Distillery

GlenDronach whiskies

GlenDronach is an eastern Highland distillery in the Forgue valley, near Huntly, in Aberdeenshire. It belongs to Brown-Forman. It is one of the great benchmarks of sherried whisky: most of its malt matures in oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks brought from Spanish bodegas. Its rich, deep style, with dried fruit and chocolate, has given it a very loyal following.

Founded
1826
Owner
Brown-Forman
Origin
Highlands, Scotland
In the catalogue
4 whiskies

History, style and where to startSee it on the world mapGlenDronach official website

  • GlenDronach distillery, photo 1 of 3
    Photo: Colin Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • GlenDronach distillery, photo 2 of 3
    Photo: Brooks patty · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • GlenDronach distillery, photo 3 of 3
    Photo: Brooks patty · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)

4 whiskies

Guide to GlenDronach

History

The distillery was founded by James Allardice in 1826, shortly after a new law made legal distilling easier in Scotland. In the 20th century it passed through several owners, including the Grant family of Glenfiddich and, later, groups such as Allied Distillers and Pernod Ricard, and had a long closure in the 1990s. Until the beginning of this century its stills were heated by coal. In 2008 Billy Walker’s group bought it and turned it into a cult sherry brand, and in 2016 Brown-Forman acquired it along with BenRiach. Today its master blender is one of the most recognised in Scotland.

House style

GlenDronach’s hallmark is sherry: raisins, plum, figs, dark chocolate, coffee, spice and a walnut background. The spirit, full-bodied and fruity, withstands long maturations in oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks without losing balance. It uses no peat. The older versions are deeper, with notes of leather, tobacco and candied fruit. It is a whisky to be enjoyed slowly, which changes a lot as it breathes in the glass.

Average flavour profile of its 4 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
3.1
Fresh fruit
1.5
Ripe and dried fruit
4.1
Floral and herbal
0.5
Cereal and malt
1.3
Vanilla and creamy
1.1
Oak
2.6
Spicy
2.6
Toasted
2.6
Smoky
0.0
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
3.6

Where to start

GlenDronach 12 Year Old Original is the best way in: sherry, dried fruit and chocolate in an indulgent style. The 15-year-old Revival is one of the classics of sherried Scotch, more intense and deep. For a special occasion, the 18-year-old Allardice shows the house at a great age. You’ll like them if you enjoy fortified wines and desserts with dried fruit, and they’re best tasted neat, without ice.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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