GlenDronach 13 Year Old 1996 ‘Cask in a Van I’

Every year, GlenDronach bottles, exclusively for the Belgian market, a cask in their unique concept ‘Cask in a Van’. In 2010, this was an 8 Year Old on virgin oak. In 2011 it was an 8 Year Old on a PX sherry cask. The first GlenDronach Cask in a Van, from 2009, is what we’ll be trying today. It’s a 13 Year Old from 1996, matured on an oloroso sherry cask, which explains the beautiful, dark color.

After the initial prickle on the nose, I get the typical sherry notes: raisins, tobacco, prunes, bitter chocolate. There is a very sour touch that spoils it a little for me. It’s a bit over the top, I think. Adding water is doesn’t seem to be a good idea. The first whiff gives me a sweating armpit! Luckily, that goes out of the glass instantly, to be replaced by dark fruit and candied sugar.

The attack is not as fierce as I would have expected. Well, there is a bit of pepper. The body is not really creamy or buttery. The dark fruit shows, but cloves, coffee and some bitterness doesn’t show until mid-palate. Adding water makes it mild. Too mild.

The finish is long. The dram dies in salt.

This is absolutely no swimmer. Water doesn’t suit this GlenDronach. Without water, it is more than a decent malt. A big thank you to my buddy Cas who gave me the sample.

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