Glendronach – Cask Bottling 1993 – Pedro Ximénez Butt – 54,3%

Blogpost by Luka Gottschalk

On September 17, 1993, the date when Steven Spielberg's epic classic, "Jurassic Park," hit theaters worldwide. It is also the year when the fine distillate for this bottling was laid down in casks. Here I am, about 30 years later, on a quiet evening, revisiting "Jurassic Park" with this fine dram in my glass. Even though it would perfectly match my choice of film, this dram possesses absolutely no bite. The nearly 30 years in the cask have rounded the alcohol so gently that I would have a very hard time detecting that it's a cask-strength whisky in a blind tasting. The color speaks for itself; it's incredibly dark with a golden amber hue and, of course, completely free from added color. This is a cherished standard at Glendronach.

The aroma is gentle but still full. We are undoubtedly in the dark and fruity end of the spectrum with notes of figs, blackberries, and ripe oranges as you might find them in the winter months on store shelves here in Denmark. The taste begins where the aroma left off. A strong and tangy fruit flavor of blackcurrants and currants explodes on the palate. Following that, the notes lead towards dark chocolate (>80% cocoa) and an umami element with hints of old wood and a kind of yeast funk. A while after consumption, a tingling bitterness emerges on the tongue, and the deep dark fruit flavor and cocoa tannins linger incredibly long.