Distillery in Focus: GlenDronach
Region: Highlands (Aberdeenshire)
Name: GlenDronach ( "valley of the blackberries (brambleberries)". Other names: Glenronach
Status: Active
Website: http://glendronachdistillery.com
Telephone: 0131 456 2670
E-Mail: info@glendronachdistillery.co.uk
Address: Forgue By Huntly, AB54 6DB, 57°29'3.18"N 2°37'30.74"W
Visitor centre: Yes
Owner: The BenRiach Distillery Company Ltd
Established in 1826
Stills: 2 wash and 2 spirit stills
Casks used for maturation: Mainly sherry
Percentage of single malts: 50%
Contribute(d) to the following blends: Ballantine's, Teachers
Regular Bottling:
GlenDronach 12 YO 43%
GlenDronach 15 YO 46% Revival
GlenDronach 18 YO 46% Allardice
GlenDronach 31 YO 45.8% Grandeur
GlenDronach 33 YO
40%
GlenDronach Finish
Several "finish" version are currently available (2011): Sauternes, Virgin Oak, Tawny Port, and Moscatel.
Other bottlings:
In addition to the core range, several batches of single casks have been released, the batch 1 in July 2009, followed by the batch 2 in July 2010, batch 3 in November 2010 and batch 4 & 5 to be released in 2011. In addition, several single casks for customers have been bottled.
For the tasted whiskies, click here
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| From left to right: The Glendronach 150th Anniversary, the very rare Glendronach 19 YO bottled exclusively for the US market and the core range (since 2008: 12 Yo, 15 YO Revival, 18 YO Allardice and the 33 YO. |
History of the GlenDronach distillery
In 1826, James Allardice (Allardyce or Allardes) founded the distillery in a partnership. John Allardyce took over in 1837. The company was acquired by Walter Scott in 1852, managing director (jointly with Alexander Ross). In 1874. Walter Scott became the first president of the Malt Distillers’ Association of Scotland. In 1887, the distillery was registered under the name John Sommerville & Co, before being acquired in 1916 by the Crown. The distillery was then closed until1920, when Captain Charles Grant, the son of the founder of the Glenfiddich distillery acquired the distillery for £9000. To guarantee the supplies of Glendronach for their Teachers’ blend, William Teacher & Sons bought over the distillery in 1960 and expended the number of stills from 2 to 4. William Teacher & Sons became part of Allied Breweries Ltd in 1976. In 1996, Allied Distillers decided to mothball the distillery. Production resumed in 2001 and 3 years later, in 2005, Chivas took over Allied Distillers and thus become part of Chivas Brothers. Due to legal restriction, Glendronach is converted from coal fire to steam heating the same year. Glendronach was the last coal fired distillery in Scotland. In 2008, the distillery is bought by The BenRiach Distillery Company and the name of the single malt changed from “Glendronach” to “GlenDronach”.
Source: Distillery visit, The Making of Scotch whisky by John R. Hume & Michael S. Moss, The Whisky distilleries of Scotland and Irelandby P. Morrice, The Scotch whisky industry record by H. Charles, Craig, The Scotch Whisky Distilleries by Misako Udo.
