Sherry’s effect on whisky can be a marvel. And I wanted to do something a bit different for our Bombay Malt & Cigar gents to push the boundaries beyond the known sherry drams like Aberlour, GlenDronach, Glenrothes, etc.
Normally we dive straight into whiskies, knowing what we are trying. However I wanted to have a bit of fun with a surprise…. So kept my fellow tasters “blind.”
Next, I introduced a “reference” pour.
I said nothing about it – merely to smell (not sip) with a request between each whisky to go back to the “reference” to recalibrate senses and compare.
It didn’t take long til they realized the “reference” wasn’t whisky at all but instead a sherry… with speculation it may be a “cream” or sweetened avatar rather than a dry fino or amontillado.
I later revealed that it was a Kingsgate Canadian sherry from KittlingRidge Ontario, Canada described on the bottle as:
“A premium medium dry sherry, barrel aged in oak for extra smoothness.”
However this Kingsgate is now known as Apera with an explanation that it is medium dry Oloroso sherry “style” dessert wine. This 2013 nod from to EU regulations recognizes that a “true” Sherry can only come from the Spanish triangle.
Which tells you this funny little bottle, inherited from a friend who was leaving India, has been around for a few years…
As for what we tried? Not quite your usual fare…
Here is the progression we explored with our Sherry Unusual evening with whiskies from Ireland, India and Islay…. plus an extra special single cask:
Hyde #6 President’s Reserve 8 year single grain + 18 year single malt 46%
From Ireland, picked as an appetizer, the bottle stated it was finished in Sherry. What made it unusual is that it is a new brand, released to help promote the Hyde name before their Hibernia distillery in Cork is fully producing.
Paul John 7 Year (2009) Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish 57.4%
This was the biggest surprise – none imaged it could be from India! We were mighty impressed with what the folks from Paul John produced with four years in ex Bourbon then 3 years in ex Sherry casks. It also opened up beautifully with a bit of water.
BenRiach 12 year (2005/2018) Oloroso Sherry Cask No 5052 59.3%
A true class act. Selected just to be sure we had at least ONE proper single malt in our evening. Gorgeous and astounding how at 59.2%, not a drop of water was desired.
Kilchoman Loch Gorm (2010/2016) Sherry 46%
A pure peat monster tempered with 100% sherry from Islay. Not everyone’s tipple but certainly demonstrated how peat and sweet can combine!
Just click on the whisky links to find out even more about what we discovered!
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