Welcome to
Whisk(e)y Reviews
June 2020
with
Glendronach 15 year old, The Revival, Single Malt Scotch Whisky
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Founded in 1826 near Aberdeenshire in the Highlands of Scotland.
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Glendronach is known for fully maturing their Single Malt Whisky in the finest Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks.
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Lots of complex flavors combining the best of Single Malt Scotch whisky with the flavors imparted by the best of Spanish sherry.
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Their Distillery Manager is Alan McConnochie and their Master Blender is Rachel Barrie.
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A parliament of rooks actually lives at the distillery, and they believe that the rooks living at the distillery bring their whisky good fortune.
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This whisky won Best Whisky of 2020 from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Glendronach has graciously provided us with a sample bottle of the 15 year old Revival to review, however due to our strict editorial guidelines, this review will remain unbiased. I had the pleasure of this Review coming on the tails of my interview with one of Glendronach’s Brand Ambassadors, Rebecca Gardiner. During that interview I had the privilege of learning a lot more about Glendronach and the methods that they use to make their own unique whisky. Of particular note is how they value taking their time to ensure that their whisky is distilled and matured properly, and not trying to rush any aspect of the distilling process.
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While there are many whiskies that finish their time resting in Sherry casks, I learned the difference between simply finishing in a Sherry cask, and the full amount of flavors that can be brought out by aging the whisky entirely in Sherry casks for over a decade. I took my time with this Scotch and sampled this whisky more than once prior to writing this review.
Here are my impressions:
Age: 15 years
Bottled at 92 proof
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Nose: 91/100
The aroma contains cherries, raisins, figs, Sherry, tannins, oak, smokiness.
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Palate: 92/100
A wonderful mouthfeel, starting off with oak, Sherry, tannins and underlying smokiness. Cherries, bright acidity, plum, fig, raisin. A nice full palate, some hints of caramel. I taste buttered toast with jam, or a fresh baked pie along with cinnamon and nutmeg.
Finish: 91/100
Smoke hangs around with tobacco notes and a bit of bitterness. More cherry and oak arrive, followed by Sherry and a refreshingly crisp dryness. The finish pleasantly hangs around for several minutes. .
Overall: 91/100
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Recommendation:
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Glendronach 15 year old, The Revival, Single Malt Scotch Whisky is an amazing dram. Its flavors and inherent complexities play off each other perfectly. I whole-heartedly recommend picking up a bottle of this fine example of Highland Single Malt Scotch.
This whisky reminds me of holidays at home with my family, Thanksgiving or Christmas. It warms you from the inside out, and would be a wonderful bottle to share with your family and friends. The price of this bottle is quite reasonable when considering the quality of the whisky and the Spanish Oak it aged in.
Remember that Glendronach doesn’t simply finish their whiskies in Sherry casks, they mature each of their whiskies entirely in Spanish sherry casks, sourced from Oloroso to Pedro Ximenez. Rachel Barrie travels to Spain to select and procure the right casks to pair with their whisky, so that the flavors marry well together. I look forward to exploring Glendronach’s expressions further. Cheers!