Patrick Brossard © 13 Jun 2011
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| The old malting floors at GlenDronach |
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| The copper mash tun | and view over the still house |
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| The filling store at GlenDronach distillery. |
Official/original bottlings (OB) Age Glendronach 8 YO “Teacher’s”, OB, 40%, B: 1980s Rating: 13/20 Glendronach 8 YO, OB, 45.4%, D: 1973 Rating: 14/20 Glendronach 12 YO, 40%, OB: B: 2005 Rating: 12/20 Glendronach 15 YO 100% Sherry, OB, 40%, B: 2003 Rating: 13/20 Glendronach 15 YO Revival, 46%, OB, B: 2009 Rating: 15/20 Glendronach 18 YO Allardice, 46%, OB, B: 2009 Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 21 YO Parliament, OB, 48%, B: 2011 Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 31 YO Grandeur, OB, 45.8%, B: 2010 Rating: 17/20 Glendronach 33 YO, OB, 40%, D: 1971 Rating: 15/20 Vintages GlenDronach 1971, 38 YO, OB, 49.4%, B:2009, c 483, 544 b. Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 1971, 39 YO, 48.8%, B: 2010. c. 489, 541 b. Rating: 15/20 GlenDronach 1972, 37 YO, OB, 54.8%, B: 2009, c. 719 474 b. Rating: 19/20 GlenDronach 1972 for LMDW, 37 YO, OB, 53.3%, B:2009, c. 705, 275 b. Rating: 15/20 GlenDronach 1972, 38 YO, OB, 51.5%, B: 2010, c. 718, 396 b. Rating: 16/20 GlenDronach 1978, 31 YO, OB, 51.2%, B: 2010, c. 1040, 645 b. Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 1985 for Lateltin, 25 YO, OB, 54.1%; B: 2011, c. 1034, 603 b. Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 1989, 20 YO, OB, 53.2%, B: 2010, c. 3315, 522 b. Rating: 15/20 GlenDronach 1990 , 20 YO, OB, 57.9%, B: 2010, c. 2621, 546 b. Rating: 13/20 GlenDronach 1990 Single Cask for Switzerland, 20 YO, OB, 49.8%, B: 2011, cask 1241, 691 bottles Rating: 15/20 GlenDronach 1991, 18 YO, 51.7%, B: 2010, c. 3182, 632 b. Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 1992 for Parker, OB, 17 YO, 58.8%, B: 2009, cask 401, 626 b. Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 1992, 16 YO, OB, 57.2%, B: 2009 c. 1140 598b Rating: 17/20 
GlenDronach 1992 selected by The Whisky Club and Versailles, 16 YO, OB, 60.8%,B: 2009, cask 39, 306 b. Rating: 18/20 GlenDronach 1993, 16 YO, OB, 60.4%, B: 2009, c 523, 634 b Rating: 17/20 GlenDronach 1993 for LMDW, 16 YO, OB, 61.7%. cask 528 Rating: 16/20 GlenDronach 1993, 17 YO, OB, 60.5%, B: 2010, c. 529. 604 . Rating: 16/20 GlenDronach 1994 Oloroso Puncheon for Parker, OB, 14 YO, 58.5%, B: 2009, cask 2311, 596 bottles Rating: 14/20 
GlenDronach 1996, 13 YO, OB, 59.4%, B: 2009, c 193 399 b. Rating: 14/20 GlenDronach 2002 for LMDW, 8 YO, OB, 59.9%, B: 2010, c. 694, 258 b. Rating: 13/20 GlenDronach 1995 Pedro Ximinez for UK, 15 YO, OB, 56.2%, B: 2011, c. 4681, 725 b. Rating: 16/20 No Age Specified (NAS)
Independent bottlings (IB) Cadenhead's Glendronach 1988, 10 YO, Cadenhead, 61.3%, B: 1999. 426 b Rating: 16/20 Douglas Laing Glendronach 1985OMC sherry finish, 20 YO, D. Laing, B: 2006, ref 1488, 239 b. Rating: 16/20 Dun Bheagan Glendronach 1975, 34 YO, Dun Bheagan, 47.8%, B: 2009, cask 1704, 226 bottles. Rating: 18/20 Murray McDavid Glendronach 1975 Mission IV, 23 YO, MMD, 46%, B: 1998 Rating: 16/20 Glendronach 1990, 13 YO, Murray McDavid, 46%, MM579 Rating: 09/20 Samaroli Glendronach 1970, Samaroli, 43%, 480 b. Rating: 18/20 Signatory Glendronach 1970, 20 YO, Signatory, 56%, B: 1990, cask 513-8, 1800 b. Rating: 18/20 Glendronach 1977, Signatory, 47.5%, B: 2005, c. 3720, 147 b
Rating: 14/20 Glendronach 1987, 9 YO, Signatory, 43%, B: 1997, c. 62 Rating: 12/20
