Dr Rachel Barrie takes us through The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 11 | The Whisky Club

Dr Rachel Barrie, Master Blender at The GlenDronach Distillery, introduces The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 11.
Bottled at a full-bodied cask strength of 59.8% and fully matured in first-fill Pedro Ximénez & Oloroso Sherry casks, this is a Sherry Bomb of resounding depths. Batch 11 is the last instalment of this Club-favourite series to make it as Whisky of the Month - and we’ve eked out the lion’s share to bring you a cracking good start to the New Year.
Since ascending the throne to become the quintessential Sherry-matured Scotch, there’s now a global shortage for The GlenDronach as demand has sky-rocketed. But for years The Club has been bringing The GlenDronach Cask Strength series to Members, so thanks to our perennial partnership with these connoisseurs of the Sherry cask we’ve got you covered.
As usual, this powerhouse has released a preeminent single malt: a robust and indulgently slow maturation first-fill fruit bomb that your fellow Clubbers won't be able to get enough of.
“This eleventh batch of The GlenDronach Cask Strength embodies The GlenDronach‘s celebrated style of Spanish Oak maturation in fine Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Sherry casks from Andalucía,” says Dr Rachel Barrie, Master Blender of The GlenDronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh distilleries since 2016. And she’s bringing this to the table at a whopping 59.8% ABV, non-chill filtered and natural in colour.
Unravel this iconic release from one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries, discovering a decadent and viscous array of dark honeyed treacle, chocolate-coated raisins, topped with lashings of maple syrup. And that’s not even the finish. With orange and clove liqueur and maraschino cherries, this full-bodied dram will be best enjoyed under a clear night sky in front of the campfire this January. Maybe even with a plate of lightly spiced Spanish doughnuts in hand.
In our penultimate Whisky of the Year awards, thousands of Members voted Batch 10 in to rival that coveted number one spot and it ended up landing itself a silver medal in second place.
Unlike its resonant finish, we don’t expect this limited release to linger long on our shelves. Batch 11 isn’t available anywhere else in Australia, and Batch 9 & 10 are both long gone and duly coveted by those who missed out. Don’t have any regrets a year or two down the line - delve into this absolute dream of a Sherry Bomb this summer and ensure you get those Double Ups into place before midnight on Sunday 8 January.
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GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 11 is available exclusively from The Whisky Club as our Whisky of the Month for January 2020. Not yet a Member? Sign Up now for FREE at www.thewhiskyclub.com.au

[@ARad-ul7kd]

Batch 11 is stunning. I'm not even past half way on my first bottle and I ordered a second!

[@TheWhiskyClubAus]

It's an exemplary cask strength Sherry Bomb isn't it!

[@colbs3440]

This batch is fantastic. Truly a treat!

[@gman5986]

How does Batch 11 compare to Batch 10 which seemed to be very popular ?

[@colbs3440]

@@gman5986 I unfortunately didn't get to try Batch 10 but the 11 is excellent. Obviously a sherry bomb and it really has a good bit of oak and spicy notes. Great mouth feel and an incredible finish. Can't go wrong in fact I bought 2 bottles of it when I had the chance.

[@G_Sobek]

Looking forward to this one!

[@hannahrosa5777]

Oof can’t wait for this one 😍

[@herostrates80]

There are two Glendronachs... the one with Billy Walker and the one after Billy Walker.

[@gman5986]

How does Batch 11 compare to Batch 10 which seemed to be very popular ?

[@TheWhiskyClubAus]

More PX cask in this one, you'll find tasting notes for both on our website 🥃

[@pultsari9036]

Just grabbed a bottle of this for myself, as today a small amount (I presume) of this batch became available here in Finland. I think I'm going try and have the willpower to save opening it for Christmas. I didn't understand the sad aspect for this occasion, what is the reason for batch 11 being the last CS GlenDronach being featured as whisky of the month?

[@TheWhiskyClubAus]

The Batch 11 was the last time we ever saw this series as a Whisky of the Month. The Batch 12, the final in the series, has been launched in Australia with the Club in as limited Add In only due to much smaller production numbers.

[@keegan1728]

Batch 9 was awful, but everything else I’ve had from the brand was exceptional… so I’ll give the Batch 11 a try.

[@k2hsharpe]

perhaps a foolish question, but does wearing lipstick interfer in anyway way with tasting?

[@TheWhiskyClubAus]

Not a foolish question! As anyone who wears it will likely tell you, lipstick can come off on glasswear/cutlery while you or drink but it doesn't end up in your mouth - so it won't interfere in the whisky tasting process at all :-) On an interesting note, perfume and cologne isn't generally worn by distillery workers and blenders as this of course can interfere.

[@cookieMonsterSincho]

What about age? How old is it?

[@TheWhiskyClubAus]

This was listed as a No Age Statement release, meaning it's got a mix of anything between 3-12 years in it!

[@BobbyLucero-qy5vn]

Chill filtration?