Black & Gold Glendronach Single Casks
For some time now Matt has been the custodian of a selection of extremely rare Black & Gold Single Cask Glendronachs, acquired through an auction.
It was coming up Matt’s birthday.
And what better way to celebrate his birthday than a whisky or eight with whisky-appreciating friends on a sunny Saturday afternoon.
Matt is a well-liked, well-respected member of the whisky fraternity and sorority. Any one of the invitees would be happy to help celebrate his birthday. Any one would also probably happily attend the opening of an envelope, let alone any kind of a whisky bottle.
Matt’s birthday and the opening of six Glendronach whiskies was a total no-brainer.
Apart from the undoubted quality of his whisky stocks, Matt also has an interesting view on experimentation. Here is his take on sensory deprivation: serve an introductory dram in a black, totally opaque tasting glass: the Introductory Dram
The glass is the same shape and size as a normal tasting glass. You just can’t see the contents.
Believe me, not being able to see what you’re drinking is a very unusual experience indeed.
The line-up of Glendronachs in front of each taster is universally dark. In the 1.7 to 1.8 range, like the scantily-clad models in an old Coppertone ad. The whiskies are all so similar in hue that they could have all been poured from the same bottle.
The dram in the opaque glass smells and tastes as if it would be just as dark as the others
This introductory whisky is subsequently revealed as a Glendronach 9yo, 59.1%, but from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society range. Entitled “Rocky road spice freakout” (36.22), it is one of 278 bottles matured in a first fill ex-PX sherry hogshead. The nose and taste are very similar to the other offerings but when it is decanted from black opaque into a clear glass it is comparatively much lighter in colour – nearer a 1.0. Not at all what was expected!
The Whiskies
Here, then, is Matt’s glass by glass summary of we tasted, with details and scores. To quote Matt’s post-event write-up, “We tore through some amazing whiskies, and a lot of info was thrown at you”.
I have added some tasting notes distilled (pardon the pun) from the whiteboard record taken at the time by MC, Daniel Bruce McLaren. All of the whiskies are Glendronachs, with the exception of one that Matt put in to keep us all honest. And, to be honest, I don’t think that anyone picked the “ringer” for what it was. However, its placing indicated that “one of these is not like the others”.
These are group notes and average scores across the tasters. Although it bears no relevance to anything much, for this website’s consistency I have put my score in brackets after the group score.
Glass #1:
2002, 10 year old, Cask #1988, Bottle 360 of 664, 55.6%, PX Puncheon, Distilled: 03/07/2002, Bottled: 05/2013.
Nose: PX?, sulphur, sweet, banana chips, baby sick, grapefruit marmalade, rubber, Vegemite, barbecue, balsamic mushrooms.
Palette: tobacco, sweet, honey, vanilla.
Finish: Fizzy sherbet, coffee
Score: 9.35 (8.7).
Placed: 5=
Glass #2:
1995, 17 year old, Cask #4682, Bottle 428 of 631, 56.6%, PX Puncheon, Distilled: 08/11/1995, Bottled: 03/2013, Specially Selected and Bottled Exclusively for the Whisky Exchange (Brown & Gold Sleeve).
Nose: drier & deeper than glass 1, salty licorice, bright.
Palette: sweet, burnt golden syrup, smooth.
Finish: coffee, dries out, oloroso tang, celery, chicory log.
Score: 9.43, (8.6)
Placed: 3=.
Glass #3:
1993, 17 year old, Cask #529, Bottle 56 of 627, 60.5%, Oloroso Sherry Butt, Distilled: 26/02/1993, Bottled: 06/2010.
Nose: sublime. Xmas cake, treacle, a lot of leather, cream & butter, too woody, chocolate, spearmint.
Palette: dry, lip smacking, mouth coating.
Finish: wood, tannins, rubber, super-sour lollies.
Score: 9.35 (8.8).
Placed: 5=.
Glass #4:
Kavalan Solist Sherry Cask (The Ringer), Non-Age Statement, Cask #S090102006, Bottle: 268 of 505, 55.6%.
Nose: gravy, rubber, soy sauce, fruit cake, pumice, old cigar, hot old car.
Palette: licorice, Vegemite, gravy, bitter dark chocolate.
Finish: butter, cask dominated.
Score: 8.96 (8.5).
Placed: 7th
Glass #5:
1992, 19 year old, Cask #161, Bottle 361 of 500, 59.2%, Oloroso Sherry Butt, Distilled: 22/05/1992, Bottled: 07/2011.
Nose: malt vinegar, green wood, bamboo, broad beans, bourbon, Vicks VapouRub, mouldy old soft toy, bath salts.
Palette: liquer, caramel. Smooth, sweet, sherry (PX?).
Finish: smooth as silk knickers, dry coffee, dark plums.
Score: 9.85 (9.2).
Placed: 1st
Glass #6:
1991, 18 year old, Cask #3182, Bottle 52 of 633, 51.7%, PX Puncheon, Distilled: 15/11/1991, Bottled: 06/2010.
Nose: jersey caramel, big, brulee, dusty, fish tank, indoor grandprix, blackcurrant jam, denim, sultanas, grubby, complex.
Palette: exhaust, subdued, sappy, scented knickers.
Finish: cinnamon, spice, sarsaparilla.
Score: 9.43 (8.9).
Placed: 3=
Glass #7:
1996, 18 year old, Cask #1487, Bottle 418 of 677, 54.1%, PX Puncheon, Distilled: 16/02/1996, Bottled: 06/2014.
Nose: putty, charred, furniture polish, wet nappy, lemon meringue pie, rye & ink, hint of smoke, soap.
Palette: dirty, THC, fizzy, lemon sherbet, smooth.
Finish: sweet, salt drops, wine gums.
Score: 9.72 (9.3).
Placed: 2nd
My overall opinion? I have seldom had such an entertaining and enjoyable afternoon.
And I’m very glad Karen was there to drive us home afterwards!
Here is the Glendronach page showing the Single Cask Batch Releases.
Until next time…+
(PS: Spell-checker does not like “Glendronach”. Thinks it should be Philodendron – I’m damned sure we weren’t drinking them!)