Sherry Xmas to One and All

[Ganga]

Yes, December features sherry drams. You got one that is sherry finished, vatted or matured bring it. No regional requirements.

I brought a Macallan 12 for starters so look for some notes.

[Willie JJ]

look for some notes.

[Ganga]

Are you trying to say that the notes are as mythical as the little gold medallions that Matt supposedly distributed?

[AdamMY]

Alright, starting out with Sherry Lights, whisky's only finished in Sherry.

Glenmorangie Lasanta 46% ABV.

Color: Polished Brass.

Nose: Dark Chocolate, spice cake/ zucchini bread, honey nut cherrios.

Taste: Distinctly nutty, and wonderfully forward with warm holiday flavors. I think there was a good bit of gingerbread cookies, and a hint of apples.

Finish: Medium, dry honeyed malt.

Pretty darn good compared to how I remembered it.

[Willie JJ]

Sherry Lights

I could do with them for my Christmas tree

[AdamMY]

Kirkland Macallan Distillery 15 year old Sherry Cask Finish (Distilled in 1996).

Color: Rusty orange.

Nose: Oranges, Butterscotch, candied pineapple, lemon pound cake.

Taste: Candied Pineapple ( lots of sweetness), lots of melted butter, lemon pound cake.

Finish: Short, slightly nutty.

[AdamMY]

The Irish can take part in Sherry Xmas too.

Bushmills Black Bush.

Color: Gold

Nose: Brown sugar, bit of alcohol, sugar cookies, nutmeg and clove.

Taste: Buttery, almonds, peanut brittle, and oranges.

Finish: Long, butter cookies.

[pkt77242]

Sherry Lights

I could do with them for my Christmas tree

Willie are we going to see some notes from you?

[pkt77242]

Lagavulin 1991 DE

N: Sherry and peat. Some wood smoke, salt and spices. Also some walnuts.
P: Red fruits, smoke, peat, salt, and walnuts. A little raisin and brine. Also some cedar and spice.
F: Medium on red fruits, smoke and peat. Some really nice salt and walnuts. Raisins.

Just an outstanding whisky. 91 points. Beautiful combo of peat and sherry.

[pkt77242]

Lagavulin 1993 DE

N: Slight red fruits, caramel, nuts, a little smoke and some apples. A little peat.
P: Red fruits and nuts. A little smoke and some apples. A little watered down. Just a touch of salt and peat.
F: Red fruits, caramel, nuts and apple. A little smoke and salt.

An enjoyable whisky but not as good as the 1991. 86-88 points.

[pkt77242]

Lagavulin 1994 DE

N: Roasted nuts, caramel and smoke. Hints of red fruits, salt and raisins.
P: Roasted walnuts, almonds, carmel and smoke. Then the brine, red fruits and raisins show up. A little wood spices.
F: Medium lenght on nuts, wood spices, and smoke. Some red fruits and caramel in the background. just a hint of salt and peat.

Rather nutty with some caramel. Enjoyable, probably better then the 1993 and not quite as good as the 1991.

[pkt77242]

Last one for me tonight (there will be more later).

Ardbeg Uigeadail

N: Sherry, peat, tar and seaweed. hints of smoke, brown sugar and salt.
P: starts on sherry and tar, then the peat, smoke and seaweed build. Salt and kerosene are in the background.
F: Medium-long on sherry, peat and tar. Some of the seaweed, smoked oysters and salt are there as well. Lots of smoke almonds and a hint of pepper.

A very good whisky and well worth the money.

[pkt77242]

Kirkland Macallan Distillery 15 year old Sherry Cask Finish (Distilled in 1996).

Color: Rusty orange.

Nose: Oranges, Butterscotch, candied pineapple, lemon pound cake.

Taste: Candied Pineapple ( lots of sweetness), lots of melted butter, lemon pound cake.

Finish: Short, slightly nutty.

That sounds rather nice Adam

[Ganga]

Sherry Lights

I could do with them for my Christmas tree

Flashing strand.

[Ganga]

Going for something that has a finish for the length of Chanukah. Aberlour a'buandh batch 10.

Nose: huge caramel hit, stewed oranges, cinnamon bread, fruit cake
Palate: cinnamon, red apples in caramel, Valencia oranges, bing cherries
Finish: It goes on and on and on. Caramel, apples and oranges

[Ganga]

a'bunadh batch 10 with water. Dragging it down near 50%.

Nose: much lighter. caramel, red apples, mixed spices, heavy bread note
Palate: cinnamon bread coated in a light layer of caramel, oranges
Finish: medium, with plenty of caramel and oranges.

[pkt77242]

Going for something that has a finish for the length of Chanukah. Aberlour a'buandh batch 10.

Nose: huge caramel hit, stewed oranges, cinnamon bread, fruit cake
Palate: cinnamon, red apples in caramel, Valencia oranges, bing cherries
Finish: It goes on and on and on. Caramel, apples and oranges

Now that sounds very good.

[Ganga]

Going for something that has a finish for the length of Chanukah. Aberlour a'buandh batch 10.

Nose: huge caramel hit, stewed oranges, cinnamon bread, fruit cake
Palate: cinnamon, red apples in caramel, Valencia oranges, bing cherries
Finish: It goes on and on and on. Caramel, apples and oranges

Now that sounds very good.

The last pour of the bottle and it was the best one. Bottle lasted somewhere just short of 4.5 years.

[Ganga]

Macallan 12

Nose: cinnamon sticks, peanut brittle, red apples, cinnamon bread
Palate: Cinnabon, fruitcakey
Finish: moderate, cinnamon, caramel

[Ganga]

The Mac 12 with some water.

