Whisky Focus - GlenDronach Single Casks Batch 11

GlenDronach has today announced the release of Batch 11 of its very popular single cask bottlings, selected as always by Master Blender Billy Walker.

Batch 11 is a release of nine whiskies which were bottled in November 2014 and are all available from today. The nine new expressions range in age from a 1996 distilled 18 year old up to a very rare 1971 distilled 43 year old and as we have come to expect all share GlenDronach's typically sherry rich signature taste with sweet dates, raisins, dark chocolate, toasted oak spice and roasted coffee beans.

You will find a huge and intriguing variety across the nine whiskies, six of which were matured in Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheons, two in Oloroso Sherry Butts and one in an Oloroso Sherry Puncheon.

As usual the nine single casks have been hand-selected by BenRiach’s Managing Director and Master Distiller Billy Walker who described them as "sensational" and added:

"I believe Batch 11 makes a very simple point - the wood has a huge influence on the spirit. You immediately sense - and taste - the influence of the casks on these nine sublime single malts. The subtle interaction of the ex-sherry wood with the Highland spirit over long dark years in the warehouse creates a luxurious and amazingly complex raft of flavours. In these nine expressions you feel the pulse of our inventory at GlenDronach and the idiosyncratic personality of the casks coming through. That, plus the passion and craftsmanship of our people, is what produces these incredible whiskies time and time again."

GlenDronach tell me that Batch 11 has a number of superb highlights.

The oldest, 1971 cask number 2920, at 48.6% ABV, is a monster 43 year old malt matured in a Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon. They describe this as ntense treacle toffee floods over sour plums and roasted coffee. Harmonising waves of leather and tobacco give great depth and are balanced perfectly by a subtle toasted walnut and date back note.

As a contrast the 18 year old from cask number 244, at 56.9% ABV, is the youngest, distilled in February 1996. Matured in a fine Oloroso Sherry Butt, they say it has a tremendous balance of mixed candied peel and stewed dark fruits sprinkled with dark Demerara. Delicious waves of toffee, cracked barley and warm oak spices combine to give a long and elegant finish.

The 9 new GlenDronach single cask bottlings details are as follows:

• GlenDronach 1971 cask no. 2970 / 43 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 48.6% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1990 cask no. 1020 / 24 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 53.8% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1990 cask no. 1162 / 24 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 52.9% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1994 cask no. 54 / 20 year old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 56.6% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1994 cask no. 3201 / 20 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 56.2% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1994 cask no. 3386 / 20 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 53.6% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1995 cask no. 538 / 19 year old / Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon / 55% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1995 cask no. 4941 / 19 year old / Oloroso Sherry Puncheon / 57% ABV
   
• GlenDronach 1996 cask no. 244 / 18 year old / Oloroso Sherry Butt / 56.9% ABV

All 9 whiskies will be available from whisky shops such as The Whisky Exchange from today.
 

• UK Shops
   
• USA Shops
   
• European Shops
  

Whisky Focus