The GlenDronach ‘Peated’ 46% ABV $45 Website (Important note for those in the United States: On the site’s landing page, select United Kingdom as the country or it will auto-direct by location, and you won’t see the content; I couldn’t find a way around that! If it auto-selects United States, you may have to clear cookies/cache to be prompted)
What the Distiller Says In contrast to the traditional, non-peated character of the GlenDronach, this particular whisky has, unusually, been distilled using peated malted barley. The GlenDronach ‘Peated’ pays homage to the peat historically used to dry the malted barley in the traditional floor matlings during the early days of the distillery. The subtle peated notes in this intriguing expression complement the classic GlenDronach Highland character and the rich sherry notes drawn from the wood.
TASTING NOTES APPEARANCE: Vivid harvest gold. NOSE: A delightful aroma of ripe gooseberries dusted with cinnamon sugar combines with a contrasting crisp citrus twist. The delicate peat influence gives a smouldering charred wood character filled with freshly ground barley and hints of vanilla toffee. PALATE: Vibrant oak spices and floral heather honey develop to rosehips and barley sugars, all warmed by a touch of white pepper. Subtle peat notes complement the palate by giving a delicate depth and dryness of glowing campfire embers. CONCLUSION: A unique marriage of crisp fruit and barley-laden Highland characteristics surrounded by gentle peat smoke, intriguingly reminiscent of heather burning in the distant glens.
What Gary Says Nose: Peat, sweet sea brine over husky, vegetal notes with a hint of iodine. Palate: Sweet malt, notes of fruit salad underneath earthy peat and pepper. Finish: Short and dry. Comments: GlenDronach is typically a ‘sherry bomb’ single malt, so this peated offering is a significant departure from their traditional line. I like to see folks reach and try new things, and while this is interesting, it delivers peat but falls short for me if I’m looking for a peated single malt. It left me wanting to reach for some other Islay whisky. Rating: Average
The GlenDronach 8 Year Old Octarine 46% ABV $60-ish (This was a limited edition launched in May 2010 exclusively for the Carrefour supermarkets in France, although may be found elsewhere) Website What the Distiller Says Matured and married in a combination of the finest bourbon & sherry casks
TASTING NOTES APPEARANCE: Burnished copper with a pronounced saffron glow. NOSE: Dense citrus fruits, with hints of marzipan and chocolate shavings. PALATE: Fresh, vibrant and fruity. Vanilla, butterscotch and toffee, laced with spiced apple cake. Smooth and very approachable. FINISH: Fragrant and aromatic. Lingering. Superb depth and development.
What Gary Says Nose: A bit thin, sherry with raisins, pecan shortbread cookies and a hint of sandalwood. Palate: Sweet fruity malt with a subtle pepper spice and a bit of sour oak. Finish: Short to moderate in length, drying with pepper spice. Comments: While darker in color than the 8 Year The Hielan’ as well as the 12 Year Original, I found this to be thinner all the way around. Maybe the color set my expectations higher (note – per the label the color is all natural)? I tasted this alongside The Hielan’ and the 12 Yr to kick off this series, and it was a distant third in that grouping for my taste. That said, nothing wrong or off-putting about this whiskey. The Hielan’ really impressed me at the same age, so while this is thinner by comparison, it isn’t overly so for its age. Rating: Average/Stands Out
The GlenDronach 8 Year Old The Hielan’ 46% ABV $40-45 Website (Important note for those in the United States: On the site’s landing page, select United Kingdom as the country or it will auto-direct by location, and you won’t see the content; I couldn’t find a way around that! If it auto-selects United States, you may have to clear cookies/cache to be prompted) What the Distiller Says This single malt has been matured and married in a combination of the finest bourbon and sherry casks for at least 8 years. Non-chill filtered, of natural colour and bottled at 46%, The Hielan’ encompasses a unique combination of sweet, buttery aromas with spicy, sherry overtones. The Hielan’ is a tribute to the dialect spoken in the distillery’s surrounding area in the Scottish Highlands.
