The GlenDronach distillery, named after the Gaelic for “valley of the brambles“, was founded in 1826 and is soon to celebrate its 200th anniversary. Famous for its use of ex-Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks for maturation, its single malt is today one of the best-known in the industry. Vintage releases from this Speyside institution attract huge interest from collectors and amateurs, setting it among other renowned distilleries such as Ardbeg, Brora, Bowmore, Clynelish and Port Ellen. We take a look back at the history of a distillery frequently referred to as the “new Macallan”.
One distillery, many owners
GlenDronach was one of the first distilleries in Scotland to be granted an official license. Founded three years after the 1823 Excise Act by a group of owners headed up by James Allardice, it changed hands many times before its acquisition in 2016 by American company Brown Forman.
This succession of different directors played a decisive role in the distillery’s history. After buying GlenDronach from Charles Grant seven years earlier, in 1967 William Teachers & Sons decided to equip the site with a second pair of stills to increase production. In 1976, it came under Allied Distillers’ command, who chose to mothball the distillery from 1996 to 2002. In 2008, the distillery’s history took a decisive turn when, under the direction of Billy Walker, Benriach Distillery Company Ltd bought GlenDronach from Chivas Brothers (Pernod Ricard, the distillery’s owner since 2005). Walker began developing a style heavily influenced by sherry cask maturation, for which the distillery is famous today. It was also during this period that GlenDronach’s Single Casks series was launched (more on that later). Billy Walker bought the Glenglassaugh distillery in 2013, and in 2016 Benriach, GlenDronach and Glenglassaugh were all acquired by their current owner, Brown Forman. Rachel Barrie, who had previously worked with Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Laphroaig, Bowmore and Auchentoshan, was brought on board as the distillery’s Master Blender.
Today, GlenDronach has a production capacity of roughly 2,000,000 litres of pure alcohol per year and work is currently under way to double the distillery’s production capacity by 2025. The site is equipped with a 3.7 ton cast iron mash tun with rakes. A slow mash helps produce a clearer must which, as Rachel Barrie explains, creates the ideal environment for yeasts to develop fruity notes during fermentation. These fermentations last 50-65 hours and are carried out in nine larchwood washbacks. After slow distillation, the whiskies are then matured in Spanish oak casks previously used for sherry or ex-port casks. For Traditionally Peated and Portwood expressions, ex-bourbon casks are sometimes used in the early stages of maturation.
A 70s idol
GlenDronach is known for its incredible ex-sherry casks. Many of the bottlings from the Single Casks series launched in 2009 have become true icons—the vintages from the early 1970s in particular—and are now highly sought after by collectors and fans of the distillery and sherry cask malts. At Fine Spirits Auction, the GlenDronach 40 Year Old 1972 Sherry Butt #713 fetched €4,130 (including commission) in 2021. These old GlenDronach vintages have become some of the most resilient on the market. In 2023, GlenDronach 1971 bottlings generally went for between £3,000 and £4,000 at auction. 1972 vintages continue to go for as much as £3,000. In addition to the official bottlings released by the distillery, many of its independent releases are just as noteworthy. For his Flowers series, for example, Silvano Samaroli bottled an intense GlenDronach 1970 (recently sold at auction for £3,100) that is perhaps the best-known and currently most sought after independent bottling of GlenDronach.
Interest in these old vintages is largely due to their exceptional flavours and aromas. But these expressions are also a reflection of an era that came to an end by the whisky loch crisis, which saw some 30 distilleries close between 1983 and 1993.
In the 1960s, the whisky industry further developed and production methods changed considerably, sculpting the future of modern production techniques. More hardy varieties of barley with a higher alcohol yield would come to be favoured over previously more common varieties (including the famous Golden Promise). Gradually, malting was outsourced away from distilleries (with some exceptions), a number of distilleries replaced their wooden washbacks with stainless steel versions, almost all direct-fired stills were replaced with steam-heated stills, and most distilleries embraced automation. 1977 saw another key turning point, with the creation of the Denominación de Origen (DO) for sherry, which made it mandatory for the wine to be bottled on-site. This had a major impact on Scottish distilleries who had until then primarily relied on second-hand transport casks for maturation. Additionally, as sherry’s popularity declined, distillery’s found themselves forced to resort to sherry-seasoned casks.
In this wave of modernization, GlenDronach was one of the last distilleries to abandon its malting floors (in 1966) and only stopped direct-firing its stills in 2005. Despite a few concessions in the name of profitability, this almost-200-year-old distillery remains a monument of Scotch whisky with incredible expertise in traditional techniques and long maturations.
Tasting notes:
GlenDronach 1990 Samaroli Flowers 43%:
Colour: deep mahogany.
Nose: fresh, concentrated. An incredibly rich first nose is characterized by notes of chocolate and walnut. Ginger and grey pepper fragrances then bring a certain sharpness. The second nose further blurs the boundary between malt whisky and sherry.
Palate: lively and creamy. The attack recreates the ginger and grey pepper sequence from the nose. This bite lingers on, gradually being tempered by a beautiful fruity sequence exploring orange and mango. Aromatic herbs and lavender enrich the palette once allowed to breathe.
Finish: ethereal, elegant. Sprinkled with coffee and cinnamon, the finish brings the tasting tranquillity. Raspberry notes draw out this blissful state, before hazelnut adds more richness.
An intense sherry bomb, this GlenDronach is more subtle than it first appears. Although the nose is particularly rich, incredible finesse is revealed over the course of the tasting.
GlenDronach 43 Year Old 1971 #2920 48.6%:
Colour: dark amber.
Nose: fresh, ethereal. Freshly cut grass lays the initial foundations for this GlenDronach’s expression. Fragrances of chocolate cornflakes, mango and ginger then gracefully adorn the palette of aromas. Allowed to breathe, the nose takes on musky airs.
Palate: harmonious, lively. The roasted and chocolatey (coffee) attack is very round. Then, as the seconds pass, the palate becomes slightly hot, with flavours of walnut and ginger. The end of the palate becomes more delicate, with lovely notes of bramble and blueberry.
Finish: delicate, silky. A note of coffee brings warmth to the flavour palette. The finish then takes on sweet pastry tones, with notes of brownie and honey. After this, the atmosphere becomes musky, but without breaking the balance hitherto established.
A more complex version than the expression bottled by Samaroli. This GlenDronach deftly reminds us that not only is it a magnificently spicy malt but it is also capable of skilfully alternating between contrasting sequences of aromas (exotic fruits, animal notes, etc.).
GlenDronach 43 Year Old 1972 #706 51.1%:
Colour: mahogany.
Nose: intense, heady. Notes of melting chocolate form a heady initial sequence. Then, as with many expressions from this period, a beautiful hint of exoticism (passion fruit) rises deliciously from the glass. The metallic texture on the second nose is a typical marker of old school style.
Palate: round, precise. Chocolate frames the palate, which is at first rich on the attack and then more bitter at the end. An interlude invites us to taste a red fruit tea, followed by cider, a black coffee, then orange juice. Oriental spices are placed on the palate once allowed to breathe.
Finish: slightly bitter, warm. The flavours of red fruit tea return before being replaced by matcha tea. An unexpected animal sequence (grilled ham) follows. As the tasting progress, a very pleasant layer of vanilla coats the palate.
Of the three GlenDronachs tasted here, this version has the most precise profile with the least influence from the sherry cask. The finesse of its expression also makes it the truest reflection of the whiskies distilled at this time.
