GlenDronach Port Wood 10 Year Old Scotch Whisky
GlenDronach Port Wood 10 Year Old Scotch Whisky — officially The GlenDronach Port Wood — is a 46% ABV (92 proof), 750mL Highland single malt that spends its first years in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, GlenDronach's house style, before a second maturation of three years in Port pipes from Portugal's Douro Valley, for ten years in total. Bottled non-chill-filtered with natural colour under Master Blender Rachel Barrie, it pours an intense cherry-wood red with Victoria plum, strawberry jam and blackberry crumble richness. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 46% (92 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 10 years total
- Aging: Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, then 3 years in Douro Valley Port pipes
- Origin: Forgue, Highland, Scotland — The GlenDronach Distillery
- Production: Non-chill-filtered, natural colour; Master Blender Rachel Barrie
Sherry House, Port Twist
GlenDronach built its reputation on sherry casks, and the Port Wood starts there — PX and Oloroso wood for the base maturation — before taking a turn the distillery borrowed from the 19th century, when casked Port was routinely imported into Scotland: three full years in Port pipes from the Douro Valley. The port finish piles dark berry fruit over the house's sherry depth, so the glass runs from strawberry jam and cherry blossom to gingerbread and baked orange. It is one of the most distinctive finishes on our Scotch whisky shelf; see the distillery's sherry-led core range at GlenDronach and more in the whisky collection.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Victoria plum, bramble and strawberry jam with cherry blossom, honeysuckle, sandalwood and ginger. Palate: Layered rich fruit — blackberry, roasted apple crumble and gingerbread, with baked orange and black cherry behind. Finish: Long, lingering ripe berries.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass, given a few minutes to open — the port fruit builds with air. A single drop of water lifts the gingerbread and orange. Superb after dinner in place of a pour of port itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the Port Wood finished in port casks? Three years — after initial maturation in Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks, it takes a second maturation in Port pipes from the Douro Valley, for ten years in total.
Is GlenDronach a Speyside distillery? No — GlenDronach is a Highland distillery, near Forgue by Huntly in Aberdeenshire, despite occasional retailer listings that say Speyside.
Is it chill-filtered or colored? Neither — it is bottled at 46% ABV non-chill-filtered with natural colour.
Sherry depth, port fruit, ten full years — buy GlenDronach Port Wood online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.