Which Way Does the Glendronach Swap Go?
**What to pay**
The Glendronach 12 is $110 at Dan Murphy's this week. It usually sells around $119, so this week it sits a touch under its usual mark.
The point
1/The Glendronach 12 keeps its sherry held back rather than piled on, which is where this distillery seems at its happiest. Twelve years old, and $110 this week at Dan Murphy's. It usually sells around $119.
2/If the Glenfarclas 15 is your pour, here is the shape of it: the Glendronach 12 gives you about 95% of what the Glenfarclas 15 gives, for 59% of its price. Nearly all the dram, for well under the price.
3/What does a Glenfarclas 15 drinker give up to get there? Mostly three years of age and some strength. That is the trade, set out plainly, with nothing hidden in it.
4/So a yes for each. The Glenfarclas 15, $185, stays the one for its fans: dried fruits, toffee, a little leather, a slice of Christmas cake. The Glendronach 12 is the one for every other night.
Bottles on this deskThe Highlands guy
Also from the Highlands guy
The Glendronach 12: neighbours' price
Hand The Glendronach 12 to drinkers of its nearest bottles and they'd pay $90 to $248 for it, each from what their own bottle costs. The closest, a Glenfarclas 15 drinker, lands at $125, 68% of their own. It's $110 this week. More in this week's piece. Where would you sit?
The Glendronach 12: price guide
The Glendronach 12 is $110 at Dan Murphy's this week. It usually sells around $119, so a few dollars under its regular mark as you pour one. Where it sits against the neighbours is in this week's piece.
Two Highlands single malts
Friday night, two bottles out on the bench and no one able to pick a favourite. The Glendronach 12, $110: a sherried Highland malt that's at its best when the sherry doesn't crowd it out, and this one lets the spirit through. Glenfiddich 18, $175: oak and fresh apple, barley and cereal, dried fruit and a touch of toffee, Christmas-pudding sweetness and a warm cinnamon finish, about $7.92 a pour at home. Two malts cut from close cloth. This week at Dan Murphy's the pair comes to $285; usually they're $294, and the same two are $328 at Liquorland this week. Which would you reach for first?
Glenfarclas 25: tasting
Glenfarclas 25 opens with honey and mellowed zesty fruit, then sherry spice, stewed fruit and a wisp of tobacco, the age showing through quietly the way old things do. $370 for members at Dan Murphy's this week. One for the unhurried sipper; more in this week's piece.
Glenfarclas 25: stand-in 1
Tamdhu 15 gives a Glenfarclas 25 drinker 73% of what the Glenfarclas 25 does, for 55% of the price, at $202. Molasses, orange peel on the nose, sherry and Turkish Delight on the palate, cloves and dark chocolate on a long finish. More on Glenfarclas 25 in this week's piece.
Glenfarclas 25: neighbours' price
Hand a Glenfarclas 15 drinker a dram of Glenfarclas 25 and they'd put down 54% of what their own bottle costs them. The nearest drinkers all land higher. I lay it out in this week's piece. Where would you sit?
Glenfarclas 25: per drink
Glenfarclas 25 is $370. About 24 pours in the bottle, so $15.58 a standard drink at home. That puts it 294th of 310 at Dan Murphy's by the pour. An old, sherried, honeyed thing. More on it in this week's piece.
Glenfarclas 25: stand-in 2
Like Glenfarclas 25? A Glenfarclas 15 gives a Glenfarclas 25 drinker about 74% of what the 25 does, for 50% of the price, at $185. Dried fruits and toffee on the nose, then dark fruit, Christmas cake and roast oak. Pour one and see — more in this week's piece.
Glenfarclas 25: stand-in 3
Both lean on honey and a bit of age. Glengoyne 21 gives a Glenfarclas 25 drinker about 93% of what the Glenfarclas 25 does, for 98% of its price. Its own price this week: $361. More on Glenfarclas 25 in this week's piece.
Glenfarclas 15: tasting
Glenfarclas 15: Christmas cake in a glass. Dried fruit, toffee, a hint of leather, warming spice. Full-bodied and smooth, non-chill filtered. This week it's $185 at Dan Murphy's. The whole story's in this week's piece.
