The Glendronach has just dropped not one, but two whiskies that will raise your eyebrows higher than the price of a round in Soho.
and
Pretty impressive stuff. Let’s find out what they’re all about.
Sherry since before it was cool
Glendronach has been banging the sherry drum since 1826, right back to the first age of sherry-cask whisky. This was when people were actually drinking sherry, so there were a lot of empty barrels knocking about waiting to be given a new life.
Nestled in the Valley of Forgue in the Highlands, the distillery has nearly two centuries of history coaxing magic from Spanish oak casks. While other producers flirt with Tequila finishes, Glendronach just doubles down on what it knows best: Oloroso. Pedro Ximénez (PX).
For sherry cask lovers, Glendronach represents an ol’ reliable choice. Like that band that still has its old core lineup and can fill arenas decades later.
The Glendronach 30 Year Old
Enter the 30 Year Old
That doesn’t mean it isn’t capable of surprise. The Glendronach 30 Year Old is a three-part harmony of PX, oloroso, and amontillado. The latter is making its Glendronach debut. It promises to add nutty, sweet, and dry elegance to the mix. Like a horn section to our previously established band.
I haven’t tasted either, so I can only interpret what to expect from the official tasting notes (why just copy and paste them, it’s boring, right?). On the nose, morello cherries, marzipan, and Brazil nut brittle. The palate rolls in with glazed cherries, sultana cake, cinnamon-spiced nuts, and chocolate hazelnut praline, while the finish lingers like a fruitcake encore.
The presentation, naturally, has a touch of theatre. The Glendronach 30 Year Old is housed in a walnut veneer case etched with 30 facets, one for each year this whisky sat quietly in the dunnage warehouses waiting for its moment in the spotlight.
The Glendronach 40 Year Old
Enter the 40 Year Old
Most brands release a 30-year-old into their range, and that’s the headline. For The Glendronach, it’s remarkably more of a warm-up act*.
The Glendronach 40 Year Old comes as the kind of two-for-one the universe must be giving us because of all that karma I stole (you’re welcome). It’s been in cask since the mid-1980s, lounging in PX and oloroso butts, slowly evolving until it was bottled at cask strength, 43.9% ABV.
Here’s another interpretation of the official tasting note: The nose sounds like you’re walking into a sherry bodega that doubles as a patisserie: black cherries, stewed plums, chocolate gateau soaked in PX, and a punch of roasted coffee. The palate then promises a tidal wave of blackcurrant compote, prune syrup, molasses, and velvety cinnamon-dusted espresso. The finish? Let’s just say if you sip this at 9pm, you’ll still be tasting it at breakfast.
The packaging is swanky here, too, of course. This time, a rosewood case with brass fittings and a golden plinth. I guess if you’ve just waited forty years to bottle a whisky, you’ve earned a bit of drama.
The Glendronach Distillery is known for its sherried whisky
The Last Drop: The Glendronach 30 and 40 Year Old arrives
The Glendronach 30 Year Old and 40 Year Old single malt whiskies are here, and they’re absolute monsters of sherry cask maturation. Expect fruitcake, nuts, chocolate, velvet texture, and finishes that last longer than your New Year’s resolutions.
For whisky nerds, these bottlings are likely out of reach. The 30 Year Old is basically a grand (£999.95), and the 40 is five (£4999.95). That’s the whisky market in 2025. For collectors, they’re another crown jewel. If you do get a chance to taste them, no doubt you will be impressed. They’re at least a counterpoint to the hype-chasing of “weird cask of the week” releases.
This is a distillery that is sticking to its guns. Sherry, sherry, and more sherry. When you do that one thing exceptionally well, you don’t need gimmicks.
You can buy The Glendronach 30 Year Old and 40 Year Old from Master of Malt now.
*Although it could be the better whisky. You won’t know until you try…
