GlenDronach Peated Port Wood

Occasionally a spirit captures my attention and makes me shed the little self-control I possess. Back in late 2017, Glendronach launched this distinct NAS whisky in the UK. They likely aimed to build upon the prior success of the GlenDronach Peated from 2015 by enhancing it with some port wine finishing. This is the outcome. I deeply appreciate GlenDronach. I am a major enthusiast of peated whisky. I also love port wine finishing. Therefore, it's no surprise that I was overjoyed when I encountered this. I eagerly awaited its arrival in the USA but could never find any information regarding its availability here. Almost three months passed, and I still hadn't seen it offered domestically online, so I decided to purchase it from an online vendor based in the UK for $72 per bottle. My anticipation was so high that I bought three bottles. I just knew it would be great... This NAS GlenDronach is bottled at a strong 46% ABV and is non-chill filtered. The color is an attractive pink gold, and it creates lovely, thick legs in the glass. Then, it happened... The initial aroma presented some slightly off-putting notes right away. A powerful wave of butterscotch and excessively sweet marshmallows dominated everything for well over the first 30-45 minutes in the glass. I absolutely refused to taste it until those scents mellowed somewhat. It took some time. Much later, the familiar GlenDronach spice character emerged, alongside milk chocolate and typical sherry notes. A very faint trace of smoke appeared only after the one-hour mark. That certainly took an excessive amount of time. Finally, I permitted myself the first taste. There it was: oak and pepper spice, earthy peat moss, red berry, and chocolaty sweetness appeared, only to be quickly replaced by a sharp astringency and hot alcohol. This must be the young spirit making its presence known, and rather rudely. The oak and alcohol detract from what should have been a smooth mouthfeel, turning it upside down. This shouldn't occur with a 46% dram, in my opinion. The finish is long, persistent, and ultimately warming, with a hint of campfire ash lingering. Subsequent sips did not seem to enhance the overall experience or add complexity. None of the flavors feel truly integrated as I had hoped. There was insufficient port wine flavor; in fact, there's not enough peat here either (which now makes the bottle of GD Peated I own seem somewhat questionable). Overall, I feel not only let down but deeply disappointed. This combination of my three favorite elements should not have resulted in this. This was meant to be my ultimate indulgence. I must admit it's a drinkable whisky, and perhaps my expectations were too high, but it truly missed the mark. I am sending a few samples to my tasting group, and I hope they discover something I missed. I also hope some time and oxidation will improve it. As it stands, I can only assign a score of 3.25-3.5 to this one. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to retreat to a corner and curl up in a fetal position.

Another sample from the SDT bonus collection, provided by a friend. This is a European exclusive from GlenDronach, a Peated Portwood expression that a friend was so enthusiastic about, they bought three bottles sight unseen. This non-age-statement spirit is bottled at 46% ABV, is non-chill filtered, and has a natural color of a lovely ruby peach. The aroma begins with a sugary sweetness and abundant red fruit notes. Raspberries, red grapes, and strawberries, though the strawberries lean more towards candy, like a Jolly Rancher, rather than fresh fruit. Hints of sweet port wine. A very subtle smoke and more fruit notes. Peaches and apricots. Floral undertones, light honey, and oak. Not much beyond that, unfortunately. The taste mirrors the aroma in both flavor profile and lack of complexity. Sweetness followed by a moderate peat. A slightly earthy and very mildly bitter character with a vegetal hint. Some light spice, perhaps white pepper. Notes of peach, sea salt, faint port, and light oak. A medium to light body with an oily, mouth-watering texture. The finish is medium-short, featuring smoky peaches, subtle port notes, and light peat. The initial aroma showed promise, but it quickly failed to deliver, presenting a rather straightforward profile. Sweetness with a bit of peat, a touch of port, and a decent amount of fruit. At times, the fruit seemed more artificial than natural, but overall, it's a pleasant, easy-drinking spirit. Suitable for relaxed sipping rather than deep contemplation. Potentially best for late spring or early summer. My initial assessment was a 4, then adjusted to 3.75, then 3.5, but it rebounded to a 3.75 later on, so that's the final rating. Cheers

