I got a sample of this and have been looking forward to it for quite some time now. Just look at that color! The exclusivity of a hand-filled bottle of this age is alluring and I would probably have gotten a bottle myself if I had the chance, and I would probably part with my cash very easily in such a situation. A sample certainly feels more responsible, so let's try it out. I'm having this with a small dash of water.
Brown sherry (1.9).
Nose
No big surprises here! Deep, savory sherry. Nutty, but also rather fresh with some citric notes in there. Not too hot.
Palate
A big and sharp entrance. Edgy, so to speak. Lemons, fruit, raisins. Mouthfeel is best described as evaporating.
Finish
Starts off with a wave of fruity oakiness, very pleasant. Winey, hints of lacquer, fragrant. It's not hard to find a big cask influence and taste the age (and it of course gets easier as we know the age beforehand). But then! What happens? It disappears! Gone is the big, deep taste and left behind is a disappointing dryness, almost bitter. I keep looking for the rest of the finish but it doesn't come back. Good but confusingly short.
I was naturally very hyped up for tasting this one, and perhaps that gave the review an unfair angle. Maybe it was just not my day, but I can't come up with anything else than a slight disappointment. I'd rather just go for the core range 18y or 21y, to be honest. The Single Cask PX I had the other day is better too, in my opinion. Oh well, single cask are fickle beasts, and old age has its perils. This is a good whisky without a doubt, but given the (supposedly) high price for a 27y distillery exclusive, I'd rather have something else. What would make it better? I'd like a bit more sweetness out of such a cask influenced expression, and of course at least a decent finish. The complexity just isn't there.
Score
78 / 100
0-50 Subpar
51-60 Drinkable
61-70 Decent
71-80 Good
81-90 Great
91-100 Fantastic
| Country | Scotland |
|---|---|
| Region | Highland |
| Brand | Glendronach |
| Distillery | Glendronach Distillery |
| Title | Hand-Filled |
| Abv (%) | 59 |
| Production Year | 1992 |
| Bottling Year | 2019 |
| Cask Type | Sherry Butt |
Loading related reviews...