Glendronach 23 Years Old 1990 Authentic Collection (53.9%, Cadenheads, Bourbon HH, 162 Bottles, 2013)

• 53.9% ABV,
• ~£80 for 70cl
• Score: 84/100

What they say:

Single malt whisky from the Highlands of Scotland (Labelled as Speyside on the bottle). Distilled at Glendronach Distillery in 1990 and bottled at 23 years old in August 2013. This was from a single bourbon hogshead and produced an outturn of 162 bottles at cask strength of 53.9% abv.

What I say:

Dram #5 from WOLS 14/2 Types of Whisky, this 23 year old Glendronach represents Single Cask whisky. Unusually for a Glendronach expression this was matured in an ex-bourbon hogshead by Cadenhead’s, so none of the super-sherried character Glendronach’s are famous for.

Colour:

Full gold

Nose:

Oaky wood, herbal, tobacco, heather honey, butterscotch toffee, vanilla, coconut, acrid/ascerbic woody notes

Taste:

Bubblegum, oak wood, creamy butterscotch toffees, vanilla, crème brulee, slightly herbal

Finish:

Long, ascerbic wood and toffee pervades (sweet and sour)

Would I buy it:

Sadly no longer available. A really interesting ‘older’ single cask Bourbon Glendronach. Worth it for the experience but doesn’t show off the best of Glendronach or old wood/bourbon maturation perhaps to their best. Still hugely informative as a single cask sample and appeared to go down very well with WOLS members.