Glendronach Traditionally Peated Single Highland Malt Whisky 48%

Port casks in a Glendronach. It is not something the distillery does often, and together with the peat it makes Traditionally Peated the most unusual bottle in the permanent range.

The expert's description

Glendronach Traditionally Peated is a peated Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks along with used port casks, bottled at 48%.

The combination of three cask types is chosen to give the smoke something to play against. PX lays in sweetness, oloroso gives the nuttiness and dryness, and the port casks add a red fruit note found nowhere else in the range. The whisky carries no age statement.

The smoke here does not resemble Islay. There is no iodine or seaweed, but instead a dry, earthy peat smoke that sits beneath the fruit rather than on top of it. The bottling reached the market in 2019 and was composed by master blender Rachel Barrie.

Tasting notes

Nose

Peat smoke and dark fruit, with raisin and a trace of red berry from the port casks. There is a dry, almost dusty spice note behind.

Palate

Full and smoky. The dried fruit and nuts of the sherry meet an earthy smoke, while the port casks lay in a red, lightly tart fruit that keeps the whisky from turning heavy.

Finish

Long. Smoke, nuts and dark fruit drying slowly into a spiced close.

Specifications

Name: Glendronach Traditionally Peated Highland Single Malt Whisky 48%
Distillery: Glendronach
Region/Country: Highland, Scotland
Type: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Pedro Ximénez and oloroso sherry casks along with used port casks
Bottled: 2019
Edition: Traditionally Peated
EAN no.: 5060399689199

Flavour profile

Peated · Sherried · Dark fruit · Spiced · Full

Did you know?

Traditionally Peated uses used port casks alongside the two sherry types. Port casks are rare in the Glendronach range, where Spanish sherry casks are otherwise the rule, and they are a large part of why the whisky carries that red fruit note.

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Frequently asked questions about Glendronach Traditionally Peated

How does the smoke differ from Islay whisky?

It is drier and more earthy. Islay peat contains seaweed and typically gives iodine and salt water, while the peat here is inland and produces a smoke closer to a bonfire and burnt wood. See the other smoky styles in our Scotch Whisky selection.

Why are port casks used?

Because they add a red fruit note sherry casks cannot give. Port brings berries and a light tartness that cuts through both the smoke and the sherry sweetness, and it is exactly that third dimension that makes the bottling unusual.

How heavy is the smoke?

Medium. It is clear the whole way, but it is integrated into the fruit rather than sitting on top. Most people will read it as a warm undertone rather than the main flavour.

How does it differ from Ode to The Embers?

The casks. Embers sticks to oloroso and PX, while Traditionally Peated also brings port casks in. That makes this one fruitier and less ash-driven, where Embers is drier and more direct.

When did it reach the market?

In 2019. It was composed by Rachel Barrie, who had taken over as master blender for Glendronach two years earlier, and it was one of the early releases under her stewardship.

Which glass is recommended?

A Glencairn or another tulip-shaped nosing glass. It gathers the smoke and the fruit, where a wide glass lets the smoke escape and leaves the whisky more sherried than it actually is.

Should I add water?

Try it neat first. At 48% the balance between smoke, sherry and port is good, and water can easily push it in the sherry direction. A single drop is enough if you want to experiment.