Glendronach 1979 SMWS 96.3 17 Year Old 51.9% abv

Colour: Red mahogany.

Nose: Typical older hyper-sherried Glendronach, lots of gunpowder, soy sauce, dried porcinis, then cigars, Spanish ham, Cointreau-in-coffee. With water: almost sublime, with parsley and beef bouillon. Chives, more parsley, marrow soup… Magnificent, really.

Mouth (neat): Huge, fat, sweet, and yet balanced arrival, ridden with all kinds of raisins. So sweeter than expected after the nose, with also big notes of sugared mocha, Cointreau again, then more spices and leather to keep it afloat. Pepper and ginger first, then cinnamon. With water: exceptional. Sweet, spicy and meaty, this is some kind of royal Tai dish.

Finish: Long, a little sweeter again.

Comments: Restless and even a little challenging, at times, but stunning with water. A great precursor and a kind of ‘hidden gem’. Great selection by the SMWS, truly a benchmark.