Highland

The GlenDronach 8 Year Old Octarine

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky / ,

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

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The GlenDronach 8 Year Old The Hielan’

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

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

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The GlenDronach Original 12 yr

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

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

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Advent Day 18: Dalmore 12 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Richard's Blog, Scottish Whisky /

18 days in and we head back to the sherry side…

The Dalmore Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
40% ABV
$60
Website

What the Distillery Says
The Dalmore 12 year old, with its intricate aromas and flavours, is recognised as a whisky with character far beyond its age. This was Andrew Mackenzie’s original masterpiece and stood apart from the norm of the day. At a time when it was standard practise to mature whisky for no more than 6 years, Andrew Mackenzie demonstrated his pioneering character by doubling the maturation period. His boldness truly paid off, The Dalmore 12 year old still stands apart as an exceptional whisky today, as it did then.

Matured for an initial nine years in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, the spirit is then divided for its final flourish. One half remains in the bourbon barrels, while the other is transferred to exclusive 30 year old Gonzalez Byass Matusalem oloroso sherry butts before they are reunited to create this phenomenal whisky.

What Richard Says
Nose: Big sherry nose on this one with a malty and cocoa powder backing.
Palate: Syrupy orange sweetness playing with a….”dampness” is the only word that comes to mind. A bit of a one trick pony.
Finish: Coffee and dark chocolate…mochaccino maybe? Draw the finish out and it turns bitter.
Comments: Dalmore is one of those “remember when” scotches. As in “remember 20 years ago what it tasted like?” Back when I first started to drink scotch, just about everything Dalmore produced was pretty stellar. This current 12 year old is a pale shadow of what they used to make. Now there really isn’t anything special going on in this malt. And on top of the quality decline, there is a huge jump in price since Dalmore redid their line about 8 years ago. They see themselves as a top tier luxury malt now. Of course, that also includes the requisite luxury pricing. $60+ a bottle? Nah.
Rating: Average

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Glencadam 13 Year

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Glencadam The Re-Awakening 13 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
46% ABV
$65
Website

What the Distillery Says
Glencadam Distillery opened in 1825 and since then little has changed.

Glencadam Distillery proudly announces the release of a rare 13 year old expression.

Rare because in the Autumn of the year 2000, Glencadam distillery fell silent. This silence became a deep sleep for three years until its joyous “Re-Awakening” in the Autumn of 2003. This rare, 13 years old limited edition from the re-start of distillation truly represents and commemorates “The Re-Awakening” of Glencadam Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

What Gary Says
Nose: Bright herbal sweetness with a hint of citrus (lime zest), bit of smoke and anise.
Palate: Nice creamy mouthfeel, fruity sweetness (figs, dates, pears, bit of nectarines) and vanilla spice; hint of oak with pepper.
Finish: Moderately long and wet, soft to start with a spicy build up.
Comments: I’ve never had any Glencadam before, but this certainly won’t be my last. This is a very nice single malt. The nose is nice, although not special – but the palate was a pleasant surprise. It isn’t overly complex, but nicely balanced and quite drinkable. I appreciate this being offered as non-chill filtered without coloring being added (as well as the 92 proof versus 80).
Rating: Stands Out

What Richard Says
Nose: Brooding on the nose. Malt forward with notes of under ripe apples, hay, and wildflowers.
Palate: The palate is very assertive. Baklava and baked apple dumplings interplay with a bit of Vegemite and fall leaves.
Finish: Woody, minty, and grassy.
Comments: This is now slouch of a malt. The higher proof and lack of chill filtration are worn very well on this whisky. This a great example of a well formed highland single malt. It’s a bit like a Glenmorangie that has been aggressively hitting the gym and coming out a monster.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Glencadam for sending us a sample to review.

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