GlenDronach 12 Review

Some whiskies announce themselves on the label. GlenDronach doesn’t. The 12 comes in a plain, slightly old-fashioned bottle, and the main thing the distillery wants you to know is that it’s matured in sherry casks. That’s enough, as it turns out.

I’d been told it’s one of the best-value sherried malts around, and I was ready to be a bit sceptical.

What it is

GlenDronach is a distillery near Huntly, in Aberdeenshire, founded in 1826. It sits in the eastern Highlands, in a green valley, and Brown-Forman bought it in 2016. The distillery is known for using a lot of sherry casks, and the 12 Year Old is matured in a mix of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso casks. PX is the sweetest style of sherry, and Oloroso is the nutty, dried-fruit style.

It’s bottled at 43% and the label calls it The Original, which is a nod to the first expression the distillery released under its current owners. Most of the colour comes from the casks, and the whisky is non-chill-filtered.

In the glass

I tried it neat on a cold evening, in a heavy glass, with some dark chocolate on the side. I expected something dark and sweet, and I expected it to be a bit heavy. It’s dark and sweet. It isn’t heavy.

Nose: raisin and toffee, with orange peel and a little spice. It smells like a Christmas cake that’s just come out of the oven. No smoke, and no sharp alcohol.

Palate: rich and smooth. Dried fruit, nuts and dark chocolate, with soft oak underneath. The PX gives a thick sweetness, and the Oloroso keeps it from getting sticky. At 43% it’s got real body, and I liked the way it sits in the mouth.

Finish: long, warm and gently sweet. The raisin and chocolate hang around for a good while. A few drops of water opened it up a bit and brought out more orange, and I’d call that a good trade.

A second glass

I poured another glass the following night, and it was just as good. That’s rarer than you’d think. Some whiskies fade on a second try, and this one held its ground.

Against the other sherried bottles

Compared with Aberlour 12 Double Cask Matured, GlenDronach is richer and darker. Compared with Glenfarclas 12, it’s sweeter and softer. Compared with Macallan 12 Double Cask, it’s less polished and a lot more characterful, and it costs about the same. The Dalmore 12 is the one that’s closest, and I’d say GlenDronach is the more convincing sherry whisky.

Against Jameson, my usual, it’s richer and heavier, with a lot more dried fruit. It’s still smooth, in a different way. I’d say Jameson is my everyday bottle, and the GlenDronach is the one for a cold night.

Value

A 70 cl bottle usually costs about £50 in the UK. That’s a fair price for a 43% sherried 12-year-old, and it’s one of the better deals in the category.

Who it is for

It’s for people who like sweet, sherried whisky and want something richer than the usual entry-level malts. It’s a very good gift. If you prefer light or smoky whisky, it isn’t for you.

How I would drink it

Neat, in a heavy-bottomed glass, with a square of dark chocolate on the side. I tried it with ice once, and I wouldn’t do it again, because the cold took away the dried fruit. A few drops of water is the only addition it needs.

Sharing it

I poured a glass for a friend who loves red wine. She said it reminded her of a port, in a good way, and asked what it cost. When I told her, she nodded as if the price had earned the whisky some respect.

One more thing

I’d recommend keeping the bottle away from the light and the radiator. It’s a whisky that’s worth looking after, and a bottle on a cool shelf tastes as good at the bottom as it did at the top.

Last word

GlenDronach 12 is one of those bottles that makes you glad you took a chance. It’s rich without being heavy, sweet without being sticky, and it’s priced fairly. I’d keep a bottle in the cupboard at all times.

Verdict

Yes. It’s one of the best sherried malts I’ve had at the price, and I’d happily buy it again. A bottle of this and a cold evening are all I need.