Glendronach 1993 25 Year Hand-Filled Manager's Cask 400

This was the distillery's exclusive manager's cask available during our visit in late May 2018. Distilled on February 12, 1993, and bottled on December 8, 2017, this GlenDronach, which is over 24 years old, is undeniably the finest sherried whisky I have ever experienced. At its cask strength of 53.6%, it possesses a thickness that sometimes resembles a milkshake more than a whisky, and its flavors align with an ice cream parlor. Vanilla, chocolate brownie, malt, cherry, caramel, and cream all feature prominently. Two members of our tour group filled bottles of this at the conclusion, and it was a pleasure just to observe them. At £250, it was beyond our budget for this trip, but it will now serve as the benchmark against which I evaluate all future sherried whiskies.

Cask 7459, also filled by hand at 53.4% abv. Incredible stuff and my top choice among the 3 old Glendronach single cask samples I sampled together. Nose: Raisins, Raspberries, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Dark Chocolate, Figs, Plums, Dates, Prunes, Strawberry Jam, Espresso, Hazelnuts, Blackberries, Oranges, Walnuts, Bananas, Coconuts. Palate: Raisins, Dark Chocolate, Smoke, Cherries, Plums, Cloves, Licorice, Nutmeg, Hazelnuts, Toffee, Pepper, Cinnamon, Prunes, Maple Syrup. Finish: Dark Chocolate, Dates, Cherries, Figs, Baking Spices, Toffee, Walnuts, Nutella, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Pepper, Leather, Tobacco.

I acquired one of these in January during a visit to the distillery. My bottle is 24 years, 11 months, and 2 weeks old – what rotten luck to visit Scotland just two weeks too early! Truly amazing whisky; Glendronach excels at cask selection for these and single cask bottlings. Dark fruit is dominant, naturally, but the malty foundation present in all Glendronach spirits is there, providing excellent balance. Toffee, caramel, milk chocolate, and any dark fruit you can imagine. The crown jewel of my whisky collection!

Red fruits and tannins are abundant. A truly magnificent dram. Plums, figs, and a subtle anise note start things off. It then mellows into a pleasant spice, with ginger and nutmeg. An exceptional dram.

A memorable delight from the kind people at Glendronach. Just a small taste. It's thick, rich, and malty, with sweet sherry and dessert flavors. Truly exceptional.🏆 - 7/2/19

Thick and rich, with notes of almonds, sweet plums, and oak. The subtle wood spices on the finish linger pleasantly and warmly. Exquisite!