Review 222: GlenDronach 17 Year PX Sherry Single Cask

Review 222

9/19/2014

GlenDronach 17 Year PX Sherry Single Cask: 53.2% abv

Background: Have we been on a sherried Scotch kick, or what? Well here we are, with a single cask review of Glendronach. We are very compelled by these whiskies, because Glendronach prices their Single Cask variants more competitively than their standard offerings, and it begs some really interesting questions. For example, this 17 Year was about $130, while the 18 Year standard runs as high as $150, is 5% lower in alcohol, and is only a year older. So is it really worth the money to buy the more expensive whisky? Well, let’s take a look at this one. This is a Pedro Ximenez Sherry whisky, with all the right figures. It is as dark as whisky gets, but offers up a natural color statement to put our worries to bed. PX sherry tends to be incredibly rich and sweet, and like always, there is the concern that this whisky will be unbalanced and overtly sweet.

Straight

Nose:  There is a lot of malt and molasses right off the bat, with some aromas of prominent nuttiness and vanilla bean. To go along with sweet vanilla bean is a custardy smell that is coupled with a rich, homemade caramel, brown sugar, and honey sweetness. To add to your grocery list of desserts, cut back to find some fudgy quality in the whisky. Succulent black currents, dates, raisons, and dark grape are all blended into the nose. There is some light cloves on the nose, but they aren’t terribly dominant.

Arrival: The arrival starts syrupy, with molasses, brown sugar and other rich flavors. There is some maltiness and raison-like sherry in the arrival as well. There is some noticeable oak in the arrival, which creeps into the body. Honey is also noticeable in the arrival, but it is masked slightly by a light green tea flavor in the arrival. There is a brief dark fruit flavor on the arrival, but it is hard to distinguish what is there.

Body: The body brings out notes of malt, with some enjoyable tangy citrus. There is molasses and complex fruit notes, but the character is dry and quick.

Finish: The finish has some dark flavors, with lush sherry notes and a compelling, fading tobacco note. The finish has some fruity cherry, slight mintiness, and herbal notes as well. The finish has a dry character, with black pepper, hot cinnamon, and allspice.

With Water

Nose: The nose brings out the sweetness in the malt a lot more. There is a more noticeable presence of oak in the nose, with a much more enjoyable balance. There is a little bit of red apple that comes out, with honey and caramel being very pronounced. There is a little more earthiness to the whisky as well.

Arrival: The arrival has an excellent balance of malt, honey, molasses, and earthiness. There is a hint of savory notes, with some gingerbread and sweet spice complimenting the sweetness. The blast of fruits is much improved from before. There is a lot of nuttiness in the whisky now.

Body: The nuttiness is big in the body, with brown sugar, oak, sherry and marmalade. The body is more definitive now, with a little bit more fruit flavor, citrus, and longevity.

Finish: The finish still has the oak and tobacco notes from previously, with the citrus lasting beyond the body and keeping the succulent fruits in the finish. The dryness is less extreme now, and there is a wonderful spiciness that lasts through the finish. The maltiness and a slight vegetal flavor is also present through the end of the whisky. There is an earthiness that couples with the whisky and makes the finish last.

Final Comments: Things did transform with this whisky over time. Besides having much more sweetness when the bottle was first opened, the whisky also had very different complexities. This isn’t a bottle of whisky you invest in if you’ll looking for next day dividends in satisfaction. This is a whisky you invest in for slow savoring. Despite this “conditionality” to the whisky, it is a fantastic statement of sherried complexity, and breaks the mundane pattern of Oloroso this and Oloroso that. It still lacks in complexity in certain areas, and it is highly recommended that water be put into this whisky to get any sort of appreciable experience. This is a whisky worth it’s dollar amount.

Why you’d buy it: You are looking for something that evolves, changes metaphorical colors, and offers up an engaging drinking experience with a sherry flavor.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: The first time you open up a bottle is the last judgment you make on a whisky.