Glenfarclas 15: stand-in 1
If you love Glenfarclas 15, I'd happily pour you a Tamdhu 12. At $126 it's about 68% of the Glenfarclas price, and for a Glenfarclas 15 drinker it gives you about 88% of what you already enjoy, with citrus, hazelnut and dry sherry. More on Glenfarclas 15 in this week's piece.
Glenfarclas 15: neighbours' price
Hand a Tamdhu 12 drinker a Glenfarclas 15 and they'd pay about $87 for it, 69% of what their own bottle costs them. The sherry and dried fruit sit close enough to home. Who it suits: a sherried-malt drinker. More in this week's piece on the Glenfarclas 15.
Glenfarclas 15: per drink
Glenfarclas 15, all dried fruit and Christmas cake, is $7.28 a standard drink poured at home — the kind of pour you sit with rather than rush. This week's piece has the rest.
Glenfarclas 15: stand-in 2
Like Glenfarclas 15? Aberlour 14 pours jammy peaches, marzipan and vanilla, then slips into milk chocolate and a whisper of coffee. For a Glenfarclas 15 drinker it gives about 88% of the ride at 76% of the price, $140 for members. More in this week's piece.
Glenfiddich 18: tasting
Glenfiddich 18 opens on oak and fresh apple wound through barley, then settles into fruit cake and Christmas pudding warmed with cinnamon, smooth and easy, a pour that suits anyone easing into a long evening. This week it's $175 at Dan Murphy's. More in this week's piece.
Glenfiddich 18: stand-in 1
Fond of Glenfiddich 18? A Glenfiddich 18 drinker gets about 95% of what that bottle gives from Glengoyne 15, at 74% of the price, and it's $130 for members this week. Sherry, vanilla, a little ginger. Pour one and see. More in this week's piece on Glenfiddich 18.
Glenfiddich 18: neighbours' price
Glenfiddich 18 opens on oak and fresh apple, then a smooth palate of fruit cake and cinnamon. Hand it to an Edradour 10 drinker and they'd pay 71% of what their own bottle costs, marking it down for the extra years. More on Glenfiddich 18 in this week's piece.
Glenfiddich 18: per drink
I noticed the apple and toffee on the Glenfiddich 18 first, then oak, barley and a warm cinnamon spice through the finish. At $175 it works out to $7.92 a pour at home, a touch over a $13 pint at the pub. More on it in this week's piece.
Glenfiddich 18: price guide
The Glenfiddich 18 is $175 at Dan Murphy's this week, which is right where it usually sells, so I'd call it a steady price rather than a moment to pounce. I've pulled the whole picture together in this week's piece, if you want the neighbours and the pours set out beside it.
Glengoyne 15: tasting
Glengoyne 15 leans sherry: vanilla, ginger and toffee on the nose, a note of worn leather. The palate turns oily, raisins and hazelnuts over oak, then a spicy finish dusted with cocoa. $130 for members at Dan Murphy's this week. Pour one and see. More in this week's piece.
Glengoyne 15: neighbours' price
Where does Glengoyne 15 land with its neighbours? An Edradour 10 drinker would pay 85% of what their own bottle costs for it, docking it for the extra years. One for the sherried-malt drinker. Pour the two side by side — more in this week's piece.
Glengoyne 15: per drink
Glengoyne 15 is $130 this week at Dan Murphy's, about 24 standard drinks in the bottle, so a pour at home runs $5.47 a drink, 215th of 310 that way. A pint at the pub sits near $6.28 a standard drink. Pour one and see where it lands for you. More in this week's piece.
Glencadam 15: price per drink
Glencadam 10 costs $0 more a bottle than Dalwhinnie 15. Both sit at $95. But at 46% against 43%, the Glencadam is the cheaper drink: $3.74 a standard drink against $3.99. The Dalwhinnie earns its keep. A deep, honeyed nose, caramelised fruits and a touch of thick cream, then a gentle, chunky middle that is the secret of it. Per standard drink this week: Glencadam 10, $3.74 Dalwhinnie 15, $3.99 Aberfeldy 12, $4.71 Glencadam 15, $5.51 Fettercairn 18, $13.85 A pint at the pub runs about $6.28. Four pour for less at home; the Fettercairn 18 asks more.
Clynelish 14: tasting
Clynelish 14 is fresh and appetising: brine and lemon-lime on the nose, vanilla malt beneath, then seaweed, peat and pepper into a clean, briny finish. The aperitif whisky, really. $109 for members. More in this week's piece — who would you pour it for?