Nose: Dark fruits and sherry, with deep aromatic floral fruit notes mingling with hints of subtle, sumptuously soft earthy peat smoke. As it evolves, more fresh berry fruits appear alongside apricot liqueur and peach nectar, gaining a nicely balanced malty hint. A sudden puff of gunpowder is surprising after it rests for a bit! Palate: Full, rich, and grapey-sweet on the initial taste, quickly developing an almost mineral-like peatiness. There are absolutely no plastic or putty notes in the crisp, fruity, and cereal-rich developed palate, accented with just a touch of peat smoke. The texture is flawless - creamy, oily, and luxurious. Finish: Medium/long. A figgy, date-centered fruitiness dominates until a hint of brine and spicy tannin concludes the lingering sensation. Wonderful. I sampled this shortly after the standard peated GlenDronach (both now seem difficult to find), and I'm undecided on which is the superior dram. The standard peated is lighter, but this possesses an exquisite profile. If you don't typically enjoy peated whiskies and haven't appreciated the substance and impact of Islay smokies, I highly recommend these wine-influenced GlenDronach expressions. They could convert even the most devoted sherry-bomb enthusiast. A very pleasant and non-challenging dram that will satisfy without demanding too much from the drinker; it's quite alluring, and I might even buy a full bottle. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Good": 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Peat and port, both at 46% ABV, seemingly a superb pairing for Scotch. A sample provided by a friend, I was keen to experience and absorb this. An immediate impression of funky caramel or butterscotch on the nose, likely from the peat interacting with the spirit's sweetness. Grape juice, straw, new vinyl, tangerines, and milk chocolate are also present. The palate consists of peat, earth, sweetness, and spice, in that sequence. Blueberries and butterscotch emerge later. This succinctly summarizes the flavors for me. A youthful character is evident throughout. A long, ashy finish with hints of black pepper and drying oak. This one is difficult to define. It seems undecided in its identity, offering a somewhat two-dimensional profile of smoke/peat and sweetness. It's not bad, but it had the potential to be so much more, a promise that seemed to be forgotten before its release. [85/100] [Tasted: 3/3/18]

This particular distillery produces some of the finest whiskies I've ever encountered: the 18-year-old Allardice and the 21-year-old Parliament. This is a more affordable, almost 'experimental' bottling, peated and aged in port casks. The outcome is a potent and unconventional dram, excelling in aroma but less so in taste, though not unpleasant. Bottled at 46% ABV. The nose is near perfect: herbal peatiness, reminiscent of burning grass. The sweetness is extraordinary, like a dessert. Thick caramel, smoke, and salt. Toffee and nuttiness. It evokes a SNICKERS bar. Very appealing for a peated whisky. On the palate, it's a peated powerhouse with mild sweetness followed by an explosion of spice. A strong note of red hot chili. A peculiar bitterness, like prune skin. Wasabi. It might be excessively spicy for my preference. The finish is quite peculiar and interesting: HOT CHILI and wasabi. Like spicy, almost spoiled, oranges. A whiff of smoke, like a bonfire. Overall, this is a distinctive dram, not suited for everyone. My rating is 82 out of 100.

This poured a pink color, making me look twice. It's pink, similar to a rose' wine. What the hell? It has the appearance of rose' but not the smell. A person I know who doesn't drink rose' provided this sample. This is an odd pour. The nose has oak that has been left outside too long, and not in a pleasant way. The palate offers brief berry notes, but the finish is incredibly long and bitter. Glendronach, what happened? This isn't right. Stick to your usual sherry cask expressions and let other distilleries handle experimental creations. Ardbeg, for example, could produce something from casks that held snail slime and still sell out above the asking price.