Glendronach 12 Years original Old 4,5 Liter 43% NV

Professional reviews

Serge Valentin (86)

Colour: full gold. Nose: oh, once again it seems obvious to me that the new Glendronachs do fill the seats left vacant by The Macallan a few years ago. Seriously, this is very close to the ‘old 12’ in style, with that very peculiar blend of maltiness and sherriness with some very pleasant notes of yellow flowers plus toasted brioche and orange marmalade. It’s also obvious that it’s much better composed than the older Glendronach 12 ‘Original’ that wasn’t very inspiring in my opinion. Mouth: syrupy, much bigger than ‘40%’ and probably more complex than on the nose, which is quite an achievement at such young age (but again, is 12 still young?) Big honey and apricot jam, ripe yellow plums, then notes of sherry, milk chocolate and a little Cointreau plus drops of Bailey’s (I’m really sorry). Extremely coherent and superlatively drinkable. Finish: unexpectedly long and big, with quite some spices kicking in. Pepper and cloves. Bailey’s is back in the aftertaste. Comments: sure it’s no very complex whisky but it’s perfectly balanced despite its richness and relative thickness. Recommended.