There are a few whiskies that will bring a wistful twinkle, and maybe even a tear, to the eyes of a whisky geek. The GlenDronach Revival Aged 15 Years is one of them.
When it was discontinued in 2015, it sparked a mad dash to the nearest whisky store or website as any aficionado who knew his or her whisky stockpiled as many bottles as possible. Predictably, once it was gone, the price quickly tripled, fetching £150-£160 instead of the previous £50-£60.
And now, GlenDronach has brought it back - fulfilling a three-year-old promise - and made it available worldwide. The whisky community, and this includes me, is delirious with joy.
GlenDronach master blender Rachel Barrie is certainly aware that this is a big deal:
“Today marks the return of The GlenDronach Revival Aged 15 years, an iconic aged expression of critical acclaim, revered by connoisseurs around the globe. After years of slumber, this relaunched expression embodies The GlenDronach signature style of Spanish Oak maturation in fine Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía.”
The Revival is so celebrated especially for its maturation: It's known as one of the "sherry bombs" that sets the standard for sherry-matured whisky. Usually, such whiskies feature aromas of cherries, raisins, plums, toffee, dark chocolate, cloves, ginger, and other aromatic and rich attractions. Priced at £62 - and often better than whiskies double or triple the price - it's also one of the more affordable sherry bombs currently available, especially for its age.
Introduced in the 1990s, that iteration didn’t last long as GlenDronach was mothballed in 1996. It owes its rescue and subsequent renown to the BenRiach Company's purchase of GlenDronach, which returned Revival to production, bottled at 46% ABV (Alcohol By Volume) with its first release in 2009.
The new revived bottle of the Revival has already won the highest ranking of Double Gold at San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Since the Revival was discontinued, the distillery (and its holding company) was bought by Louisville-based drinks giant Brown-Forman (owner of Jack Daniel’s) in 2016. It’s good to see that so far the company isn't getting in the way of letting a truly superb distillery do what it does best, especially as this exceptional whisky makes its triumphant return.
