GlenDronach Port Wood

A 10-year Glendronach at 46% ABV? I'm in. This spent its last three years of aging in port casks, making it a true dessert dram. However, with two years less aging than the GD 12, is it worth the extra cost? Let's find out. The nose offers aromas of freshly cut, ripe plums, blackberries, and strawberry jam; the jam note is more evident on a second sniff. Further nosings reveal notes of blackberry sweets and fresh taffy still in its wrapper. The palate is dense with purple grapes, bramble berries, strawberries, and black cherry. The intensity and alcohol content are noticeable in the middle of the palate. The finish brings notes of grape candy, brown sugar, graham cracker crust, gingerbread, and wine-infused oak. It's delicious. At this point, I was convinced this expression would become a regular in my collection. But then, my curiosity led me to compare it to another port-finished scotch I own, the Glenmorangie 14 Quinta Ruban. After all, the Glenmo had four more years of aging while bottled at the same ABV, but cost nearly 40% less. Could it be superior? My partner poured a dram of each, and the glasses were labeled and mixed. Label A: The aroma was berry-like and slightly more complex than B. Label B: The aroma was of purple grapes and somewhat candy-like. Label A: The palate featured berries, with subsequent sips revealing a rich, malt-forward scotch experience. Label B: The palate was grape-like, almost winey, with a shorter, more subdued finish than A. It was comparatively candy-sweet with less complexity but, surprisingly, fewer wood notes than A. I didn't particularly enjoy this comparison; it felt like being forced to choose a favorite between two puppies when I'd rather praise each individually. It was an unpleasant ordeal, but the results were clear. Label A was the definite winner, offering more complexity and a deeper aroma and palate. I was certain it was the Glendronach and that I had acquired a keeper. I was astonished when my partner revealed Label A was the Glenmo. That $50 bottle was outperforming this $80 competitor like a champion boxer. Thoughts raced through my mind: 'frustration', 'realization', 'betrayal', 'divorce papers'... I grabbed the Glenmo bottle and drank directly from it... It was true. My partner wasn't playing a trick. The Glenmo was the victor. I coughed and quickly told my partner my throat was irritated. I will thoroughly enjoy this bottle, but it won't be replaced once finished. The Glenmorangie 14 Quinta Ruban is simply a superior spirit and available at a more reasonable price. UPDATE: I recently revisited this expression and conducted another comparison with the Glenmorangie 14. This bottle has been open for over six months, while the Glenmo 14 was a recent purchase to replace my previous one. The results were perplexing. I found myself preferring this to the newly opened Glenmo. The nose was significantly better, with subtle notes of port and some brown sugar. The Glenmo, conversely, seemed harsher and presented a jumble of fortified wine notes competing with each other. The palate of the Glendronach was also superior this time. It's now clear to me that the Glenmo needs time to oxidize to achieve the results and advantage seen in my previous review. Now that this is settled, I'm going to get another bottle of this while I still can!

This bottling deviates from Glendronach’s characteristic sherry-cask maturation. While they excel in that area, exploring a different profile is welcome. Scotch matured in port casks typically shares similarities with sherry-aged expressions, suggesting Glendronach and Rachel Barrie are likely to deliver a commendable result with this one. Nose: Notes of blackberry jam, fig, date, and raisin. Black currant is present. Sweetness reminiscent of toffee, vanilla, and honey. A vanilla custard sweetness. Butterscotch. Biscotti notes too. Some white grape. Hints of unripe banana and malt. Orchard fruit and floral aromas. Cola. Oak wood is detectable, but virtually no spice. It presents as fruit and sweets, suitable for dessert. Palate: Flavors of white grape, date, fig, and raisin. Blackberry and raspberry notes. Plum, prune, and cola. A cranberry/tart sensation. Butterscotch, vanilla, and toffee. Almond. Cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and oak spice. It exhibits a bit more spice and prickle than the aroma suggests. Finish: Blackberry, fig, date, raisin, and plum. Chestnut. Graham cracker. Malt, toffee, and vanilla. Cinnamon, black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. It has a moderate to long duration; impressive for 46% ABV. Glendronach and Rachel Barrie have truly succeeded with this. It is exceptionally good. On paper, it strongly resembles Dalmore Port. A port-aged whisky from a renowned sherry cask producer. Dalmore was priced at $100, while this was $90 (I initially recalled them both being $100 when I began writing). No Age Statement. Even the alcohol by volume is only 0.5% different. The profile here is lighter. Not in terms of fullness or richness, but the dark fruit notes are more prominent in the Dalmore. I believe this observation applies to the general flavor profiles of Dalmore and Glendronach. Therefore, while they share many similarities, Glendronach's offering effectively establishes its own distinct position in the market. I mentioned the price of $90. I believe it offers good value for money. $100 is not inexpensive, particularly for a non-age-statement malt. However, it is bottled at a respectable 46% ABV, clearly contains a significant amount of well-aged spirit—Glendronach is generally good about this—and utilizes high-quality port barrels. It would be a difficult purchase for me if it cost $10 or $20 more, but at a hundred dollars, it hits the mark. 4.25/5. This is the same score I awarded the Dalmore Port, if my memory serves me correctly. An excellent execution. Hopefully, the positive reception of this bottling, assuming most reviewers share my assessment, will encourage Glendronach to pursue further experimental releases. As for this particular whisky, it is a superb product.

