Colour: red amber, given that Glendronach does not add any e150 to their bottlings, it is quite impressive Without prejudice to the section Liability below, the Service may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance, updates, etc. We shall make reasonable efforts to inform you of any unavailability due to maintenance or updates.

Distilled at GlenDronach in 1993, this Highland single malt Scotch was filled into a single Pedro Ximénez puncheon, where it remained for the next 26 years. Bottled in 2020 at a hearty 54% ABV. The Service has been prepared by us solely for information purposes to Members and the Service is based on information we consider reliable and we obtain the contents of the Service from a number of different third party sources (including Contributions), but we do not endorse, support, represent, warrant or guarantee the completeness, truthfulness, accuracy, or reliability of the Services and any information therein. If we decide not to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms, such decision shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. We may, but are not under any obligation, to release new functionalities and tools or other features for the Service every now and then. Any new functionalities, tools and features shall be part of and governed by the Terms from the moment they are launched and/or available. Further, we reserve the right to modify, change, discontinue the Service, add or remove features, update the Service, change its appearance, temporarily and permanently, at any time, in whole or any part thereof. The 21 Year Old Parliament has a portion of PX Cask matured malt and is sweeter, perhaps more intense as a result. The PX Cask maturation adds a different dimension to the flavour profile too - reminiscent of cognac.On the palate, the whisky has the dried fruit sweetness typical of sherry matured whiskies. There are notes of raisin, prune and apple, candied orange and lemon zest, some peach and tropical fruit flavors, along with anise and spice notes of cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. In addition, there are notes of fresh espresso coffee and walnut. A 21 year old Glendronach released in 2011, and aged in a mix of sherry casks (Oloroso and sweet Pedro Ximenez dessert sherry). The result is really very good indeed. Interestingly enough, this whisky has no political associations. It is, in fact, named "Parliament" after the collective term for a group of rooks - and there is a Parliament of Rooks living in the trees near GlenDronach... The company has a long history of producing sherried malts, maturing its whiskies either in Oloroso sherry butts or in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez (PX) casks. The finish is long, with the lingering dried fruit sweetness characteristic of sherry matured whiskies, along with a slight balsamic note, with some bitterness and a bit of pepperiness. After greatly enjoying the 15yo Revival (and to lesser extents the 8yo, 12yo, and 18yo), I looked forward to what the additional influence of PX (and 6 years) would have on GlenDronach.

To conclude the original article, I wrote “ Let’s just hope that in a couple of years, when they can finally release whiskies with accurate age statements, they are able to produce the same top quality as they do now.” That hope doesn’t seem to have come to fruition. Sure, some of the single cask releases are still top notch, but also priced pretty much out of everybody’s range. As far as the more affordable releases go: the latest Glendronach Cask Strength Batch #9 was underwhelming. Finish: long and lingering. More notes of wine and coffee, a touch of liquorice, lychees, dark chocolate, strips of leather, tobacco, with a light undertone of vanilla and orange oil. Glendronach has also incorporated a randomly selected team to blind taste samples on occasion. This team is ever-changing and can involve anyone from the production team, members of the bottling line, and gift shop workers. This means there is an additional level of quality control incorporated in the process– a bit more due diligence to ensure the liquid remains as it should. Palate (20/25): Dark honey. Chocolate fudge. Fruit cake. Cinnamon. Very bold. Almost over the top. Treacle. Dtaes. Licorice. Lots and lots of tannins. Molasses. Overly sweet, far too big. It's not bad but it's just too loud. Whiskybase B.V. is the Dutch private limited liability company, having its statutory seat in Rotterdam, The Netherlands and its office at Zwaanshals 530, 3035 KS Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Whiskybase B.V. is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under no. 52072819.

Awards for GlenDronach 21 Parliament

I have been saving this tiny little sample bottle. What better time than the week before Christmas – before everything gets crazy? GlenDronach is among my favorite distilleries, and may make my favorite sherried malt (for the price). The 18 was a mixed bag for me, but it is not every day that I get to taste a malt with over 20 years of maturation, let alone an official bottling. Nevertheless, the presentation of a whisky surely gives us an insight into the attitude and mindset of a producer when bottling an expression (be it a special release or a core range product). The distiller and blender are saying to us, “This is the best product we can deliver. This is our spirit, and we are proud.” With more and more new distilleries releasing inaugural bottlings and beginning to distribute their core range, we are seeing these three requirements met from almost all of them. They aren’t produced for blends: they are setting up their stall and proudly displaying their liquid in as natural a form as they can. Nose: great nose, with lots of elements that I generally associate with other beverages. Powerful but refined notes of sherry and lighter tones of sweet wine, rum and coffee, a bit bitter, dark chocolate and some slightly meaty tones, like cooked ham. Underlying are notes of chopped parsley, some fruity elements: oranges, figs and cherries, with a whiff of peaty smoke. Lastly, a strange hint of latex paint, but not unpleasant. Cherry toffee. Cherry sauce drizzle on ice cream-van ice cream. Creamy vanilla jam, like clotted cream and jam on a scone. Grapey, more spice – a little more tingle on the tongue. Vague nuttiness, and cinnamon-dusted raisins. Let’s just dive in immediately, shall we? There’s a causality between the mothballing of GlenDronach and the true age of their age statement whiskies. The distillery was closed from 1996 until 2001, and that gap of six years forces GlenDronach to use older whisky than necessary. Take a long hard look at the infographic below and see for yourself.