The famous cask strength release from Glendronach is here presented via its fourth batch. Mixing Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, does it correctly stands in the official range, and most of all does it measure up to the batch 1 and the batch 3 we already reported on?…
Nose : We have a lot of sherry. Nothing wrong so far. We sense honey, a lot of dry fruits from bitter almond to raisins, including walnuts. We also have praline chocolate which gives it a little boost. Gourmet and round, it’s obviously flattering. The opening takes out this ingenuousness to bring some powder cocoa and spices (mainly cinnamon). Finally, graphite and a bit of white fruits seem to arrive. They remain in the back though. It’s a quickly evolving nose that stagnates quite rapidly with a return of the praline note.
Water emphasizes the cocoa and the spices even if we find a bit of leather and apples. It then becomes less marked by the sherry. Let’s face it, we lose a bit of olfactory interest.
Mouth : It’s warm and the alcohol isn’t completely absent. It is very focused on malt and dry fruits (hazelnuts, walnuts) whereas we find back some nose elements such as the praline chocolate in the second part of the mouth (succinct), sultanas and cinnamon. On the news line, we perceive some citrus fruits and cut grass which hadn’t pierced at nose. Water calms the alcoholic ardors. It’s more honeyed and broad with an alliance of dry fruits (hazelnuts first) and citrus fruits, cut grass and a hint of apples with rhubarb. As a whole, it’s well done and it easily fulfills the specifications. However, it really lacks elegance and a bit of precision.
Finish : Long. It’s still way drier than at first with this powder cocoa that links with cinnamon and a hint of orange to end soberly. The aftertaste is medium on orange and cinnamon. Water reinforces the herbaceous aspect.
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