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 🙂
Hewn Spirits Reclamation American Single Malt Whiskey Finished in Chestnut 46% ABV $43 (375 mL) Website What the Distiller Says AGED WITH 300-YEAR-OLD RECLAIMED WOOD, FOR A TRULY TIMELESS CHARACTER In the age of recycling, we’ve discovered a brilliant use for old wood in the making of Reclamation American Single Malt Whiskey. Made from premium malted barley, Reclamation from Hewn Spirits is aged with hickory, chestnut, or oak that’s been reclaimed from timbers up to 300 years old. The result is a whiskey that is uncommonly soft, full, rich and complex to the taste. The true spirit of wood™.
What Gary Says Nose: Sweet malt with some nutty vegetal notes and a hint of honey. Palate: Sour oak, apricots and a hint of hops. Finish: Fleeting. Comments: A unique pour for sure. I’m not a big fan of “craft whiskey” that tries to compete straight up on bourbon or rye, because I don’t find that they’re able to (for the money – they typically don’t compete with Evan Williams Black Label, but are multiples of the price). I think this is exactly the type of niche where craft whiskey can contribute – different and innovative treatments of the spirit. I applaud Hewn Spirits for taking that approach. This particular one – finished in Chestnut – doesn’t hit me in my wheelhouse. It is clearly young malt, but it is different. I bought the bottle really to reward desired behavior – namely offering free samples of their products in the store. While I wouldn’t buy it again, I don’t regret the purchase – and for a whiskey geek – finding that different/unique experience is worth taking a flyer. Rating: Average
1792 Bottled-in-Bond 50% ABV $37 – $45 Website What the Distiller Says In 1897, the Bottled-in-Bond Act revolutionized the quality of American whiskey. Carrying on that tradition, this well-aged bourbon from barrels all filled during the same season was bottled at exactly 100 proof for a bold taste and a lingering finish – a testament to the Bottled-in-Bond Act established over a century ago.
TASTING NOTES True to its heritage, the unmistakenable spice of 1792 Bourbon is met with notes of charred oak and fresh mint. Subtle caramel apple tones are delicately balanced with the lingering essence of coffee and black pepper.
What Gary Says Nose: Vanilla, salted caramel with a touch of cinnamon, charred oak and a hint of dark chocolate. Palate: Caramel cream candies with vanilla, cinnamon building to a nutty pepper spice. Finish: Moderate in length with peppery notes. Comments: A very solid bourbon, and spicy like you would expect a 1792 to be. The nose brings a bit more wood than the typical 4 yr old bottled-in-bond (not sure if this is perhaps older, or from being aged at the top of the rickhouse). While solid, not special – but priced well above other bottled-in-bond offerings. Rating: Stands Out
I would like to thank my dad for sending me home with a sample to review.