Peat and Sherry

[Wub]

I'm enjoying my new a'bunadh very much, and the last whisky I got as enthusiastic about was the Uigeadail, which has some sherry matured whisky in the vatting. Can anyone suggest any other examples of whiskies that have high peat and are sherry matured (or at least partially so)?

[bcrossan]

One of my all time favs... Lagavulin Distiller's Edition.

Also Lagavulin 21 if you can find any

[Wub]

One of my all time favs... Lagavulin Distiller's Edition.

I was looking at that one...I'll have to start saving.

[borgom]

There's a very good Hart Bros Bowmore 10 floating around some Dan Murphy's at the moment that's sherry matured. It will be far more maritime than anything you've tasted yet.
There were also some quite good OMC sherried Laph 15's around some VC and 1st choice stores (not sure if they are sold out).
I suspect Laga 16, BenRiach 21 Auth & PC7 all have some sherry but they're not as sherried as your Oogie.
It's shame that there are so few peated sherried whiskies because they can be amazing!

[Wub]

I suspect Laga 16

I was wondering about that because the notes on this site mention sherry, but the best I've been able to discover is that it's matured in "oak". Still, not the amount of sherry that I'm after (but perhaps that's why I'm beginning to like it more than Laphroaig and Ardbeg 10).

[borgom]

Forgot to mention the Bruichladdich Infinity series. I like the 1st the best but the 2nd ed was also great. You should be able to find them at a VC or 1stC store. I know the 2nd ed is still available but not sure about the 1st ed.

[The Third Dram]

Can anyone suggest any other examples of whiskies that have high peat and are sherry matured (or at least partially so)?

The whiskies utilized in the older Bowmores tend to incorporate a fair percentage of spirit matured in Sherry wood. The new 18YO issue is a case in point, and the 25YO also displays rather pronounced Sherry overtones. Beyond these, there was a limited edition 1990 16YO Bowmore cask strength aged exclusively in Sherry casks.

But you have to like Bowmore.

One of the most amazing whiskies combining strong peat reek and Sherry maturation that I've ever experienced was a 29YO Glen Garioch distilled in 1968 and bottled under Morrison Bowmore's Distillery Archive series at cask strength. Talk about 'wine and earth soup' in a bottle! It was very heavily oaked, too. But you'd be hard pressed to find one of those these days.

I'll second the recommendation of Lagavulin DE as a prime example of Islay-meets-Jerez, despite the whisky's seemingly continual price rise.

However, as I've stated before elsewhere, there is an alternative. Simply go out and look for a well aged Pedro Ximenez Sherry. The one I often opt for is Gonzalez Byass Noe, which is matured in oak for more than three decades. Pour the tiniest drop of such a potion into the bottom of your whisky tasting glass (it has to be tiny!) and then top it up with whatever 'smoke bomb' of an Islay or other peaty brew you have at hand.

I actually carried out exactly this procedure with the regular Lagavulin 16YO a short time before the first DE issue from that distillery was released (the 1979 vintage, if memory serves me), and was amazed at just how closely the result approached the taste of the official version.

Not identical, but darn close. Plus, the Noe drizzled over vanilla ice cream makes for a truly decadent dessert.

[Wub]

One of the most amazing whiskies combining strong peat reek and Sherry maturation that I've ever experienced was a 29YO Glen Garioch distilled in 1968 and bottled under Morrison Bowmore's Distillery Archive series at cask strength.

OK, I'll have one of those.

[pkt77242]

Hate to sound like a broken record but Lagavulin DE is the way to go for easy to purchase bottles.

Sean