Home Tasting: GlenDronach 1990 23 Year Old Official Memories of Scotland

Compared to other GlenDronach Pedro Ximenez bottlings, this was exceptionally natural. GlenDronach GLENDRONACH 1990-2014 23yo OB MEMORIES OF SCOTLAND #2190 53.1% one of 688 bottles, Pedro Ximenez Sherry Puncheon ・Aroma: Gentle yet slightly heavy, robust sherry with dried fruits, raisins, plum jam, caramel, bitter chocolate-covered dry orange, American coffee, a floral note reminiscent of roses, a slightly clay-like earthiness, vegetable and herb notes from steamed vegetables, nuts, gentle woodiness, and a subtle grainy quality from the depths. Very complex. ・Flavor: Smooth mouthfeel for its alcohol content, gentle sherry with caramel and berry jam, coffee, the same clay-like earthiness and steamed vegetable notes. A pleasant grainy quality with a hint of ginger, surprisingly not overly viscous. Jammy but not excessively sweet, tannic astringency provides structure, with a faint acidity and well-balanced body. ・Finish: Cleanly cut with good balance, though the finish is not particularly long. ・Dilution: Does not break down. Becomes more approachable in flavor. ・Overall Impression: The natural sherry character, free from the recent over-fermented sherry notes or raw woody characteristics often found in GlenDronach, is striking. It's not overly sweet or tannic, with a pleasant acidity, making it an exceptionally balanced and drinkable sherried GlenDronach. 【Good/Very Good】 This year, a group of bartenders including Campbelltown Loch's representative visited Scotland and decided on the bottling after trying several samples at the GlenDronach distillery. It's a Pedro Ximenez Puncheon from the 1990 distillation, aged for 23 years. I drank it at Yurakucho and then purchased it. GlenDronach's official bottlings include many Pedro Ximenez cask expressions, and personally I find them to have a slightly sweet and faintly bitter nuance. When combined with younger grain notes, it can feel somewhat like a Danish pastry, not an overtly unpleasant characteristic but slightly distracting while drinking. This distraction is often felt in finish-oriented expressions, yet this bottle, despite spending its entire maturation period in Pedro Ximenez casks, surprisingly lacks that nuance. Perhaps it's more akin to the PX cask characteristics GlenDronach later became known for, rather than the original 1990 style. The sherry character is well-balanced and not overpowering, making it easy to detect complex components in both aroma and flavor. The sweetness is moderate without being cloying, the tannins are well-balanced, and with minimal unpleasant sherry elements, it's impressively drinkable without fatigue. It's the type of whisky that makes you keep reaching for another glass, and it disappears quickly once opened.