Nose: Plum jam, ripe strawberry, grape jelly, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and honey. It evokes the aroma of a port wine trifle! Delicious! Palate: Sweet, waxy, and bursting with red berries upon entry. Tastes like apple crumble, cherry clafoutis (mouthwatering!), milk chocolate, sweet orange sauce, plums preserved in cognac, and a hint of baking spices. It has an excellent, chewy texture with substantial body. A very satisfying palate. Finish: Medium to long. Notes of Christmas cake, milk chocolate, and sultanas. Towards the end, the finish becomes drying (dark chocolate) as the oak's influence becomes dominant. A delightful, rich, and relatively young GlenDronach that practically overflows with port wine, Christmas cake, and pudding spices. This would be an ideal whisky to serve after Christmas dinner. The distillate's youth is not at all awkward but simply lends energy and vibrancy to the profile, while the PX sherry and port cask maturation (which could be disastrous if mishandled) imparts a pervasive warmth and coziness. The maturation process has been very skillfully managed. Considering its price, this is a non-age-statement whisky that can be highly recommended, even for those who don't typically favor heavily port-influenced spirits. It is simply delicious and represents good value for the cost. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Very Good”: 85/100 (4 stars)

This might sound odd, but after over 1200 whisky ratings, I was reviewing my notes and realized I've never sampled the standard Glendronach Portwood. I even sold this bottle to friends, convinced I'd tried it before, given my intense passion for "Glendro." Well, fortunate for me, I had the opportunity to evaluate another single malt. Bottled at 46% ABV, it matured in Port casks. The aroma is fantastic: blackberries, adhesive, dark fruits, and purple fruits. Blueberries and moka. It has an absolutely incredible smell. After four minutes, it began presenting port wine notes, sawdust, and bitter coffee beans, along with burnt hay and tobacco. I also enjoyed the taste. Red fruits and gooseberries were present. It's a robust, wine-like spirit with mocaccino and oranges. The finish was a bit weaker compared to the amazing nose and palate. It had tobacco, red fruits, and cherry tomatoes, plus 100% cocoa dark chocolate. Considering its price versus quality, this could be the finest whisky ever. It's quite affordable and extremely satisfying. A superb single malt, very intricate and packed with flavor. Take my advice, get one immediately. Always keep one at home. It's impressive. My rating is 94 out of 100.

NOSE A sweet, grapey aroma with brown sugar, malty graham cracker, banana, vanilla taffy, and a very light baking spice. The scent profile is reminiscent of a warm dessert, dominated by dark, grapey fruit notes but balanced by a nice malty and lightly spiced foundation. PALATE Grapey dark fruit, malty graham cracker, char, blackberry licorice, baking spice, and a hint of citrus, nuts, char, and metal. It's not quite as warm as the aroma suggests and not as well-integrated, instead presenting boldly with the port notes nearly, but not quite, overpowering the malty, spicy backbone. FINISH A medium-long finish with port sweetness, malty graham cracker, nuts, and char. The finish transitions beautifully from sweetness to a subtle char that, honestly, is my favorite aspect of the GlenDronach Port Wood. It leaves you wanting more.

I'm a big fan of Glendronach, having tried and loved everything from their 12 to 21 year old expressions, so purchasing the Port Wood was a safe bet for me. It's incredibly layered with pleasant spices, chocolate, dark fruits, toffee, and a hint of citrus, among other tasting notes. The finish is remarkably long, suggesting the presence of aged whiskies within. If you appreciate Glendronach or port-finished scotch in general, I highly recommend getting a bottle. You won't be disappointed. While $100 might seem steep for a no-age-statement whisky, this one is outstanding. Some may argue that Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is available for less (which is true), but this is vastly superior.