393 bottles, cask #15400, filled into Sherry butt on 8/10/97, transferred into a fresh Oloroso Sherry butt on 27/9/17, and bottled on 28/10/2020.
Appearance – This Single Malt Whisky is oxidising copper in colour, it beads up on the swirl line, and slowly drops medium legs as well as holding some along the swirl line.
Nose – The first aroma here is menthol, swiftly followed by flat cola, it’s herbaceous with a whiff of perfume too, there’s also notes of tea, cereals, almonds, marzipan, and a dustiness. With some more time in the glass it becomes fruitier, dark fruits as you’d expect from an Ex Sherry butt, it’s very Black Forest gateau along with wax, wood polish, and surprisingly pastry, I’m specifically thinking flapjack, a black cherry flapjack, and dark mint chocolate.
Palate – First off, nice mouthfeel, it’s quite syrupy and great ABV, it’s really warming straight away. Initially flavour wise I’m finding spicy ginger, black pepper, and chilli’s, but all are restrained.
Then fruits start to come through, stoned fruits kick it off, peaches and apricots, then pineapple rings, the spice slowly increase behind the fruit, and then stewed dark fruits, they are sweet too, very nice.
This then develops further into dark chocolate, bitter ginger, nuts, more herbaceousness, quite a bit of oak, and waiting even longer I’m getting foam banana sweets too, it’s spicy and warming all the way through, definitely a dram for a cooler evening.
Finish – It’s quite long in length, still warming and spicy, the fruit are all still there, with nuts, dark chocolate, unsweetened hot chocolate, cinnamon and black liquorice.
My thoughts – Another cracker from The Whisky Broker Independent bottlers, and another lovely GlenRothes too. This has a super nose and palate, very welcoming, warming and fruity spicy, with a lovely development, those stewed dark fruits that are all about Christmas, and those extra dark notes.
Would I buy a bottle? – You know what’s coming, yes I would buy a bottle, it is a super Ex Sherry cask whisky, that I’ve really enjoyed.
Notes – This Single cask bottling is presented in its natural colour, non chill filtered and at natural cask strength.
Thanks to – @DomsWhisky (Twitter).
Follow @DomsWhisky
