Glendronach Ode to the Valley

The GlenDronach distillery is situated amidst a rich tangle of bramble bushes, on the outskirts of the Scottish Highlands where the land yields abundant resources - 'The Ode to The Valley', apparently (The public relations team might have been unleashed, with that statement). It combines sherry and ruby port casks from the famous Douro valley in Portugal. Available in 70cl bottles at 46.2% ABV. TASTING NOTES: COLOR - Burnished Copper. It does state Natural Color. I'm unsure if it's been chill-filtered, I suspect so as Glendronach seems to have adopted this (In my opinion!!!) pointless cosmetic, flavor and integrity-reducing practice to cater to uninformed consumers. (Just stating my view... lol) NOSE - Late summer berries (Blackberries, Plums, Rose hips) and chocolate dulce de leche infused with sweet demerara and apricot glaze; the apricot truly stands out. There's the sulfurous note characteristic of a young sherried whisky. TASTE - Sweet, with blackberry and roasted apple crumble accompanied by freshly baked gingerbread and sweet damson plum. Gentle evolution with a great build towards the finish. FINISH - Black cherry cake, licorice, and acacia honey, a medium-length finish that definitely leaves you wanting more. Conclusion - For the price, I don't think you can go wrong in the current market. Another solid whisky from Glendronach. Typically these days it's NAS (No Age Statement), given the buzz I don't think it has significant age, but the color suggests some very active casks. I opened this last night and had a couple of glasses and am observing how it settles with air over the next couple of weeks, and I suspect it will be quite wonderful. So much so that I've ordered a replacement for my collection.

As a devoted fan of Glendronach, I found this one too heavily influenced by port and excessively sweet. It's very fruity, but I detect no influence from the sherry casks.

Nose carries notes of dates, mamey, and port wine. The taste includes wine, pepper, and fruitiness with an orange character. A nice lingering taste. Delightful!

A nice blend of port and sherry influences. Smooth with a good aroma.

Very nice. Sweet delight