The Glendronach Distillery, located in the eastern Highlands of Scotland near Forgue, Aberdeenshire, is renowned for its traditional and intensely sherry-aged Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.
Since its establishment in 1826 by a group of local farmers led by James Allardice, it has made a name for itself with its robust, sherry-accentuated whiskies. Much of its fame is based on the use of ex-sherry casks, particularly Oloroso and PX, for aging its whiskies. This aging method gives Glendronach whiskies their characteristic depth and complexity, with rich fruit notes and spicy aromas.
The distillery itself possesses traditional elements, such as a rake and plough mash tun, wooden washbacks, and four stills that were coal-fired until 2005 – making it the last in Scotland to use this method. Today, steam is used for heating, but the unusual shape of the stills continues to increase the weight in the distillate and preserve the distinctive taste of Glendronach.
Glendronach was also one of the last distilleries in Scotland to use its own floor maltings, which were decommissioned in 1996. The distillery used a combination of coal and peat for drying the malted barley, giving the whisky a relatively peaty character for a Speyside Single Malt. Since its mothballing in 1996, the distillery has sourced unpeated malt from industrial sources, leading to a change in its flavor profile.
Throughout its history, Glendronach has undergone several changes in ownership and was acquired in 2016 by the Brown-Forman Corporation, which also includes BenRiach and Glenglassaugh. Under the leadership of Brown-Forman, Glendronach has maintained its commitment to traditional production methods and continued to offer a wide range of Single Malts, including expressions exclusively aged in sherry casks.
Glendronach has six on-site warehouses, three dunnage and three racked, and exclusively uses high-quality sherry casks for aging its Single Malts. After Pernod Ricard acquired the distillery, Glendronach began using ex-Bourbon casks but returned to sherry casks due to fan protests.
With a production capacity of 1.4 million liters per year, two wash stills, and two spirit stills, all equipped with reflux bows, Glendronach produces a high-quality raw whisky. The stills have a traditional Speyside shape, with a wide, rounded spherical lid and a tall conical neck, contributing to the quality and distinctive profile of Glendronach.
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