GlenDronach / 21 Year Old / Parliament
5cl / 48%
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling
Un-chillfiltered, Natural Colour. Named for the Parliament of rooks that live in the trees near the distillery. A tasty combination of sherry matured whiskies, both Oloroso and PX, perfect for sherry-heads
Whisky er lagret i en kombination af Oloroso Sherry fade og Pedro Ximenez Sherry fade. Parliament navnet stammer fra den koloni af råger, som holdt til i træerne omkring Glendronach destilleriet i snart 200 år
GlenDronach destilleriet
Højlandsdestilleriet GlenDronach er et af Skotlands ældste, og det kan trække en spændende historisk linie til de allerførste licenser der blev udstedt til legal destillering i højlandet. Blandt stifterne af Glendronach var James Allardice, der var protegé af den adelsmand, der var direkte ansvarlig for lovgivningen i 1823. GlenDronach blev opbygget få år efter i 1825 lige uden for byen Huntly. Siden da har destilleriet været nedbrændt, skiftet ejere et utal af gange og kapaciteten er blevet udvidet. GlenDronach var blandt de sidste til at indstille gulvmaltningen og det var det allersidste skotske destilleri, der afskaffede den direkte opvarmning af kedlerne med kul.
GlenDronach var til gengæld blandt de allerførste destillerier til at markedsføre de fadtyper der blev anvendt til lagringen af whiskyen, ligesom destilleriet var blandt de første til at åbne dørene for offentligheden ved i 1973 at etablere et besøgscenter på destilleriets grund.
Selvom GlenDronach rent kvalitetsmæssigt er en af de store i den skotske whiskyindustri, er destilleriet rent kapacitetsmæssigt, blandt de mindste. Den maksimale årlige kapacitet ligger kun omkring 1,4 mill. liter.
GlenDronach - den sovende kæmpe.
Kvalitetsmæssigt er GlenDronach en sovende kæmpe. De fleste whiskyfans er enige om, at en mere målrettet satsning fra de tidligere ejere, ville havde gjort GlenDronach til et af de bedst kendte destillerier i Skotland. I dag er GlenDroncah bedst kendt blandt whisky entusiaster verden over. Som i mange andre lignende situationer, havde de tidligere ejere aldrig de store visioner for destilleriet. Malten herfra var blot tænkt som halvfabrikata til ejernes blendede mærkevarer.
Med årtiers forsinkelse er tiden nu imidlertid inde til at GlenDronach indtager en position blandt de allerbedste og mest agtede Single Malts i Skotland. Den nuværende ejer - Billy Walker - har ikke kun overtaget et fantastisk veltrimmet - og i bedste forstand - et gammeldags, traditionelt og smukt produktionsudstyr, men yderligere et lager af gammel maltwhisky, der er helt unikt. I lagerbygningerne på GlenDronach ligger et utal af interessante fade. Sherry butts, sherry puncheons, hogsheads og quarter casks i massevis. Der er virkelig lagerpotentiale til mange spændende aftapninger i de kommende år.
Tasting Notes
The oldest of Glendronach´s summer release of wine finishes, this 20yo has been given a second ageing period in tawny port casks after initial maturation in European oak. This second maturation has contributed extra depth and concentrated stewed fruit flavours.
From its hillside home in the Scottish Highlands, The GlenDronach Distillery has been creating the finest richly sherried single malts for nearly 200 years.
In 1826 the exuberant and extroverted James Allardice founded the distillery and produced his 'Guid GlenDronach' single malt. Down the years, the distillery he created has thrived under the stewardship of far-sighted investors like Walter Scott in 1847 and Captain Charles Grant in 1920. In more recent times, GlenDronach was bought in 1960 by William Teacher & Sons.
But in 2008, nothing less than a complete renaissance began. The BenRiach Distillery Company became GlenDronach's proud new owner.
While time can never stand still, the commitment of the team at GlenDronach will ensure that the distinctive practices that have always defined the distillery will live on - the most influential of these, its return to independent ownership.
James Allardice & His 'Guid GlenDronach'
You are probably wondering how it all began, so let us start at the beginning on a chilly winters night in 1826...
Hidden within the valley of Forgue, deep within the Scottish Highlands, a plume of smoke ascends from the chimney of a grand country house, Glen House. The smell of peat from a large crackling fire fills the drawing room, and there sits James Allardice, feet up, with a dram of a whisky that he'd spent quite some time making. He was feeling quite cheery with the results of his new creation, which he had decided to call... GlenDronach. His next challenge was to sell his stock, so there he sat, pondering on what would be his best plan.
James was up with the birds the following morning and set out with a spring in his step for the capital, with a large barrel and flagon in tow. But on arrival in Edinburgh, he discovered that selling GlenDronach was going to be trickier than he first thought. "We already have our stock for the season," the landlords all said, "but we'll bear you in mind for next year."
Ladies of the Night
After only selling a trickle, a disheartened Allardice wanders back to his hotel, ready to admit defeat.
But, walking up the Canongate, he is accosted by two young ladies of the night who want him to take them...
for a drink.
James tells the women that he has his very own 'Guid GlenDronach' whisky that they can sup on, and so he returns to his hotel room, to the mortification of the hotel staff, with the two ladies on each arm!
The following day, word of mouth spread like wildfire about the previous nights shenanigans and the two women return for another bottle of GlenDronach to share with their friends. James had pretty much given up on his abortive sales drive in Edinburgh and had planned to return home, so he gave the women the remainder of his flagon.
The 'Guid GlenDronach'
Later that afternoon, the street was full of women who had consumed one drop too many. This got the neighbourhood talking and everyone became curious to try some of what the ladies were drinking. So they started requesting GlenDronach by name when they went into their local pubs.
As the story goes, James did not return home as planned the following day. Instead, he stayed a while in Edinburgh where he sold all of his stock. Not long after, bottles could be found in every pub along the Royal Mile. GlenDronach had arrived!
