Reviving the Revival
A Scot on Scotch reviews the GlenDronach 15 year old “Revival” Single Malt Scotch Whisky…
The GlenDronach has developed a reputation as a go-to malt for lovers of sherry-matured whisky over the last decade or so but the brand’s popularity has also proved to be its biggest hurdle.
In 2015, fans were left distraught at news of the discontinuation of the extremely popular 15 year old ‘Revival’ expression. Unfortunately, the distillery simply didn’t have the stock to keep up with demand and the 15 was pulled. Its loss was mourned on a dramatic scale with many whisky lovers holding on to the hope that it would eventually return one day.
Various rumours have circulated since its disappearance but it was when an apparently leaked US label application appeared online earlier this year that the internet whisky community got really excited. Sure enough, the most anticipated of malts was about to return to the market, albeit in a slightly different format and at a slightly inflated price.
GlenDronach Distillery
GlenDronach was founded in 1826 by a group of local farmers that were led by James Allardice. Like many of its contemporaries, the distillery has had ups and downs over its near-200 year lifespan, with its most recent closure coming in 1996, and lasting until 2002.
In 2008, it was acquired by the Billy Walker-led BenRiach Distilling Co and they launched the Revival single malt in 2009. However, the distillery’s recent closure had created a huge gap in mature stocks, and the team had to use older spirit to fill out the blend. By the time Revival was pulled in 2015, the whisky in the bottle was closer to 19 or 20 years old.
It’s no wonder then, that this richly sherried, 20-year-old-masquerading-as-a-15-year-old was so popular. It’s also no wonder, however, that it was deemed unsustainable and pulled from circulation.
Now the Revival has been revived, the inevitable question of how it compares with its predecessor, hangs in the air. Of course, the new version is on a hiding to nothing because it can’t compete with the original version’s tendency to use much older stock in the recipe.
For the record, I tasted both old and new, side-by-side at the Good Spirits Co. in Glasgow. The new 15 put up a decent fight against a 2015 offering, but couldn’t really compete with the weight and depth of the sherry influence found in the older one. As a new-to-market, 15 year old single malt however, it’s a fine dram in its own right.
The GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival Review
Matured in a combination of Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso casks (the original was the latter only) it is bottled at 46% abv and retails for around £60 a bottle.
Tasting notes: There’s a lot of sherry on the nose (as you’d expect). Expect raisins, sultanas, figs and prunes with over-brewed tea, maple syrup and burnt toast. On the palate I found chocolate raisins, treacle, nutmeg & clove and some drying oak.
Thoughts: Whilst it appears pricier than its ancestor, I suspect the original Revival wouldn’t be far off this price now had it stuck around since 2015. In any case, it’s probably good enough dram to warrant the price.
Although the (almost) identical labelling invites comparison with the original version, the new Revival is a different dram. It’s still GlenDronach, it’s still sherry dominated, but it should be viewed as a new experience, all the same. If we look at it as a brand new release, without the baggage, then it should be well received. For me, there doesn’t seem any point in holding it to the impossible standard of the original version.
Leave a Reply