Glendronach Distillery

Founded in 1826, one of the first licenced Scottish distilleries, The Glendronach was started in the Forgue
Valley by a group of local farmers headed by James Allardice, an early pioneer of sherry cask maturation. Mastered and refined by the distillery over their
almost 200 year history, including destruction, rebuilding, ownership changes, and expansion, this has become Glendronach’s signature style.

Matured in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso Spanish oak sherry casks, the former imparts rich fruit flavours and dark, natural colour, while the latter imparts dry and nutty notes. Some Glendronach’s are 100% sherry-matured while others are sherry-finished after starting in ex-bourbon casks. The Spanish oak itself is also prized for the intense flavour and deep colour that its porosity and high tannin content impart.

Mashing, fermenting, and distilling are all done onsite, with a cast iron bodied, copper domed traditional rake and plough mash tun, nine Scottish Larchwood washbacks, and four copper pot stills (two 18,000L wash stills and two 9,000L spirits stills). The wash stills are notable for their unusual saxophone shape, which lowers the reflux, resulting in a weightier and more robust spirit, perfect for creating complex depth and
flavour when married with sherry cask maturation. The maturation is then done in six warehouses, half of which use traditional dunnage and the other half modern racking.