Clynelish 14: stand-in 1
Like Clynelish 14? Deanston 12 gives a Clynelish 14 drinker about 98% of what it does, for 89% of the price. It's $97 for members, where it usually sells around $104. Orange marmalade, honeyed shortbread, peppery oak on the finish. More on Clynelish 14 in this week's piece.
Clynelish 14: neighbours' price
Ask the drinkers of the bottles nearest Clynelish 14 what they'd pay for it. Their answers run $83 to $142. At $109 for members, it sits inside that range. Pour one and see where you land. More on Clynelish 14 in this week's piece.
Clynelish 14: per drink
Clynelish 14 works out to about $4.29 a standard drink, roughly 25 to the bottle, where a pint at the pub sits nearer $6.28; for anyone who likes to sit of an evening with a fresh, briny aperitif, that's the shape of it, with more on Clynelish 14 in this week's piece.
Clynelish 14: stand-in 2
If Clynelish 14 is your usual pour, Dalwhinnie 15 sits close by: honeyed caramelised fruits, a touch of cream and fennel, giving a Clynelish 14 drinker about 98% of what it offers for 87% of the price, at $95. Worth sitting beside this week's piece on Clynelish 14?
The Glen Grant 10: tasting
The Glen Grant 10, $70 for members at Dan's. Light, floral, fresh. Honeyed vanilla and lively fruit, with a whisper of marshmallow and hay. The finish turns soft and dry. A clean malt to start on. It usually sells around $76. More on The Glen Grant 10 in this week's piece.
The Glen Grant 10: neighbours' price
Hand The Glen Grant 10 to someone who drinks Aberfeldy 12 and they'd put it at 89% of what their own bottle costs, easing it down for being a Speysider rather than a Highlander. Light, floral and an easy introduction either way. More on it in this week's piece.
The numbers behind these bottles
| bottle | region | latest ticket | read | window price | CE 360° mean | premium | shelf rank | per std drink | drink rank | content |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberfeldy 12YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $103.99 | observed | $103.99 | $98.16 | 5.6% | #4 of 38 | $4.71 | #16 of 36 | 38 |
| Clynelish 14 | Highlands | $127.99 | observed | $109.00 | $101.50 | 6.9% | #9 of 38 | $5.04 | #17 of 36 | 14 |
| Dalmore 21 Year Old Malt Whisky | Highlands | $989.99 | observed | $989.99 | $678.28 | 31.5% | #37 of 38 | $42.68 | #36 of 36 | 0 |
| Dalwhinnie 15 | Highlands | $94.85 | observed | $94.95 | $88.20 | 7.1% | #10 of 38 | $3.99 | #9 of 36 | 40 |
| Deanston 12YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $111.99 | observed | $111.99 | $104.41 | 6.8% | #7 of 38 | $4.38 | #13 of 36 | 39 |
| Deanston Virgin Oak Single Malt Whisky | Highlands | $91.99 | observed | $91.99 | $76.34 | 17.0% | #25 of 38 | $3.09 | #5 of 36 | 1 |
| Dewar's 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $62.90 | observed | $64.99 | $62.52 | 3.8% | #2 of 38 | $2.85 | #4 of 36 | 1 |
| Dewar's White Label Blended Scotch Whisky 1L | Highlands | $68.99 | observed | $48.29 | $44.27 | 8.3% | #12 of 38 | $2.19 | #1 of 36 | 0 |
| Dewar's White Label Blended Scotch Whisky 700mL | Highlands | $54.99 | observed | $56.99 | $47.91 | 15.9% | #24 of 38 | $2.49 | #3 of 36 | 0 |
| Dewar’s 18 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $130.99 | observed | $122.26 | $105.76 | 13.5% | #17 of 38 | $5.53 | #20 of 36 | 13 |
| Dimple 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $52.85 | observed | $53.90 | $52.57 | 2.5% | #1 of 38 | $2.39 | #2 of 36 | 1 |
| Edradour 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $111.99 | observed | $111.99 | $95.62 | 14.6% | #19 of 38 | $5.07 | #18 of 36 | 14 |
| Fettercairn 18YO Single Malt | Highlands | $357.99 | observed | $357.99 | $281.88 | 21.3% | #30 of 38 | $13.85 | #31 of 36 | 2 |
