ABV: 40 %
Origin: Speyside
Type: Single Malt
Bottles in collection: 0
Emptied bottles: 1
Impression: 3/5

Tasting notes
Nose: This is sweet and dark sherry fruity. At first there’s a mix of vanilla and sweet liquorice together with liqueur-soaked cherries, raisins, ripe plums and just a small hint of marzipan. Some fresh berries come through on the edges and maybe a hint of red apples too. The cask influence really covers most of the distillate. There’s a seeweedy note on top that brings it down a few notches. This is not complex, just mild and sherry-driven.

Mouth: The intro is quite flat and watery and it takes a while to get to the flavours. First out are vanilla and cherries, then a bitterness builds up and leads way directly to the oakiness. The sweet liquorice is still prominent in the mix as well as raisins. Some dried figs are now also detectable. A tiny spice note and a hint of cinnamon tries to fight the bitter oak for attention. It’s somewhat astringent, but it only shows after a few sips.

Finish: A dry oak almost immediately takes front seat. Plums, figs and raisins are creating a baseline together with the sweet liquorice. There are coffee, cinnamon and brown syryp notes. It’s quite dry and astringent. There is a spicyness but it starts out on a low level and then moves on a downslope through the entire finish. The oak is wet, grey wooden planks. This is a decent dram but the nose is much better than the rest.

Additional information
This expression is matured exclusively in Oloroso sherry seasoned oak casks from Jerez, Spain. It rests in the same cask for the entire maturation period.