Scotch Whisky Review #197: Glendronach 11 Year First Fill Oloroso Puncheon K&L Exclusive (2008)

Image credit to /u/sayHelloToTheNewd here

Distillery: Glendronach

Region: Speyside

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/dyllix

ABV: 60.1% Cask Strength

Cask Type: First Fill Oloroso Sherry Puncheon

Cask Number: 2988

Age: 11 Year. Distilled Sept 17 2008, bottled early 2020.

Color: 1.4, Tawny. Natural Color and Non-Chill Filtered.

Nose: (according to the wife) She noted that this smells very familiar, very similar to a lot of other whiskies I drink apparently. There’s an earthy undertone with a wet earth and wet wood note. There’s a bit of orange and fig jam along with tons of sherry.

Palate: Rich and super sweet from the get go. Loads of sweet, sweet sherry expresses itself up front. Dried fig dominates the palate here. It’s slightly hot but not as hot as you’d expect for something at this strength. With minimal water added, the heat disappears and cools down immensely. Lots of the sherry expresses itself once more. The dried fig makes another appearance and is joined by other dried fruits; dried persimmon, white raisins, dried apples, and dried pears come to mind.

Finish: On the shorter side. The earthy notes come out here with a bit of earth and oak spice. With water, it stays short and the drying aspects of the oak come out.

Conclusion: First fill sherry Glendronach? Now that sounds like a treat and this absolutely delivers. The nose is familiar and inviting with the bit of earthiness and fruit. The palate is rich and sweet, expressing a lot of the sherry character. The dried fruit medley that comes out with a bit of water adds a really lovely bit of complexity to this. The finish, despite being short, fits this whisky incredibly well as the bit of dryness prevents this from becoming overwhelmingly sweet. Fantastic pick by the folks at K&L and fantastic whisky by Glendronach; it’s perfect as a dessert drink.

Final Score: 86.

Scotch Whisky Review #197, Speyside Review #83, Whisky Network Review #275

Scoring Legend:

• 96-100: The perfect dram, nectar of the gods.
• 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky.
• 85-89: Amazing, will always try to keep a bottle of this in my collection (if feasible).
• 80-84: Very Good, maybe only one minor nitpick about the whisky keeping it here.
• 75-79: Good, quite enjoyable to drink.
• 70-74: Solid, wouldn’t go out of my way to get it.
• 60-69: Meh, still drinkable.
• Below 59: If you have a bottle of this, start cooking with it instead.