July 24, 2015

Ach, Glendronach

Yes, we’re still trying to win an award at WF Towers. That would be the Lousiest Headline Ever Award. Please, oh please!... By the way, someone called me ‘the anarchist whisky taster’ the other day. You just wouldn’t imagine how pleased I was… But bach to Glendronach (that’s not funny one bit, S.)…

Glendronach (70° proof, Gordon & MacPhail, +/-1970)

A perfect aperitif, I’d bet. Love the ‘A Perfect Self Whisky’ mention on the label, what an elegant way of saying ‘single malt’. Colour: straw. Nose: oil. Sunflower, grape pips, argan, whatever, this reeks of vegetal oil. And then, we have apple juice, grapefruits, pieces of mangos, something delicately floral (lilies), something rather ‘old Highlands’ (old motorbike, why not a Norton?), some carbon paper, drops of ink, new magazine (that would be Whisky Magazine France, of course!)… This nose reminds us that older malts used to be more complex than today’s offerings, however good those are. Facts. Mouth: kills you. Another era, other perspectives, other aims, other goals (whaaaat?) Amazing complexity – and ‘compact fullness’ at the same time. Old Sauternes, some kind of banana liqueur long forgotten in Grandma’s cabinet-just-under-the-telly, many herbal teas, some loud and clear malted barley, a wee metallic touch that often appears in these old bottles by G&M (or Cadenhead)… and all that. Above all, it’s a classy distillate. Finish: not too long, of course, but never tired, never dull, and never flabby. Some smoke. Comments: one of my favourite NAS whiskies ever. SGP:452 - 91 points.

Glendronach 18 yo 'Allardice' (46%, OB, 2015)

I had thought I’ve tried this 18 very recently, and then I checked Whiskyfun, and noticed that that was in 2009. I had liked it, but thought the 15 ‘Revival’ just killed it. But then again, that happened in 2009. Time to do some kind of revisionism… Colour: amber. Nose: it’s not the first time that a whisky reminds me of the first pack of cigarettes I ever bought. I do not smoke anymore, but I remember very well that pack of Camels that I had bought in Dusseldorf when I was 13 or 14. Taking out the cellophane and smelling the pack was like… nosing the most complex malt whisky ever. On the stereo, there was ELP’s brand new LP, Tarkus. But why am I telling you this? Why would you care? So, this Glendronach smells like a 1970’s pack of untipped Camels (while Keith Emerson’s doing his riffs on his half-destroyed organ). Mouth: no, this is seriously good. Dry sherry, figs, dates, something mineral, a touch of cologne – nothing to worry about-, marmalade, a little nutmeg… What strikes me is that it’s a fairly dry drop. Finish: long, perhaps a notch too mineral and flinty, with some quinine and pepper. Comments: is it really a Macallan-killer? What’s sure is that it got that style, but I’m not 100% fond of the flinty, grassy, almost metallic side. But it’s a very great sherried drop anyway. I’m sure it got drier than earlier batches, what would Carl Palmer think? SGP:561 - 86 points.

Good, let’s tackle the other, punchier side of Glendronach, and we’re done. This time.

Glendronach 21 yo 1993/2014 (56.4%, OB, for LMdW, oloroso, cask #475, 627 bottles)

Colour: mahogany. Nose: chocolate, tamarind, strawberry jam, prunes, triple-sec, raisins, cask strength cognac, tar, liquorice, Spanish ham, pipe tobacco… I don’t think you could find heavier whisky, and yet there’s a lightness to this. With water: the oak comes out. Pencil shavings and all that. Mouth (neat): spectacularly liqueury, prune-y, chocolaty, orange-y, raisiny… It’s sweeter than what the nose suggested, but it is high-impact oloroso-ed malt whisky. A bit rough, perhaps? With water: lovely lovely, but once again, the oak feels. Wouldn’t that be sherry-treated rejuvenated oak? Finish: long, oaky, leafy, jammy, chocolaty. Comments: very good no doubt, but I’m not a total fan, as water kind of deconstructs it. You feel the layers. SGP:552 - 84 points.

(merci beaucoup Mister Angus)

Check the index of all Glendronach I've tasted so far