Nose: sliced red apples, doughy (cinnamon has really disappeared)
Palate: slightly bitter dry apples, cinnamon bread left to dry
Finish: shortish, underripe oranges

Much better w/o water.

[Ganga]

HP 12, the flask bottle

Nose: heather honey, whispy smoke, little bit of orange rind, little bit of cinnamon and bread
Palate: little bit of char, smoked honey, oranges, cinnamon powder
Finish: moderate, charred and honey

[Ganga]

Forgot the Lismore 100 has sherry influence. So some notes

Nose: cinnamon, sherry (yes really sherry), oaky
Palate: fresh oak, cinnamon, oranges, vanilla
Finish: moderate to long, little bit of biting oak and a touch of caramel

It certainly feels like young whisky that is sherry finished and not matured.

[Willie JJ]

Sherry Lights

I could do with them for my Christmas tree

Willie are we going to see some notes from you?

I'm taking antibiotics so will have to catch up in a couple of weeks

[AdamMY]

The Macallan 12 year old Sherry Cask.


Color: Nut Brown.

Nose: Cinnamon sticks, spice cake, green pepper, faint hint of malt.

Taste: Pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon, green apples with caramel sauce.

Finish: Huge wave of caramel, fading into a sweetness quite long.

[AdamMY]

Highland Park 12 year old.

Color: Amber.

Nose: Cane sugar, hint of smoke, leather and apples.

Taste: Pomegranate, peanut brittle, and the lightest hint of peat and smoke.

Finish: Smokes and leather, medium to long.

[pkt77242]

Highland Park 12yo Round Shoulder bottle

N: Oranges, heather and honey. Also a little smoke, nus and ginger.
P: oranges, heather and honey (very similar to the nose) with some wood smoke and a touch of ginger and oak.
F: Medium on wood smoke, some soft peat and heather. A little honey and orange. Some slightly bitter oak as well.

[pkt77242]

Highland Park 18 Round Shoulder bottle.

N: Oranges, wood smoke, heather, honey and leather. A little, walnuts, brown sugar and nutmeg.
P: Similar to the nose. Oranges, wood smoke, heather, honey and old leather. Some oak and nuts.
F: Medium-long on oranges, oak, wood smoke and old leather. Some heather and honey are in the background along with ginger and nutmeg.

Just a great whisky.

[pkt77242]

Isle of Jura 21

N: sherry, cherries, damp earth, mushrooms, porridge, and cinnamon. A faint note of baby vomit.
P: damp earth, mushrooms and cherries. Some brown sugar and cinnamon.
F: short on damp earth and cherries. Some slightly dirty mushrooms.

Just has some weird off notes.

[pkt77242]

Last one of the night for me.

Highland Park 1986 19yo for Beltramo's

N: Big sherry, cherries, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg and new leather. Some mushroom and cocoa in the background.
P: Cherries, oranges, cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. The cocoa is there as well.
F: Oranges and mushrooms with a sprinking of cinnamon, cocoa, and brown sugar. Also a touch of cherry as well. Some oak comes through at the very end. A hint of white pepper as well.

Over the top sherry but a good whisky.

[dramtastic]

Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2011 No Age Statement 48%
Nose: Dry sherry, oak, raisins, dark cherry chocolate, figs, Arnott's mint slice biscuits, leather, blackberry jam, bran, ginger.
Palate: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, figs, brazil nuts, leather, a mix of dark jams, mint, dry sherry, bran, oak. Nicely punchy.
Finish: Medium length. An excellent balance of sweet and dry flavours.
General comment: I've had the 2009 and this is a few points better. A superbly crafted whisky.
Rating: 90/100

[Ganga]

Yamazaki Sherry Cask 2011 No Age Statement 48%
Nose: Dry sherry, oak, raisins, dark cherry chocolate, figs, Arnott's mint slice biscuits, leather, blackberry jam, bran, ginger.
Palate: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar, figs, brazil nuts, leather, a mix of dark jams, mint, dry sherry, bran, oak. Nicely punchy.
Finish: Medium length. An excellent balance of sweet and dry flavours.
General comment: I've had the 2009 and this is a few points better. A superbly crafted whisky.
Rating: 90/100

Why does this make me want breakfast?

[dramtastic]

Just a tad expensive to be pouring on your breakfast cereal

[pkt77242]

Glendronach 15yo Revival (UK release)

N: toffee, cherries, chocolate, and some nuts. Big sherry in other words. Some chocolate covered oranges after a minute or two.
P: Feels think, chocolate covered orange, walnuts, toffee, and just a hint of the cherries. Some brown sugar and wood spices.
F: Medium on chocolate covered oranges, toffee, and some coffee. Slightly bitter. Also some roasted nuts come through towards the very end.

Yummy.

[pkt77242]

Glenfarclas 17yo

N: Herbs and nuts with a touch of dried cherries. Defnitely some vanilla and oak shavings.
P: Herbs and nuts (all kinds of both). Then vanilla, oak shavings, dried cherries and touch of white pepper. Also some malt and whole grain bread is mixed in.
F: Medium short on oak shavings, white pepper, and herbs. A little of the dried red fruits come through. Gets rather dry and bitter.

A like this whisky but it has a fair dose of oak and dryness to it.

[pkt77242]

Balvenie 17yo Sherry Oak

N: Did someone pour sherry into my glass? Oranges, cherries, and strawberries with some nuts and malt. After a couple of seconds, some bitter oak.
P: Oranges and cherries with some almonds, and lots of oak shavings. Just a touch of honey in the background.
F: Medium on oranges, cherries, roasted nuts and bitter oak shavings. Towards the very end of the finish the honey and vanilla explode on the palate.

Interesting and enjoyable but doesn't taste like Balvenie.