Glendronach Cask Strength Batch 2

Glendronach Cask Strength is yet another NAS whisky aged in multiple (Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry) casks. I’m one of those who complains about such trends in the whisky industry, but who forgives all when the results are this good. If it’s a little one-dimensional, it’s still got all that malty, sherry-bomb Glendronach goodness kicked up to cask strength.

This will be my fifth dram from a bottle opened barely a week. I don’t think this bottle is going to last long enough to determine what changes time may have to offer. It’s fiery stuff that I take with anywhere from a couple of drops to nearly a teaspoon of water, depending on the courageous nature of my tongue.

Nose: Sherry, hot cherry pie, warm rum cake, toffee, a little chocolate, and hints of oranges and orange peel. A thick, dense nose that’s the most layered component of the experience.

Palate: Much spicier than anything suggested by the nose. Arrives like a spicy rum, then the sherry and malt pretty much wipe everything else away and hang around for some good swishy mouth time. Random taste buds also pick up some vanilla, citrus fruit, allspice, and chocolates of all varieties (white, milk, and dark). This is one whisky for which the palate lives up to the promise of the nose.

The finish is long lasting, but the flavors narrow and dissipate as some slightly bitter young oak emerges. The citruses and spices are strong pleasant aspects, however.

It’s a good enough whisky to barely justify its price tag, I suppose (although mine was a gift, so I have no complaints!). I’d be more comfortable recommending it at $50 cheaper, however. Don’t know how many Batch #2 bottles are still available (Batch #3 was released about a month ago). If you’re a fan of the 15 yo Revival and might like some of its better flavors at cask strength, then Glendronach CS Batch #2 might be worth the search and the extra bucks.

from a purchased sample

Nose: Rich and inviting, though still graceful. Honey-toffee, oxidized sherry, some nits, sour grapes, apples, cinnamon, baking spices. Mix of sweetened dried fruit nibs, and all rather light and airy. Fudge, dry cocoa powder, and something tart and acidic. Raisins. Bread pudding.

Palate: There's maybe more wood and a touch of low-tannic bitterness, but it's all what's promised on the nose. Full, rich, warm, and sexy. Quaffable, rather. Oxidized sherry, salt, toffee, light grapey syrup, cinnamon, cardamom, and Christmas pudding. Honey, coffee, and baked custard and dessert wine. Delicious.

Finish: Goes more on bread pudding, custard, Christmas pudding, and all rather creamy, with sweet spices. Fudge and coffee notes, too. Raisins (still a little plump). Dates, jammy red berries. This is really full and excellent. Well constructed and hard to put down. I just need to get me a bottle.

Every new release from the GlenDronach is a time to be merry, and especially a new batch of this yummy cask strength dram which got a hearty welcome a few months ago when batch #1 was out, and I loved it (see my notes). Batch #2 has just been announced, and It shall be interesting to see if it delivers the same quality, and how batch variation will differ. The second batch has been personally selected once again by Master Blender Billy Walker. At 55.2% vol, non chill-filtered and bottled at its natural colour, it has been matured as before in a combination of the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks 12,000 bottles all in all .let’s dive:

Nose : very sweet with oodles of toffee treacle. Dried fruit: sultanas, maraschino cherries , thick honey dew. Orange peel, cinnamon and a bit of white pepper. Hints of balsamic vinegar and charred oak.

Palate: thick and spicy to start with with sweet chilly, lots of prunes , dates and sultanas. Christmas cake soaked with rum. Lovely mouth feel. Sweet and a bit savoury. Banana bubble-gum. Tobacco and a bit of dark chocolate. Not very bitter and no espresso. A real treat. Beautifully integrated desert dram.

Finish: lingering sultanas in liquor. Dates. And sweet wood and praline.

Bottom line:

Excellent stuff. Better than batch 1, and if the price is the same, it’s a must buy, for me at least. It’s on the top of my “wish list” now.

Nose: a very interesting nose. With a lot of sweet sherry almost honeyed. Not meaty at all and very clean with no sulfur or balsamic not a monster by all means. Spiced with ginger cloves and some cinnamon. And sprinkled with pepper. On the second wave of aromas getting a but earthy and sand additional layer of rum like honey liquor with sultanas

Palate: lots of spice and some wood bitterness too, with ginger powder,sugars and the rum like effect from the nose. Not quite bitter as other cask strength NAS get (A’bunadh, 105). More praline than bitter dark chocolate. Macadamia nuts galore.

Finish: dry and nutty with Los of macadamia nut shells , bitter wood and dried fruit.

This is a lovely dram with sherry well felt,yet not overpowering. Not as fierce and as bitter/ towards chocolate and double espresso as the 105 and some A’bunadh’s are. Very clean, no sulphur / meaty tones.

At this price it’s a bit pricier than the A’bunad and which i suspect are younger expressions, and differ quite a bit but are all aimed at the cask strength loving whisky sipper, who enjoys big sherried drams. It looks like a great addition to every XMAS list, when whisky is concerned. Good stuff.