Glendronach 12 Year Old

Some folks (such as Jim Murray) think relatively highly of Glendronach, which is owned by Pernod Richard. It is a strikingly colored whisky with rich crimson color, most likely from the sherry ageing. Like its Speyside co-habitant Abelour (also in the Pernod empire), it is a double cask matured whisky, meaning it spends time aging in both sherry wood and traditional oak barrels. The bottle gives no information about the amount of time spent in each, and unfortunately Pernod Richard seems to be spending most of its time and effort promoting Chivas (its blended whisky) and the Glenlivet (referred to as a "premium malt", though I don't know what makes it supposedly better than others in their portfolio). You'll have to turn to independent websites such as MaltMadness for distillery information, because there doesn't appear to be an independent website for the whisky. The nose has tons of sherry notes and some woodiness, perhaps sawdust. Mouthfeel without water is hot, but round. Once I added water it softens and becomes richer, more lush, but not really more complex. It is pleasant, but I wouldn't call it a knock-out.