Scotch Whisky Review #200: Dun Bheagan Glendronach 34 Year (1975)

Distillery: Glendronach

Bottler: William Maxwell & Co.

Region: Speyside

ABV: 47.8%

Cask Type: Hogshead

Cask Number: 1704

Age: 34 Year. Distilled in June 1975, bottled in 2009.

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

Nose: (according to the wife) Smells very similar to a summery fruit cocktail. There’s apricots, nectarines, peaches, pineapples, and a bit of cantaloupe melon. Some simple syrup adds a little bit of booziness to this as well.

Palate: Very rich with a deep, darker fruitiness from the outset. There’s stewed plums, some plum syrup, and a note that reminds me a lot of canned peaches (with the accompanying syrup). These notes start deep and slowly lighten up the longer this whisky stays on the tongue. Towards the end comes a note of a very well ripened melon along with a bit of malt.

Finish: Medium in length. The simple syrup makes a comeback here. It’s almost as if it’s drizzled into a cantaloupe infused spring water. The result is an incredibly clean finish.

Conclusion: For my 200th Scotch review, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be able to taste this very old Glendronach. It’s so fruity throughout. The nose is packed full of orchard fruits, pineapple, and a bit of melon. The palate has some deeper cooked fruit notes and the finish ends on a fruity water one as well. It’s a little different than the sherry bombs Glendronach is more known for but still a fantastic whisky. Would I buy a bottle? Another one to add to the lottery wish list!

Final Score: 86.

Scotch Whisky Review #200, Speyside Review #85, Whisky Network Review #278

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.