One of the most renowned sherried 18 Year Old single malt whiskies on the market, The Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old is a cult core range expression from The Glendronach brand.
Exploring the origins, expression name, distillery production, and tasting notes – this ultimate guide provides everything you need to know about The Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old.
What Kind Of Whisky Is The Glendronach 18 Year Old?
The Glendronach 18 Year Old is single malt scotch whisky, known for its heavily sherried rich style, originating from Scotland’s Highland whisky region. Matured exclusively in the finest Spanish Oloroso ex-Sherry casks, The Glendronach 18 Year Old is bottled at 46% ABV. Introduced in 2009, The Glendronach 18 Year Old was originally the oldest expression in the brand’s new core range launched by Billy Walker following a takeover of the distillery by The Benriach Distillery Company.
It is said that Walker wanted to revive age statements originally used by William Teacher & Sons’ blends in the 1960s, but it quickly became an open secret that the age statement bottlings contained considerably older whisky. The peak for The Glendronach 18 Year Old was in 2015, when consumers were actually drinking a 24 Year Old whisky.
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Renowned as one of the best sherry-focused 18 Year Old whiskies on the market, The Glendronach Allardice has significantly contributed to the establishment of the brand’s cult reputation – and The Glendronach’s status as the quintessential sherried Highland malt.
A multi-award-winning release, The Glendronach 18 Year Old’s accolades include a silver and ‘silver outstanding’ medal from the International Wine & Spirit Competition (2013, 2014), and a gold medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2022).
Where Is The Glendronach 18 Year Old Produced?
The Glendronach Distillery, located near Forgue by Huntly in Aberdeenshire, is part of Scotland’s Highland whisky region and is renowned for producing the Glendronach brand, including its esteemed 18 Year Old expression. Established by James Allardice in 1826, the distillery has changed hands several times, notably becoming part of William Teacher & Sons in 1960, where it became a key component in Teacher’s blends. The Glendronach has been used in various blends, including Ballantine’s, since the late 1800s.
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The distillery was mothballed from 1996 to 2002 before being acquired by Pernod Ricard, which modernized the facilities and transitioned from coal fires to steam-heated stills in 2005—the last Scottish distillery to do so. In 2008, The Glendronach was purchased by The Benriach Distillery Company, led by Master Distiller Billy Walker, marking the beginning of a renaissance for the brand.
In 2009, Walker introduced The Glendronach core range, featuring bold, heavily sherried whiskies with age statements of 12, 15, and 18 years. The distillery’s revival culminated in its acquisition by Brown-Forman, the producers of Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey, following their purchase of The Benriach Distillery Company for £285 million in 2016.
The Glendronach continues to produce whisky using traditional methods refined over two centuries, including a rake and plough mash tun and Oregon pine washbacks. Its uniquely shaped wash still and plain-sided spirit stills minimize reflux, creating a bold, weighty malt typically matured in ex-Sherry casks—a hallmark of The Glendronach’s distinctive style.
Why Is The Glendronach 18 Year Old Named ‘Allardice’?
The Glendronach 18 Year Old is named after the renowned founder of the distillery, James Allardice. In 1826, a syndicate of farmers headed by James Allardice (also spelled Allardyce and Allardes) established The Glendronach – naming the distillery after its water source, the Dronac Burn. Known to history as a colorful and charismatic character, legend has it that Allardice accidentally ensured The Glendronach’s popularity in Edinburgh in the early 1800s, by gifting a quantity of the whisky to some local sex workers after a failed sales trip.
Allardice had travelled to Scotland’s capital with a barrel and sample flagon aiming to sell the malt to Edinburgh’s taverns – only to be told by landlords that the taverns had bought stock for the year. Allegedly, as a despondent Allardice returned to his lodgings he was met by two ‘ladies of the night’ who wanted him to take them for a drink – instead, Allardice invited them to sample his own ‘Guid Glendronach’ whisky returning to his hotel with a lady on each arm.
The following morning Allardice gifted the remainder of the flagon to the ladies, who promptly shared the whisky with their friends – by afternoon the street was full of women enjoying The Glendronach.
This led many in the community to request The Glendronach at the local taverns, curious to try the whisky the ladies were drinking, resulting in the landlords quickly seeking out Allardice. As the story goes, Allardice did not return home that day but remained in Edinburgh selling all his stock – The Glendronach had arrived.
Under Allardice’s management, The Glendronach built a strong reputation, even gaining regular sales in London, until tragedy struck when a fire virtually destroyed the distillery in 1837. Despite efforts to restore The Glendronach, James Allardice was forced into bankruptcy in 1842.
What Does The Glendronach 18 Year Old Taste Like?
The Glendronach 18 Year Old is a richly sherried malt, with layers of soft spice alongside rich raisins and dates. The expression’s official tasting notes from the brand’s website can be found below:
“Appearance: Deep bright gold with a tawny centre.
“Nose: Sweet aromatics of fudge and muscovado sugar. Fruit compote and glacier morello cherries provide added complexity.
“Palate: Rich, dark and seductive. Remarkable flavours of stewed fruits and all-spice marry together with classic aged Oloroso sherry and toasted walnut bread combined with chocolate.
“Finish: Tremendously complex and long.”
How Much Is The Glendronach 18 Year Old?
The average price for a 750ml bottle of The Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old is currently $250 on Wine-Searcher. Currently, the best place in the US to find The Glendronach 15 Year Old is Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge, Massachusetts for $224.99. If you’re based in Massachusetts, The Glendronach 18 Year Old can also be found for $225.99 at Gordon’s Fine Wine and Liquors, Waltham. In California, the best places to purchase Allardice are Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, and Total Wine & More, Sacramento for $229.99.
The Glendronach’s cult brand reputation as the quintessential heavily sherried Highland malt whisky contributes to the price point. Bottlings of The Glendronach’s core range bottled when it was openly known the batches contained older whisky than the advertised age statement have become highly sought after amongst the distillery’s enthusiasts – for The Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old, especially those bottlings from 2019, when the whisky is believed to have been 24 years old.
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