Score: 9.25/10

Review 210: Old Pulteney 17 Year

Review 210

4/13/14

Old Pulteney 17 Year: 46% abv

Background: We’re back to Old Pulteney. We released a podcast with Old Pulteney whiskies as a big cameo. The 12 Year has been the KCM quality per dollar pick for quite a long time; and by a long time, we reviewed that whisky back in November of 2012. But what about a more premium, older Old Pulteney? Is that same quality from the 12 Year present in older expressions? It’s in the name, after all. The answer to that question can be found by looking at the 17 Year, which is a single malt at 46% and un-chill filtered. Some fun facts about Old Pulteney: They are limited to one wash still and one spirit still, contributing to a very limited production of one million liters per year. Also, if you take a look at Old Pulteney’s stills, they are very uniquely shaped, which might contribute to the very unique flavor that their whiskies have. Now it’s time to put this more expensive whisky to the test.

Straight

Nose: Well this doesn’t disappoint the maritime coastal theme that Old Pulteney totes about in their advertisements. The nose is instantly salty, with a fresh smell of seawater. It is so prevalent in this whisky, I can’t think of anything else like this. There is a rich maltiness that couples very nicely with a tropical fruitiness. The tropical fruit notes include tangerine, mango, and melon. There is also a slight vanilla note, which tends to take a back seat to the salt blast. The oakiness from the cask is hard to depict in the nose, but there are subtle layers of spices that come through evenly. There is also hints of floral notes that surface occasionally. The balance in the nose is extremely enjoyable, allowing for a full exploration of the flavors present.

Arrival: The arrival starts off with the tropical fruit notes and maltiness. There is a nice presence of oakiness, along with a load of spiciness. The arrival is probably the thinnest part of the whisky, still having plenty of complexity. It is a little lighter, and hides some of the salty character of the whisky.

Body: This is where the salt really kicks into the whisky. Along with a very dominant note of sea salt, orange marmalade and tropical fruit notes invade the senses here. This is such a bombastic body in the whisky. There is some nice caramel, vanilla, and beefy spices that come forward in the body. There is also some sugarcane that shows up.

Finish: The finish really drags out the saltiness, along with a nice fading of malt and tangy fruit notes. There is a very vegetal aftertaste to this whisky, with a slight hint of leather and sawdust  as well. There is plenty of cloves and allspice, with dashes of ginger and nutmeg that also play into the finish. There is definitely reminiscence to a chai tea when you get further into the finish.

With Water

Nose: The nose has become much more floral, with more hints of vanilla and caramel coming through up front. The whisky starts to smell slightly more alcoholic now, with the tropical fruits and saltiness still being dominant notes. There is also a slight instance of baking soda in the nose now, coupled with an older note of leather polish. There is a strange note of over-ripened apples and even a bit of perfume to the nose.

Arrival: The arrival becomes more spicy and the tropical aspect of the fruit flavors is more exaggerated. There is a more candied lemon flavor in the arrival now, with some spicy oak moving into the body. The maltiness also comes out much more now than it did before.

Body: The fruit flavor is huge here in the body now, bringing out a very tangy, tart, delicious blend of tangerines, orange, and lemon. It is a truly amazing experience. It doesn’t become so tart as to mask the coastal notes of this whisky, but the flavors do pop in a beautiful fashion.

Finish:  The finish surprisingly takes an intensely bitter, oaky turn after some water is exposed. It is by no means unpleasant, but it does present a different edge to the Scotch. The tropical fruits are still present, along with some other sweet and salty flavors, but the wood really plays into the whisky now. The spiciness is still a strong component. There is even hints of tobacco in the finish now.

Final Comments: So this is a salty, coastal Highland malt that distinguishes itself from a lot of its competitors. The 12 Year Old Pulteney made us interested in the distillery, the 17 Year made us fall in love. It is an intense one and it isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you want to get more adventurous, this is an all-time KCM favorite. This whisky wins points for complexity, balance, and uniqueness, and with just a bit of water the blasts of flavor just get better. I would go so far as to say if I had to drink one whisky for the rest of my life, at this point this would be the one. We highly recommend you give this a try if you get the chance.

 

Why you’d buy it: Because at this very moment, we’re telling you to.

                                                                                                          

Why you wouldn’t: You don’t want to try something with the intensity that this whisky has.

Score:  9.75/10