GlenDronach 10 Year (SWMS 96.32 "Sunshiny Shimmer of Satisfaction")

 

My first independent bottling of GlenDronach, from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS")! I love their official bottlings, at least the earlier non-chill-filtered ones, even though I haven't always been great about reviewing them here. I feel like the GlenDronach story is pretty well known by now, but just in case, here is a link to the whole thing. 

This bottle is aged 10 years in a first fill bourbon barrel, and bottled at a wonderful 60.4% ABV. This is particularly interesting, since GlenDronach is generally known as a sherry bomb. Nicknamed "Sunshiny Shimmer of Satisfaction," it's part of the "Spicy and Sweet" flavor profile of the SMWS. Let's see the official notes:

The power of imagination – one panellist was juggling pineapples and coconuts on a shifting drift of grist – another lounged on a summer hillside, smelling bracken, gorse rose and sun-cream, a cinnamon raisin bun in one hand and some old bourbon in the other.  The palate was mouth-wateringly, lip-smackingly delish – brown sugar, chocolate oranges, Belgian waffles and coffee – all bathed in a sunshiny shimmer of satisfaction. The reduced nose discovered honey-coated nuts, elderflower, orange cupcakes, rhubarb and creamy vanilla. The palate’s yummy scrummy sapidity conveyed juicy, fruity, floral flavours, chamomile tea and lime flowers, milk bottle sweets and barley sugars – ‘Excellent!’

Interesting! Tropical fruits, grist, spices, old bourbon! Sugar, chocolate, coffee! I'm all over this. Let's dig in immediately: 

Nose: Yes, it's pretty tropical, alright. Grilled pineapple, toasted coconut, malted barley (subtle), rosewater, thick vanilla, honey. Delicious, delectable nose. Really attractive. 

With a little water, it stays mostly the same, but perhaps the tartness of the pineapple, along with the malted barley, come through a bit more. Perhaps a bit nutty now. 

Mouthfeel: Viscous, thick. 

Palate: Wow, very very reminiscent of bourbon: brown sugar/caramel, chocolate, malt, berries, perhaps a little nuttiness. I don't get any coffee, but maybe a little tea and honey. This is really interesting because you can tell how, given a total sherry maturation, this might become the GlenDronach we all recognize. Very rich. 

With water, light roast coffee does indeed appear, along with some black tea. More flowery now, as the official notes suggest. But largely the same: caramel, chocolate, soft malt, berries, nutty. I prefer it neat, even at 60.4%. 

Finish: Medium-short. Chocolate, oak, malt barley, black pepper. Decent, doesn't blow you away, but doesn't leave you sad either. 

Verdict: Super interesting. The "traditional" expression of GlenDronach is all sherry, all the time. This bottling shows another side. Full of sweet vanilla and honey tones with floral and tropical overtones, and malted undertones, this is fascinating and delicious stuff. Recommended for anyone who likes GlenDronach, for sure; this is really full of flavor. Seek it out.