Review #971 - GlenDronach 21 Year Parliament (2020)
Under Billy Walker's stewardship, the GlenDronach distillery and brand were completely revamped from an inconsistent, little-known producer into a fan-loved sherry-dominant powerhouse. Much of the love comes from their wide range of age-stated single malts, but due to a history of mothball periods, GlenDronach had to fill in some gaps in those aged malts with older stock to ensure they remained available.
Here we have one example: a GlenDronach 21 Year Parliament bottled in 2020. Because of the temporary closure from 1996 to 2002, we know the whisky in this bottle was distilled in 1995 at the latest (this chart from WordsofWhisky.com is a great aid); that means that this whisky is, at a minimum, 24 to 25 years old, despite that 21 year age statement which was left intact for the sake of consistency.
The casks used to mature this whisky was a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks; in the end, they bottled this pricy whisky at a strength of 48% ABV.
GlenDronach 21 Year Parliament (2020)
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 350 (2026)
Age Statement: 21 Years
Strength: 48% ABV
Cask Makeup: Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks
Details: Bottled 2020
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 3 months from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Musty, rich, and dense. Nice intensity, and we start with savory old oak, old leather books, and damp wood. There's a soft syrupy sweetness which builds, and soon we get pecans, walnuts, and strong fig scents. Old rich sherry notes continue - sour plum, oranges, a bit of beef. In the background, there's a lovely musty malt character that we really only find in whiskies distilled in the 1990s or earlier - old school character.
Palate: Quite oaky, but also intense sweetness from caramel, chocolate, and decadent stewed fruits: dates, prunes, raisins. Leather, tannins, brown sugar, and cinnamon arrive in the second wave, and then we get tiramisu, fudge, fizzy cranberry sherbet, and a hint of a savory note like pork. Just like the nose, there's this funky old malt or grain note in the background which adds nice depth.
Finish: Dark acidic fruits continue from the palate: raisins and prunes, maybe a candied cranberry. It grows more subtle; old furniture oak, dark chocolate, and marzipan build, and we get chocolate-covered wafers, plums, and a lighter stone fruit. The syrupy texture lingers nicely; it's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: This is a decadent treat - a big ol' dessert whisky. It's intensely sherried, and while that does often contribute a lot of dark stewed fruits, we also found loads of chocolate and caramel, even the occasional coffee-like flavor. It does lean sweet overall, although the heavy oak influence adds a drying balance at times.
Behind that, that old malty flavor arrives; it's hard to describe, but it's musty, borderline vegetal, but it somehow integrates very well with the other flavors. We generally only find that note on whiskies distilled in the 1970s, 1980s, or maybe 1990s, and it's a real treat when we do find it.
Overall, this is an excellent whisky, one to savor. Really the only thing holding it back from a higher score is the intensity; 48% ABV is solid, but this could be unbelievably good with a higher strength, which offers the potential of even more intensity and complexity/dense flavors.
When we look at value for this bottle, it is below average on our scale, mostly because of the high price. It's actually quite hard to find a consistent price on these older versions of GlenDronach 21 Parliament which are extra aged - auction prices vary wildly. Because of that, we settled on the price that the current release sells for, which is a hefty $350+ in our area. That sort of price is asking a lot of any whisky, and while this one is great, there is of course better value to be found elsewhere.
Our Rating: 8.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 4.78
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other GlenDronach reviews:
Review #961 - Glendronach Ode to the Dark