TASTING NOTES APPEARANCE: Amber with a burnished copper glow. NOSE: Rounded waves of orange blossom and a citrus twist flow over buttery, golden sultanas, sundried raisins and ripe yellow plums; all dusted with a touch of vanilla. PALATE: Crisp, vibrant oak spices warm soaked sultanas, apricot jam and gingerbread; all rounded by delicate hints of butterscotch, cocoa and toasted almonds. CONCLUSION: Classic sherry overtones with a contrasting crisp dimension demonstrate the complexity of the traditional Highland character.
What Gary Says Nose: Bright, sweet malt with orange, tangerine and hints of mango. Palate: Creamy mouthfeel, orange creamsicle with hints of nutty spice. Finish: Short to moderate in length, sweet with lingering spice notes. Comments: Damn, this is delicious! 8 years is on the young side for a single malt, and this one is lighter in color than the other 8 year Octarine – so I didn’t have high expectations going in. Boy did I underestimate it. Just a lovely pour; more on the sweet side but not overly so. Dangerously drinkable (drinks to me like 40%), although cursing that I don’t see it available locally. Not being full-on sherry, I think this allows the spirit to stand on its own a bit more, and it really does shine. Rating: Must Try
The GlenDronach Original 12 yr 43% ABV $60 Website What the Distiller Says This superb richly sherried single malt is matured for at least 12 years in a combination of the finest Spanish Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. Non-chill filtered, of natural colour and bottled at 43%, the GlenDronach 12 year old Original is a sweet, creamy dram.
TASTING NOTES APPEARANCE: Deep amber-red gold. NOSE: Sweet, creamy vanilla, with hints of ginger. Spiced mulled wine and pear. PALATE: Rich, creamy, silky-smooth. Warm, rich oak and sherry sweetness, full mouth feel, raisins and soft fruits. Spicy with medium length and a dry finish. CONCLUSION: Long, full and firm, slightly nutty.
What Gary Says Nose: Thick, rich and sweet; sherry with plums and pears over cocoa and oak. Palate: Sweet and fruity, peach & pear cobbler with honey and a sprinkling of nutmeg. Finish: Short to moderate in length with a soft landing. Comments: I think fans of sherried single malts would enjoy this. It has a lovely nose, although I found the palate was a bit thinner in comparison. Less smokey than a Highland Park, but well crafted and balanced. Locally a bit more expensive than some other 12 yr single malts, but not outrageously so. Rating: Stands Out
“Bad” is highly subjective, and can mean many things. If you mean does it become unsafe to drink, I’d say that if it is stored properly (room temperature, out of direct sunlight) and in a glass bottle with a decent enclosure – than probably not. If you mean does it taste like crap if you leave a couple pours in a bottle for many years . . . well . . . let’s find out!
There are a lot of different thoughts on this. Conventional wisdom is that oxidation will certainly change the flavor of whiskey over time. I’ve heard multiple reports that the end result isn’t good – while also hearing folks talk about a bottle “opening up over time” and improving. In both scenarios – folks report some change, which isn’t a surprise as oxidation is one of the forces altering a whiskey’s character as it ages in the barrel (and if you’ve been fortunate to sip some fine, really old Scotch; there’s something magical about what time does to the spirit!) But – how much influence is from oxidation over time – who knows.
One challenge is if you have a bottle that’s pretty low, and it sat for several years that way, likely you don’t have one that is full to compare it to. Sure, if it is available you could go and buy one, but while the consistency in whiskey is laudable, if you’re pulling a bottle today – who is to say if it is the same as one bottled many years ago.
This seems like a question ripe to be answered with an experiment, which means not only having some whiskey spend time in partially full containers (a lot of time), but having a control sample to compare to. Thankfully, time (hopefully!) is something I have, so why not!
