Glendronach 1993, 26 yrs, 50.9 %, Tyndrumwhisky.com, new Amber Glass, WB175465

That's another amber glass. I see them online and they look fine, but when I hold them and smell and taste from them, they just don't deliver the experience you would expect from their appearance. The glass feels strangely artificial, not to say cheap, despite the high price. It is a balloon glass similar to the Blender's Glass, but less balloon-like, with a slightly wider opening. Overall, I'm not so positive: the taste and aromas are restrained, the handling is artificial and 'cheap', and the glass is less elegant than it looks. This bottling dates back to the Rachel Berrie era, but it was an affordable exclusive bottling at the time. Nowadays it's impossible to get hold of, and the prices are a real pain for a 20ish x years old bottle.
Nose: Subtle sherry notes, herbal aromas from the herb garden.

Dark fruits tend to remain in the background. Hardly any dates or raisins. All my personal perception, of course. Others might detect a sherry bomb, but nothing explodes for me. Everything is subtle, almost elegant, were it not for those intrusive herbs and a slight alcoholic sharpness. In the background, musty cellar and old wood.
Palate: Sweetened black tea, maple syrup. Pancake, overbaked with strong toasty notes. Tannins, red wine, a Burgundy-style blend. Spices such as cinnamon and allspice.

Finish: Dry, coffee aromas, hardly any sweetness. Cocoa nibs. Sage and chervil linger for a while. Oily coating on the palate. A sharpness of white pepper. Alcoholic like a brandy. Woody bitterness. Unusual maritime performance. “I don't perform. Seals perform.” ― Morrissey
 

88/87/87

Glenkinchie 2008, 18yrs, 53.4 %, Sansibar für deinwhisky.de, WB297947

This is a real rarity; there are hardly any independent bottlings, it really stands out as a serial absentee. A rarity, a Lowland whisky and a distillery with worm tubs – it must be Christmas.
Nose: Stewed dark fruits, strawberries, but also plums, perhaps cherries? I’ll soldier on and explore the nose a bit more. But there’s also something baked – cake? Black Forest gateau. There are dates too, and a different kind of heavy sweetness: maple syrup, pine honey, sugar syrup. I admit, I’ve no idea about the distillery’s character; all I can detect here is this fantastic cask. Now there’s leather too, a hint of sawdust, but old and dusty. Coffee aromas. Will that linger in the mouth?

Palate: Heavy red wine, Spain, Ribera del Duero. Very strong coffee, perhaps even espresso, slightly sweetened. Stewed fruit drowns in coffee and red wine aromas, strong tannins. 
Finish: Very dry. Espresso notes fill the entire mouth, hellish astringency. Rarity or not, the cask gives you no chance to learn anything about the distillate – no Glenkinchie here, yet still a great drink.
 

88/87/87