hs305 scored this whisky 90 points 
[September, 2017] Tonight I am in the mood for a long-planned experiment: To find out the differences between several batches of the same standard whisky release. When this 21-years old Glendronach "Parliament" was first released I bought a bottle of the first three batches each that are bottled on September, 20th, 2011 (SEP) and November, 22nd, 2011 (NOV) and March, 3rd, 2012 (MAR). I did this because all these releases contain the great Glendronach vintages from 1989/90 (when the use of paxarette was still allowed) and I paid just 80 Euro for each bottle.
A very interesting experience. All in all the three batches are very similar to each other but when compared head-to-head they show some differences too: SEP is more paxarette driven, NOV more complex and balanced and MAR is paxarette with more wooden notes and without sulphurous impressions. Personally I like MAR best followed by NOV and SEP.
PS: As the Scotch Whisky Association banned the use of paxarette in 1990 all later releases of the 21-years "Parliament" have a quite different taste that I call "modern-style sherry".
A very interesting experience. All in all the three batches are very similar to each other but when compared head-to-head they show some differences too: SEP is more paxarette driven, NOV more complex and balanced and MAR is paxarette with more wooden notes and without sulphurous impressions. Personally I like MAR best followed by NOV and SEP.
PS: As the Scotch Whisky Association banned the use of paxarette in 1990 all later releases of the 21-years "Parliament" have a quite different taste that I call "modern-style sherry".
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All three batches are about a tawny colour with a slightly paler shade of NOV than the two others (but this is just a minimal difference). The texture shows a few slow legs with all three and late fat, sticky tears with SEP while the tears of NOV are smaller and of MAR bigger than SEP. All three offer a typical old-style sherry nose. Nevertheless there are differences: SEP and MAR are sweeter and richer than NOV with SEP even a littler richer than MAR. In terms of complexity NOV offers the most aromas closely followed by SEP. MAR owns lesser nuances than the other two but more wooden notes. I vote for a draw between SEP and NOV and 1 point less for MAR. After adding some water SEP shows some sulphurous aromas (matches) so I declare NOV as a winner.
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All drams own a very sweet old-style sherry profile (I guess there are quite a few paxarette-treated casks in these batches) which is simply adorable. Lots of different flavours roll in several waves over my taste buds. Hard to name them all but SEP is more on sulphured raisins while NOV adds some herbs and spices to this and MAR shows more wooden flavours without the sulphurous off-notes. Quite interesting to explore these differences (on a high level of commonalities, of course). Personally I like MAR best closely followed by NOV and then SEP.
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As the texture promised all drams arrive bold and instantly coating on the palate with minor drying moments (ashes) of NOV and some peppery moments of MAR. Here I choose SEP as winner closely followed by MAR and NOV. All three own a very long and sticky finish that slowly vanishes in different waves, really nice. SEP is very paxarette-sweet here while NOV is more complex and balanced. Both again with some sulphurous notes (matches). MAR shows minor astringent moments from tannins which are not unpleasant at all. Again I prefer MAR here again followed by NOV and SEP. Water turns the whiskies smoother and even sweeter with NOV benefitting most from some drops added. As the water releases some minor sulphurous flavours mostly in SEP (and lesser in NOV) I like these drams better when neat.
