Watch: GlenDronach whisky distillery offers a single cask for sale for the first time in its history
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Launched by ‘Ladies of the night’ in 1826, GlenDronach scotch whisky is selling a whole cask at auction for £260,00-£340,000 for the first time to celebrate the birth of scotch whisky 200 years ago
This whisky, called “The One And Only”, celebrates the bicentenary of the Excise Act passed in 1823 which marked the official birth of Scotch whisky 200 years ago.
Legend has it that when James Allardice, the founder of GlenDronach whisky took his product to Edinburgh in 1826 he ended up rejected.
Pub landlords said: “We already have our stocks for the season, but we’ll bear you in mind for next year.”
James could not sell a bottle.
But as he made his way back to his lodgings two young ladies of the night accosted him to ask that he buy them a drink.
He said he had his own whisky GlenDronach and would they like to try it?
The result was such a memorable party that as news of this new Scotch spread the following morning by word of mouth suddenly everyone in town wanted to know why women were making such fuss over a new drink, they hadn't ever heard of.
In the local pubs, people came in and began to ask for the whisky by name.
GlenDronach had arrived!
Today a GlenDronach whisky has achieved a top price of £40,000 for a single bottle at auction and is regarded by experts as one of the top five producers of fine single malts in Scotland.
Not surprisingly it has become the drink of choice for those in the know.
Now, for the first time ever, the entire contents of a cask of GlenDronach whisky will go under the auction hammer: on October 23, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, outside Paris.
Auction house, Aguttes, will be selling the 630 bottles drawn from this unique cask, lovingly aged for 30 years.
Pierre-Luc Nourry, Aguttes specialist in the "Wines and Spirits" department commented: "We are offering you the unique opportunity to acquire the entire contents of an oloroso puncheon cask – namely, an exclusive lot of one of the most representative single malts in the style of whisky produced by The Glendronach, much prized by whisky lovers the world over. GlenDronach is one of the five most sought-after brands at auction worldwide.
"In this instance, this 30-year-old whisky characteristic of the distillery's expertise offers high investment potential."
Flavour notes: The wood of the cask impregnated by the oloroso reveals, after slow ageing, a whisky with a deep mahogany colour and a nose marked by notes of dried fruit, hawthorn, wild honey and dark chocolate-covered cherry.
The sweet aroma of nuts, grapes and spicy notes of nutmeg and cinnamon add to the complexity of this malt, which has infused for three decades. These aromas continue on the palate, with notes of baked apple, kirsch cherry and walnut.
The finish reveals a beautiful acidity, tannic, rounded by the grape notes and the sweetness of the cherry. A whisky to be savoured, with which every second is a pleasure for the senses.
Estimated at €300,000/400,000 and 30 years old, this will be the first time that the contents of such a cask will go under the hammer since the distillery was founded.
Distilled in 1992, when stills were still heated with coal and traditional malting floors were still in use, The GlenDronach 30YO “The One and Only” is a testament to this expertise, embodying the character of Highland single malts in the most authentic way possible.
There are many different types of whisky in Scotland, produced in several regions. On the islands, whiskies are often influenced by sea spray, while in the Highlands they have an earthier character, close to the “classic” Scotch whisky we have long known. So the use of foreign casks (Portuguese, Spanish or French) for ageing means that some distilleries can get off the beaten track, giving their whiskies originality and character. This tradition adds aromatic richness and originality to a traditional product that can sometimes be a little subdued. The more time passes, the more the whisky acquires concentrated aromas in contact with the wood, which is one of the specialities of The Glendronach distillery.
An oloroso cask imported from Jerez (Andalusia) became home to The GlenDronach 30YO “The One and Only”, distilled in November 1992, ensuring the finest possible maturation over three decades. Only a very small number of casks with exceptional character can be used for as long as 30 years.
This rare bottling is thus an event in the almost two-hundred-year history of The GlenDronach distillery.
The master blender, in this case Rachel Barrie, plays a crucial role in deciding when to bottle the whisky. Because once bottled, it no longer evolves. The buyer of a whisky like this gains a precious piece of history, for time is suspended in this elixir.
Selected by Rachel Barrie, this is the first single cask to go to auction since The GlenDronach distillery was founded.
The first woman to become Cellar Master in 2003, Rachel Barrie joined The GlenDronach distillery in 2015, having previously worked in other major Scottish distilleries.