What I’m looking to uncover is:
Does a whiskey materially/substantially change if left for years in a bottle that is . . .
60% full?
30% full?
10% full?
IF it does change, does that change vary in the above scenarios?
IF it does change, how has it changed? (is it more woody, less sweet, more astringent, etc)
Taste is individually subjective and highly variable. Hell, in most reviews where multiple apostles provided their take, they were different. The key to this experiment is having enough whiskey at these varying levels to get multiple opinions on each. A 10% full bottle is just under 2.5 oz (75 mL), so taking one such bottle – you wouldn’t have much of a sample to get multiple tasting impressions. And by multiple tasting impressions – I’m talking about the impressions of multiple TASTERS. Any one opinion is just that, but wouldn’t it be interesting to see if there is any consensus on the effect over time?
To have enough volume of whiskey that aged for some period of time with only 10% left means . . . yeah, a lot of bottles. And a lot of bottles means selecting something that I can buy in bulk all at once without having to sell an organ. Thinking about that prior to a trip to Kentucky this spring, the selection seemed obvious: Heaven Hill 6 Year Bottled-In-Bond. This is a delicious bourbon at a respectable age and proof, and all for only $13 a bottle (my only complaint is that I can’t get this in Atlanta!)
Here’s the setup: I bought 10 bottles all from the same store at the same time (so as close to the same “batch” as I could reasonably get). Those have been split into four different groupings: Group A: Control. This bottle will sit in the same box with the rest, but will remain unopened until the end. Group B: 60% Full. This bottle will be opened, and I’ll pour out 2 oz a week until there is roughly 450 ml left in the bottle. Group C: 30% Full. Two bottles (C1 & C2) will be opened, and I’ll pour out 2 oz a week until there is roughly 225 mL left in each bottle. Why two bottles? This provides 450 mL of whiskey that has sat in a 30% full bottle for the allotted period of time (which is roughly 15 oz). Group D: 10% Full. Six bottles (D1 – D6) will be opened, and I’ll pour out 2 oz a week until there is only 75 mL left in each bottle. Six bottles with 75 mL will provide 450 mL of whiskey that sat in a 10% full bottle.
Just a quick note – when I say “pour out”, I’m not “throwing away” any bourbon (no whiskey will be harmed in this experiment!) All of the excess that is poured out is being decanted into other empty bottles. That’s leaving me with a lot of HH 6yr BIB, but I’m confident that I’ll think of something to do with it.
All of these bottles will be stored in a box in my (finished) basement, out of any direct sunlight. Once they hit their target fill levels, I won’t open them again for . . . I’m not sure? 2 years seems like long enough, but we’ll see what is going on in 2 years. I’m open to comments/thoughts/suggestions on the timing (or other facets of the experiment). When the experiment does “end”, I’ll decant the two Group C bottles into 1, and the six Group D bottles into 1, so I’ll have 4 bottles – the control, and 3 bottles with about 450 mL left.
After decanting, I’ll gather some whiskey friends to help with the measurement step. I’d conduct a blind-tasting, asking each participant to complete an ‘assessment form’. This will be tricky, and I don’t have it nailed down yet (thankfully have a couple of years to figure it out!) I want to have quantitative measurements of each sample on different aspects. For example – maybe a 10 point scale across things like “Oaky”, “Caramel”, “Vanilla”, “General Sweetness”, “Bitterness”, etc. Whether one person picks a 7 and another picks a 4 on the same sample/aspect isn’t necessarily important. The key is if there seems to be any consensus on what changes (is anything increasing or decreasing in terms of taste, mouthfeel, etc).
I want to avoid “better” or “worse” since that is highly subjective to each person’s preference (although will allow open comments on each sample from each participant). If the sweeter notes are less pronounced, it might be that it seems more oaky over time – which some may like and others may dislike. And it may be that the difference is perceived quite differently across the board.
If you have suggestions, please feel free to share in the comments. And remember to check back in a few years 🙂
