Glendronach Parliament 21 Year Old Scotch Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: A

Parliament 21 Year Old sits at the top of Glendronach’s core range, and that is not just because of the two decade age statement. The whisky spent those many years in a mix of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. So, this single malt isn’t just finished in Sherry casks or aged for 12 or 15 years in them; instead, you’ve got some real time spent entirely in two different types of Sherry casks, making for some real potential joy for Sherried whisky lovers. And my, does it live up to that potential.

As a side note, the single malt isn’t named Parliament for the governing body of Britain. In this instance, the word refers to a flock of birds, specifically the rooks that nest in the trees surrounding Glendronach Distillery.

The whisky is bottled a bit stronger than usual for a Scotch whisky, at 48% ABV. It is not chill filtered and has seen no coloring added.

The Scotch
This whisky shows that long Sherry cask aging straight away, as a pour of it shows a dull and reddened amber coloring. It’s a look that is quite bourbonesque, in fact. This swish left behind a leggy curtain.

The nose was light and wispy, but not so much that I had to chase after the scent. Nonetheless, it certainly doesn’t jump out of the glass at you; you’ll need to go to it. Once you get there, though, it’s Black Forest Cake with dried cherries and butterscotch drizzle on top, served on a platter of green wood.

A sip revealed an oily texture and a subtle character. There is no doubt it’s a Sherried whisky, and it has body to be sure, but it’s certainly no Sherry bomb. Once again, you need to step into this dance, because it’s not jumping out at you. It’s full of earthy, slightly bitter cocoa; dried cherries and figs; a little toffee; and a sliver of green oak. The finish opens with cake spices, but then turns curiously ashy, lingering on that note as it fades away.

The Price
In the UK, this fetches £150. That translates into about $190 (at the time of publication), and you may even find it priced for that in the U.S. However, some retailers have it marked up as high as $260.