GlenDronach 30 Year Old (2025 Release)

The GlenDronach distillery is built on the banks of the Dronach Burn in the Forque Valley. This is located between Aucharnie and Inverurie, east of the town of Huntley, just outside Speyside. The name GlenDronach means "valley of the Dronach," as the distillery takes its name from the small river that flows past it. GlenDronach was built in 1826 by James Allerdice, the son of a wealthy local landowner. Due to neglect and poor management, the distillery quickly declined, and it burned down completely in 1837. After Walter Scott rebuilt the distillery and after numerous resales, the company was sold to Teacher's in 1960 and to Allied Breweries in 1976. Not much has changed at the GlenDronach distillery since its construction. The two wash stills and the two spirit stills were still coal-fired until their closure. There are nine washbacks made of Oregon pine. The fire for drying the malt was fueled in the kiln by peat dug nearby. Both new and used sherry and bourbon casks are used for maturation. Water for the production of the spirit and for macerating the barley during malt production is drawn from a spring called "The Source." This spring is located approximately 4 miles east of the distillery. Water is pumped from the Dronach Burn to cool the condensers. The distillery was mothballed in 1995. After reopening in 2002, the complete range of 12-, 15-, and 18-year-old casks was reintroduced in 2009. These have since been followed by an 8- and a 21-year-old, as well as a regular batch of Single Cask bottlings. Tasting Notes
Color: Dark cherry-walnut. Nose: Richly aromatic with morello cherries, raisins, and spiced Brazil nut toffee, layered with marzipan and medjool date caramel. Palate: Pleasant, smooth, and complex with evolving notes of glazed cherries, raisin cake, cinnamon, raisins, nuts, toffee, and chocolate-hazelnut café crème. The finish is the seductive, characteristic of The Glendronach.