The Glendronach distillery was founded way back in 1826 and, like all of its contemporaries and peers, has seen many changes during its long history. The last two hundred years of the Scotch whisky industry is a tale of booms and busts, ups and down; Glendronach has seen all those bumps and handled the waves with the best of them…including having parts of the distillery destroyed by fire back in 1837!
2024 sees the distillery refresh its brand and labelling, opting for clean, pared-back packaging and an updated illustration of the bramble and rooks that surround the distillery. (It’s often overlooked that many of Scotland’s distilleries’ names are gaelic descriptions of their geography and environment…Glendronach is Scots Gaelic for ‘Valley of the Brambles’).
What is of note with this refresh of Glendronach’s branding is that it appears to be limited to the packaging and labelling. Unlike so many other recent brand refreshes by other Scotch whisky brands, the core range remains the same; the names are more-or-less the same; and the contents inside the bottle remain unchanged. Fans of Glendronach – and there are many of us – can breathe a sigh of relief.
In the case of Glendronach, maintaining the core-range and not having to change it to suit stock and inventory limitations is incredibly impressive and commendable. Some background and recent history here would not go astray: The distillery was closed from 1996-2002. There have also been changes in the character of the spirit: While it resumed operations in 2002, a major production change occurred in 2005 with the stills being converted from direct coal-fired to steam heated, having an indelible impact on the new make.
Further upheaval occurred that same year with the distillery being acquired by Pernod Ricard through its subsidiary Chivas Brothers. Glendronach had long been a champion and exemplar of sherry cask maturation, however, Chivas immediately began filling into ex-bourbon casks to suit the company’s blending requirements. The distillery again changed hands in 2008 when it was sold to Billy Walker’s Benriach group. Walker promptly reinstated the filling of ex-sherry casks as the norm, but the bottom line is this: Glendronach had zero production for six years from 1996; and minimal fillings into ex-sherry casks from 2005-2008. These gaps in production and inventory have obviously had enormous impact on what the distillery can bottle and bring to market. That they have maintained a 12yo, 15yo, and 18yo expression for most of the last 16 years is highly commendable…even if certain markets were on tight allocations.
The distillery again changed hands in 2016 with Brown Forman acquiring the Benriach Distillery Co, thus bringing the group of three Scotch distilleries under American ownership. (In addition to Glendronach, the group includes Benriach and Glenglassaugh). Brown Forman has invested strongly into the scene, injecting capital, support, infrastructure, and PR to all three Scotch brands.
For the refreshed core range packaging, gone are the monikers of “Original”, “Revival”, and “Allardice” that previously adorned the labels of the 12, 15, and 18 year olds respectively. Although the new labels on these Glendronach expressions are pared-back and cleaner, there’s some small print on the bottles that is particularly impressive and will appeal to fans of sherry-matured whisky who seek transparency on what they’re drinking: The labels give some insight into the types of casks contributing to each expression. The 12yo (bottled at 43%) states that the contributing casks are Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso. The 15yo is bottled at 46% and also states Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso cask maturation. The 18yo, bottled at an equally impressive 46%, is matured in Oloroso casks. All three labels also declare “Spanish oak” maturation. It is a marked step up from the many brands who merely declare a simplistic “Sherry casks” or “Sherry oak” and leave us to imagine what that might entail.
Over the next twelve months, expect to see some new additions to the Glendronach portfolio including three Master’s Anthology expressions, and also new releases of 21, 30, and 40 year old bottlings.
The good folks at We Are Different were kind enough to send Whisky & Wisdom a bottle of the 12yo for assessment, and more than one dram was enjoyed as the sun went down late on a Spring afternoon. Our assessment and tasting notes as follows:
The Glendronach 12yo, 43% ABV
Nose: The sublime and comforting embrace of sherry oak maturation…raisins, sultanas, fruit cake, dried figs, perhaps some roasted macadamias, and quince paste. After tasting, and with time in the glass, a return to the nose reveals dried apricots.
Palate: Soft and well-rounded in mouthfeel and texture, all the usual suspects of sherry oak maturation are here, but there’s also a sharper fruit note on the palate – perhaps the tartness of red apples and red currants?
Finish: The finish brings on a second wave of flavours, leaning slightly in the toffee/caramel direction. A pleasant oakiness rounds out the experience.
Comments: Many of Glendronach’s modern fans were introduced to the brand via the multitude of single cask, cask-strength bottlings that were released by the previous owners. Those bottlings – which often carried older age statements – were rich in grape, flavour, and oak influence. As the ordained entry-level expression into the brand, this whisky does exactly what it should: It introduces you to the distillery’s DNA, it showcases the house style, and – importantly – it delivers a dram you’re happy to purchase, pour, and drink. It’s a fine whisky in its own right, but it also possibly teases…..it gives you a tantalising glimpse of what the older expressions must be like!
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For Australian readers, the refreshed Glendronach core-range will be available throughout the country from late November 2024 via the regular liquor retailers. RRP’s are $129 for the 12yo; $182 for the 15yo, and $300 for the 18yo.
Cheers,
AD
PS… if you’re keen to learn more about sherry cask maturation, you might enjoy reading our feature article, The complete guide to oak, casks, & whisky maturation
PPS… okay, we wrote it nine years ago now, so parts of it are a little out of date…. but you might also like this previous article of ours: Glendronach vs Glenfarclas vs Macallan.
