“It is like a sumptuous fruit cake layered with morello cherries, dates, and raisins topped with marzipan and hazelnut cafe creme—simply sublime, charming, and generous,” says Dr Rachel Barrie. But she’s not talking about a decadent dessert. Rather, The Glendronach’s Master Blender is describing the new 30 Year Old, which was launched with the 40 Year Old in early September. The latter, she adds, is “the ultimate sherry cask elixir”, with tasting notes of black cherry and sherry-soaked chocolate gateau.
Both expressions mark an important milestone for The Glendronach Distillery, which dates back to 1826 and is known for its sherry maturation mastery. Barrie hopes these releases will help build momentum around the brand’s deep-rooted expertise in sherry casks ahead of its 200th anniversary in 2026. “Both the 30 and 40 Year Old expressions have an unparalleled depth and complexity, which has taken time to produce,” she says.
Following the relaunch of the brand’s core range last year, these new whiskies represent decades of dedication to the distillery’s craft. They showcase the profound character of Spanish sherry barrels aged slowly in traditional dunnage warehouses in the Valley of Forgue, where they are stacked in long rows on wooden rails, usually two or three high over an earth floor.
Sweet Smell Of Success
The Glendronach 30 Year Old is a highland single malt crafted from whisky matured in three different sherry cask styles. By combining spirits aged in pedro ximenez (PX), oloroso, and amontillado (a first for the brand) casks, Barrie has masterfully created an exceptional whisky with layered complexity and exceptional richness.
Eight casks from the 1990s were selected for the final assemblage: four PX, two oloroso, and two amontillado, all carefully curated to highlight their strengths. “Pedro ximenez as the first movement brings dark cherry and chocolate date, Oloroso offers spiced fruit and Brazil nut toffee, and amontillado is the icing on the cake in the third movement, with hazelnut, marzipan, and cafe creme,” Barrie explains. The result is a vibrant, luscious whisky.
She took a more intricate approach with the 40 Year Old, selecting four casks to capture the richness and refinement of The Glendronach. Two date back to 1978; one from 1983, and one from 1984. Following vatting and tasting, she married the whisky in two casks: a rich first-fill PX sherry cask and a second-fill oloroso cask. The whisky reaches its final balance during this process, which Barrie calls “elevage” (French for progress from fermentation to bottling).
“The whisky’s texture becomes more plush, sublime, and silken, with an enveloping, seamless body that leads to profound and refined flavour revelations.”
Dr Barrie on how extended maturation influences character
In response to a question about how extended maturation affects a whisky’s character, Barrie points out that it allows for a richer, more refined texture, with greater depth and complexity. “The whisky’s texture becomes more plush, sublime, and silken, with an enveloping, seamless body that leads to profound and refined flavour revelations.”
For those new to sherry cask-matured whisky, Barrie recommends The Glendronach 12 Year Old. From there, one can explore the 15 and 18 Year Old expressions to discover their preferred cask profile. “The 12 Year Old is a great place to start, as it balances PX and oloroso sherry cask maturation to create a rich, mellow sweetness and depth, with dark fruit, warm spices, and a nutty chocolate flavour profile,” she says.
As the conversation turns to 2026, we ask whether we can expect any new expressions or ranges. Barrie whispers, “The best is yet to come.”
