The Glendronach Revival Aged 15 Years Scotch Whisky Review

Steve Coomes -

BOTTLES DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: GlenDronach Distillery
  • MASH BILL: 100% Malted Barley
  • Cooperage: Second-use Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks
  • AGE: 15 years
  • YEAR: 2020
  • PROOF: 92 Proof (46% ABV)
  • MSRP: $92.99
  • BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com

STEVE'S NOTES

NOSE: Lemon Pound Cake | Honeydew Melon | Roasted Grain | Golden Raisin and Malted Milk

TASTE: Almond Butter | Butter Cookie | Toasted Wheat Bread | Lemon Balm

FINISH: Short and soft, just a little drying, tingly.

SHARE WITH: Anyone who likes any whiskey. A terrific introduction to Scotch for American whiskey or aged tequila fans.

WORTH THE PRICE: Not for me. It's a tasty well-made whiskey. But when it comes down to share of wallet, there are other widely available labels bearing flavors I prefer that cost much less (think American whiskey private barrel picks). Core Scotch fans will likely disagree with me, as will those who know it earned Best in Show: Whiskey, at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bar for me. $93 isn't cheap for most, so try at a bar first. Longtime Scotch fans won't balk at the cost, and that's admirable.

OVERALL: This is a delightful and intriguing whisky. It never stops giving new aromas, which makes it a lot of fun just to nose. Few flavors in this Scotch jump out at you; there's a bit of seek and find with it. It demands to be savored slowly and carefully, which was convenient amid the COVID-19 quarantine when WAY TOO FEW PEOPLE WERE AROUND TO INTERRUPT ME! It's become haggard to see reviewers write, "This whiskey would be best enjoyed by a fire" when too few of us are ever around an actual wood fire. So I'll speak to the truth of my tasting: This whisky is damn fine enjoyed on a hand-me-down couch with a computer in my lap.


BRAND NOTES

AGED 15 YEARS SCOTCH

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Appearance: Antique bronze.

Nose: Maraschino cherries, ripe bramble and dark chocolate mint with hints of orange bitters and walnut liqueur

Palate: Honey-glazed apricot and ripe fig with black cherry, angelica and muscovado. Long and enveloping finish with dark honey, herbal bitters and dark chocolate.

After ceasing production in 2015, The GlenDronach Revival Aged 15 Years returned to the core range of the distillery’s lineup. The Single Malt Scotch Whisky embodies The GlenDronach’s signature style of Spanish cask maturation in fine Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía, quietly growing in stature for 15 years in the darkness of the historic Highland distillery’s dunnage warehouses. The expression is non-chilled filtered and natural in color.

Disclaimer: The GlenDronach Distillery Co. Limited provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.