GlenDronach 18 year old Allardice review

GlenDronach has made a great reputation with its sherry matured whisky, offering quality drams with age statements. Just like The GlenDronach 15 year old Revival, this 18 year old Allardice has been matured in Spanish Oloroso casks. The GlenDronach distillery was founded in 1826 – being one of the first licensed Scottish distilleries owned by BenRiach nowadays.

The 18 year old is their third core range expression, now renamed as Allardice. Named after James Allardice, the founder of the distillery. This single malt is non chill filtered and has its natural colour, which by the way, is very dark. Probably the darkest single malt I have encountered so far.

Like a MASCULIN FEMININ – good sherried whisky

I’ve made a Godard reference with GlenDronach before (with 15YO Revival), so I’ll continue with that theme since there’s a title that fits with this sherry matured whisky. This might as well go with Revival as well, but I’ll state Allardice as Masculin féminin.

It is strong and dark, and even a bit rough. Yet very sweet and jammy, full of that fine Oloroso sherry influence. Allardice is a mixture of both, masculinity and femininity. A good single malt whisky full of sherry cask maturity.

Check out my tasting notes of GlenDronach 18YO. Below the tasting notes, there is an Amazon search bar widget where you can check out the lowest prices of GlenDronach.

Matured in:

Oloroso Ex-Sherry casks

Colour: Dark amber

Nose: Starts with a mix of strong varnish, hints of oak and some Demerara sugar. A bit dry, very much like rum. Dark and fruity, sherry and sulphur are present. Water and time in the glass make the oak much stronger.

Taste: Thick stuff. Sherry in a dark way and fruit candy, much better than the nose. Plum jam and cocoa notes. Water adds smoothness and raisins, and orange marmalade notes.

Finish: Long with bitter red berries and menthol notes. Bit dry and syrupy. Figs and hints of warming spices. Water adds smoothness yet again but makes the menthol notes stronger as well.

Balance: All in all a good dram but doesn’t quite match the 15YO Revival. In good balance. Sweet and strong sherry notes, along with dark tones and bitterness. Wee roughness is present but water levels things, I suggest adding few drops.