I have to admit that I love heavily sherried whiskies. The Macallan is usually my go to whisky but in the past few years I have learned to appreciate the beauty of Glendronach. Here are my tasting notes on two 18 year old from two very respected distilleries.
 Photo Credit: www.caskstrength.net |
Macallan 18 Sherry Oak (43% ABV) | Glendronach 18 Allardice (46% ABV) |
 Photo Credit: |
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| Just the right amount of sherry sweetness (not overpowering), crème brulee, orange zest. Gives you a preview of beautiful things to come. | Nose | Like the Macallan, a beautiful sherry scent just a little bit sweeter but softer, some cherry notes also. | ||
| A sudden burst of big and creamy flavors…plums, figs, heavy on the fruit cake that you get during the holidays that no one eats, some citrus, spice, dark chocolate, dry oak, vanilla, very complex yet balanced. | Palate | What a beautiful dram… exotic fruits hit you right away, some honey, walnuts… lots of walnuts, some cereal notes, pound cake soaked in sherry, then some oranges and a bit of milk chocolate and black cherries. | ||
| Long and deep. Makes you want to pour another dram. | Finish | Long but a bit dry at the end. | ||
| Whiskies distilled in 1986 and in earlier yearsNote: This is not a Vintage. The last Macallan 18 vintage was bottled in 1986 using the old bottle. | Notes | Olorosso Sherry Cask |
CONCLUSION
Which is better?
We had a Sherry Monster battle just recently held by members of Whisky Blasphemy. 2 members voted for Macallan and 2 voted for Glendronach. This is a hard one. I personally voted for Macallan simply because Macallan has a deeper dark chocolate notes and has a longer finish. I also found Macallan more balanced, but that’s me talking. My preference and tasting notes means nothing. You have to taste both these excellent whiskies and make your own decision. It’s going to be hard to decide which is better. But why decide ? Enjoy both ! It’s a Win Win situation. Here is something to consider. The Macallan 18 costs US $200- 220 while the Glendronach is only US $105- 115. Price point wise, you get more with Glendronach.
“ Don’t take Whisky too seriously. It’s just Whisky. Enjoy it every which way you want. Don’t let anyone tell you how you should enjoy your whisky. Slainte !!! “
Jun Nunez of Whisky Blasphemy
Nice head-to-head….But the winner is……… GlenDronach 15yo Revival ! So neither of these ;-D
Glendronach always the winner. Macallan is the Michelob of beer — far from the best but priced like it is the best — the power of good marketing. Please note that the Glendronach was originally $70, and the Macallan was $160. The value is clear. I have 59 different Glendronach. I have 4 Macallans from before I knew better.
Hello Tom,
My name’s Brian, I really like Glendronach and I wanna get more information about it. Could you share with me about your experience and 59 different Glendronach.
My email’s TrucBrian@gmail.com
I am looking forward to hearing form you.
Have a good day!