Glendronach 10 year old Luke Skywalker Danish Whisky Retailers Single Speyside Malt Whisky 48%

First came Darth Vader, then Yoda, and now Luke Skywalker. The names are the Danish whisky retailers' own joke, and the last one is a nod to Billy Walker — the man who lifted Glendronach out of obscurity, and whose surname fitted a little too well.

The expert's description

Glendronach 10 Year Old Luke Skywalker is a Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and bottled at 48%.

The bottling was made officially for professional Danish whisky retailers in an outturn of around 3,000 bottles, sold only on the Danish market. The whisky sits entirely in PX sherry casks, the sweetest and most concentrated sherry type, and it is neither chill filtered nor coloured.

Glendronach is built on sherry. Since 1826 the distillery has matured its whisky in Spanish oak casks from the bodegas of Andalucía, so a ten year old entirely in PX is not a side step but a concentrated version of the house style.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark sherry and raisin, with fig, dark chocolate and a layer of spice. The youth registers as a fresh berry note beneath the heavy fruit.

Palate

Full and sweet. Raisin, dates and dark chocolate, with a firm spiced middle. The 48% gives the whisky the weight a ten year old would otherwise lack against this much sherry.

Finish

Long. Dark fruit and cocoa drying slowly into a lightly bitter, nutty close.

Specifications

Name: Glendronach 10 Year Old Luke Skywalker Danish Whisky Retailers Highland Single Malt Whisky 48%
Distillery: Glendronach
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 10 years
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Number of bottles: Approximately 3,000
Edition: Luke Skywalker - Officially Bottled for Professional Danish Whisky Retailers
EAN no.: 5060399683517

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark fruit · Chocolate · Spiced · Full

Investment potential

High. Around 3,000 bottles for a single market, bottled officially for the professional trade and part of a named series. Exclusive market releases of that kind get collected as a run, and both Darth Vader and Yoda are now hard to find.

Did you know?

James Allardice, who founded Glendronach in 1826, was only the second person in Scotland to obtain a legal distilling licence after the excise legislation of 1823. The distillery has therefore been there from the very beginning of the legal Scotch whisky industry.

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Frequently asked questions about Glendronach 10 Year Old Luke Skywalker

Is it worth the money?

The arguments are exclusivity and cask choice. Around 3,000 bottles for one market, entirely PX sherry casks and an official bottling from the distillery itself. Added to that, it forms part of a named series where the earlier releases are no longer available.

Why is it called Luke Skywalker?

It is the Danish retailers’ own naming. The series began with Darth Vader and continued with Yoda, and Luke Skywalker is a nod to Billy Walker, the master distiller behind the Glendronach revival from 2008.

What does it mean that it sits only in PX casks?

That the sherry character is marked. Pedro Ximénez is the sweetest sherry, and a whole life in PX gives raisin, fig and dark chocolate rather than the drier nuttiness oloroso would have given. See the other Scottish styles in our Scotch Whisky selection.

Is ten years young for this much sherry?

It is a balancing act. Ten years in PX can easily be too much, but the Glendronach spirit is powerful enough to stand up to it, and the 48% gives the whisky the weight it needs. The result is concentrated rather than run over.

Is it peated?

No. Glendronach does not work with peated malt in standard production. The dark, almost burnt note in the middle comes from the PX casks, not from peat.

What does Danish Whisky Retailers mean?

That the bottling was made officially by the distillery for a group of professional Danish whisky retailers. It was never sold outside Denmark, which is why most collectors abroad have never seen it on a shelf.

Should the bottle be opened or kept?

Both make sense. Opened, you get a concentrated PX-matured Glendronach at a strength the distillery rarely uses. Unopened, you hold a small-outturn market release from a series that is closed. If it is to be kept, store it upright, cool and dark.