So barely 5 months passed since Glendronach released batch 8 of single casks bottlings which featured some very good and interesting whiskies, and here we have batch 9, just in time for the holidays season.

Today we’ll taste the 1993 Vintage – Single Oloroso Sherry Butt #5, distilled on 15/1/1993 and bottled October 2013, which delivered 645 bottles with cask strength of 53%.

So without further fanfare, here are the tasting notes:

Glendronach Batch 9 Vintage 1993 Cask #5 (53% ABV, Buy here for £99.95)

Nose: Initial strong struck matches note which transforms into sweeter sherry notes of sultanas, plums, dried fruits, nutmeg & cinnamon. Some chocolate swirls at the background, kind of chewy and thick feeling. Fresh and lively, not overpowering despite the high ABV, lovely sherry nose.

Palate: Powerful but not overwhelming spicy oak taste with sweet sherry coating followed by a flood of chocolate and spicy sweet oranges. After the flood is receding, we’re left again with the mild oak taste. Not as thick and chewy as the nose let us believe.

Finish: A bit on the short side but very good finish with the same mild oak note as felt on the palate but of the drier kind.

Conclusion: A very good Glendronach single cask bottling. It starts sweet, you get attacked by oranges & chocolate and then it becomes mild oak – almost 3-in-1 whisky. Price is quite reasonable, so get one and enjoy.

official sample received from The BenRiach Distillery company