| Glencadam 10 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $106.99 | observed | $106.99 | $98.02 | 8.4% | #13 of 38 | $4.21 | #12 of 36 | 3 |
| Glencadam 15YO Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $159.99 | observed | $150.00 | $137.15 | 8.6% | #14 of 38 | $6.30 | #23 of 36 | 23 |
| Glencadam Reserva Andalucia Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Single Malt Whisky | Highlands | $101.99 | observed | $90.00 | $76.74 | 14.7% | #20 of 38 | $4.01 | #10 of 36 | 0 |
| Glencadam Reserve American Oak Bourbon Barrel Single Malt Whisky | Highlands | $85.99 | observed | $85.99 | $65.67 | 23.6% | #32 of 38 | $3.89 | #7 of 36 | 1 |
| Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $174.90 | observed | $174.90 | $150.52 | 13.9% | #18 of 38 | $7.92 | #28 of 36 | 15 |
| Glengoyne 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $98.99 | observed | $98.99 | $90.92 | 8.2% | #11 of 38 | $3.98 | #8 of 36 | 4 |
| Glengoyne 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $108.99 | observed | $93.00 | $88.36 | 5.0% | #3 of 38 | $4.59 | #14 of 36 | 31 |
| Glengoyne 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $161.99 | observed | $161.99 | $144.19 | 11.0% | #15 of 38 | $5.47 | #19 of 36 | 12 |
| Glengoyne 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $275.99 | observed | $275.99 | $226.77 | 17.8% | #26 of 38 | $11.62 | #30 of 36 | 16 |
| Glengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $360.99 | observed | $360.99 | $281.50 | 22.0% | #31 of 38 | $15.20 | #33 of 36 | 15 |
| Glengoyne Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $172.99 | observed | $172.99 | $128.37 | 25.8% | #35 of 38 | — | — | 0 |
| Glenmorangie Original 12 Year Old | Highlands | $92.99 | observed | $74.00 | $69.42 | 6.2% | #6 of 38 | — | — | 1 |
| Glenmorangie Signet | Highlands | $369.99 | observed | $369.99 | $271.42 | 26.6% | #36 of 38 | $14.56 | #32 of 36 | 0 |
| Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $146.99 | observed | $146.99 | $125.17 | 14.8% | #21 of 38 | $5.79 | #21 of 36 | 0 |
| Glenmorgie Harrison Ford Scotch | Highlands | $159.99 | observed | $159.99 | $127.00 | 20.6% | #29 of 38 | $6.23 | #22 of 36 | 0 |
| Macallan The HarmonyCol Rich Cacao | Highlands | $800.00 | observed | $800.00 | $520.14 | 35.0% | #38 of 38 | $32.92 | #35 of 36 | 0 |
| Oban 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $164.99 | observed | $135.00 | $119.88 | 11.2% | #16 of 38 | $6.95 | #27 of 36 | 0 |
| Oban Little Bay Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $159.99 | observed | $159.99 | $128.29 | 19.8% | #28 of 38 | $6.32 | #24 of 36 | 0 |
| The Dalmore 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $148.99 | observed | $148.99 | $121.32 | 18.6% | #27 of 38 | $6.74 | #25 of 36 | 0 |
| The Dalmore 18 Year Old Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $535.99 | observed | $535.99 | $398.74 | 25.6% | #34 of 38 | $22.57 | #34 of 36 | 0 |
| The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $230.99 | observed | $230.99 | $174.26 | 24.6% | #33 of 38 | $9.51 | #29 of 36 | 0 |
| The Deveron 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $90.99 | observed | $90.99 | $84.74 | 6.9% | #8 of 38 | $4.12 | #11 of 36 | 0 |
| The GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival Whisky | Highlands | $175.99 | observed | $175.99 | $148.35 | 15.7% | #23 of 38 | $6.93 | #26 of 36 | 5 |
| The Glendronach 12YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky | Highlands | $109.99 | observed | $118.99 | $101.19 | 15.0% | #22 of 38 | $4.63 | #15 of 36 | 12 |
| Tomatin 12YO Single Malt Whisky | Highlands | $97.99 | observed | $97.99 | $92.15 | 6.0% | #5 of 38 | $3.79 | #6 of 36 | 16 |