudge cake liberally sprinkled with chopped pistachios and cardamom seeds. Oxidization brings out red wine tannins and black raisins. I think the Oloroso overpowers and doesn't let the malt speak.
Palate: Chocolate and mocha form the base of this delivery. They are then layered with black peppercorns, cinnamon and cardamom pods. Once again quite thick and chewy with the Oloroso.
Finish: Creamy long with cinnamon.
I like this whisky but I think the sherry is far too overbearing in all aspects. I would have liked to see a more measured sherry finish because I feel the base malt is quite good. But maybe that's what the people want. And I've seen enough fans to prove that.
Oh well...
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Nice review, @tabarakRazvi, and I mostly concur with your conclusions. In my view the 15-year old is a good example of sherry influence gotten out of hand (there are people who absolutely love this, I know). While I like the chewy and chocolaty palate, I would have preferred the sherry not taking that much of center stage. I wonder what you think about the 18-year old that I find to be much more balanced.