Whisky review: GlenDronach 18

GlenDronach has undergone some ups and downs in the past few years. In 1996, the distillery was mothballed (put into hibernation) and was re-opened in 2002. In 2008, it was sold to the BenRiach Distillery Company, the same private company that owns the BenRiach distillery.

GlenDronach is committed to producing heavily-sherried whiskies. This 18-year-old is named "Allardice," after the founder of the distillery, James Allardice, and has been matured solely in oloroso sherry casks made from Spanish oak.

GlenDronach 18, 46% ABV

Single malt Scotch whisky (Highlands)

Nose: Spicy raisins, dark fruits, jammy sherry. A very thick nose that lets you know a lot of sherry has gone into this...

Palate: Sherry, dark berries and fruits (oranges, plums). A deep flavor that is kept vibrant by a good alcohol content.

Finish: Spices and toasted wood that keep lingering, turning to lighter fruits as time goes on.

Rating (of 100): 90. Tasty and not cloyingly sweet, though I don't think I could take more than a few drams because this is a big whisky. The heft of the sherry in this makes a Macallan 18's sherry content seem comparable to that in a glass of tap water.