Port & Sherry

by **ScotchPalate** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 5:31 pm

I'm seeing a lot of Scotches finished w/ Sherry casks or Port pipes. I'm not that familiar w/ the taste of Sherry & Port. Could you recommend a decent Sherry and Port (available in the US), so that I could become more familiar with the taste. Thank you.

ScotchPalate

by **les taylor** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:39 pm

I like the Glenmorangie port wood, should be available to you. If its port that you want try Taylor's, it works for me.

by **Wave** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 6:42 pm

My favorite Sherry casked (not sherry finish) is the Aberlour a'bunadh that is aged in Oloroso sherry butts. 3 others that show promise are;
Dalwhinnie 1990-15yr Old Distiller's Edition Double Matured finished in an Olroso sherry butt
Glenkinchie 1991-13yr Old Distiller's Edition Double Matured finished in Amontillado sherry butt
Talisker 1992-12yr Old Distiller's Edition Double Matured finished in Amoroso sherry butt

Port finishes aren't as numerous as the sherry here. Probably the most well known is the Balvenie 21yo Port Wood Finish, but at over a $100 a pop it may be a bit expensive if your trying out port finished whiskies for the 1st time. I've not tried many port finishes, in fact the only one I have now is a Caol Ila 12yo Signatory that I bought in Scotland. There are a couple that look good and I wouldn't mind putting in my collection, they are;
Cragganmore 1992-12yr Old Distiller's Edition Double Matured finished in a port pipe
Signatory Benriach 'Peaty' 1994-12yr Old Cask Strength Port Finish, a Binny's new hand-picked cask

All of these bottlings are available at Binny's.

Cheers!

by **Thomas H.** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:20 pm

Guys, I could be wrong, but I think he means sherry and port as in sherry and port. Not a whisky finished on it, just a bottle of sherry and a bottle of port.

by **les taylor** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 7:38 pm

Hi Thomas thats how I undestood it, thats why I reccomended Taylor's Port.

by **Wave** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 8:51 pm

Thomas H. wrote:Guys, I could be wrong, but I think he means sherry and port as in sherry and port. Not a whisky finished on it, just a bottle of sherry and a bottle of port.

Yeah, but that's not really a great way to know if you'd like a sherry/port finished whisky. I'm not fond of either sherry or port by themselves as both are too sweet for my tastes, but the sherry-finished whiskies I've had have been for the most part very good. I haven't had enough port-finished whiskies (yet) to really make a comparison on, though it seems that the port-finishes are sweeter than the sherry-finishes.

Cheers!

by **Thomas H.** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 9:46 pm

Wave wrote:
Thomas H. wrote:Guys, I could be wrong, but I think he means sherry and port as in sherry and port. Not a whisky finished on it, just a bottle of sherry and a bottle of port.

Yeah, but that's not really a great way to know if you'd like a sherry/port finished whisky. I'm not fond of either sherry or port by themselves as both are too sweet for my tastes, but the sherry-finished whiskies I've had have been for the most part very good. I haven't had enough port-finished whiskies (yet) to really make a comparison on, though it seems that the port-finishes are sweeter than the sherry-finishes.

Cheers!

You have don't like to sherry or port. But if you've tasted it a few times, it does help in finding more notes in the nose and palate of your dram.

I do like a good port every now and then though. Robertson is quite nice. I'm partial to ruby port, btw.

by **adossantos** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 10:00 pm

Pick up a bottle of Quinta do Infantado LBV port, its excellent and a great value at around ~$28.

by **Mr Fjeld** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 11:32 pm

Wave wrote:I'm not fond of either sherry or port by themselves as both are too sweet for my tastes.

Cheers!

That's understandable, but if you would like to give sherry another chance there's also sherry of the fino type - or manzanilla. It's very very crisp and dry and for many types of "difficult" food such as various cheese and salty meat and tapas it's perfect.

by **les taylor** » Tue Oct 31, 2006 11:49 pm

Mr Fjeld wrote:-

That's understandable, but if you would like to give sherry another chance there's also sherry of the fino type - or manzanilla. It's very very crisp and dry and for many types of "difficult" food such as various cheese and salty meat and tapas it's perfect.

What he wrote is quite true there is also amontillado which like fino is best enjoyed chilled. I don't think its these type of sherries that they use for whisky barrels. Is it not the sweeter cream sherry casks that are used.

Having an understanding of these flavours and how they work together with the whisky must be a bonus though.

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Nov 01, 2006 8:11 am

A company called Lustau offers a wide variety of sherries--there really is an astonishing range, from the bone-dry to the incredibly luscious Pedro Ximenez. (Their bottle of PX is the best I've had, intensely sweet and raisiny.) Look in any really good liquor shop. I believe they also have half-bottles, which makes experimenting more affordable.

I agree you don't actually have to like sherry or port to find it interesting to explore the flavors. It fascinates me that even dry sherries seem to impart sweetness to whisky--obviously some sort of synergy with the wood.

by **Admiral** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:40 am

I echo Mr T's comments - Lustau make excellent sherries, and their Pedro Ximinez is exceptionally luxurious.

If you ever get a chance, get a bottle of the Lustau PX and then try some Lagavulin Distillers Edition, which is finished in PX. An excellent exercise in palate training and taste recognition.

Just about any oloroso sherry will give you a good idea of the sweetness and nuttiness that oloroso casks impart to malts. Buy yourself a half-decent oloroso and then sit down with a bottle of Glenfarclas 15yo (or 105) or a sherried bottle of Macallan 12yo (i.e. not Fine Oak).

Again, the process is excellent for training your palate to detect the sherry's influence on the malt.

As for rums, rums vary enormously (dark versus light, aged versus non-aged, etc) so it's a bit harder to make general comments and recommendations.

The Cragganmore Distillers Edition, which is finished in a ruby rum cask, displays how rum made the whisky sweeter. However, Glenfiddich Havana Reserve (or Gran Reserva, as it's now known) was finished in cuban rum casks, and these have made the whisky drier and spicier.

Cheers,
ADmiral

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:57 am

Just a point of order on finishes.....

I don't think we should view Sherry cask as a finish as of yet ...... as we not don't view Bourbon as a finish .... why ?

Well the humle sherry cask has been the main stay of the whiskey industry for a few centuries now.......

... it is only recently because of high costs that the sherry cask is getting slightly more exclusive. As Macallan lovers will testify.

by **Admiral** » Fri Nov 03, 2006 2:02 am

Not sure I understand or agree with that last post...

There are plenty of whiskies that spend 10 to 12 years in a bourbon cask and are then finished in a sherry cask.

Glenmorangie Sherry Wood Finish and Balvenie Double Wood are two obvious examples.

Surely these qualify as sherry finishes?

Although I do take your point...I'm not aware of any whiskies that spent 12 years in sherry and were then transferred to be finished in bourbon!

Cheers,
AD