Once you start getting into whisky, one of the first things you notice is the various types of cask that the spirit is matured in. While they all have their own distinctive character, the most common question we get asked is ‘Was this matured in a sherry cask?’

Such a simple question; such a difficult answer. Normally, we go for a simple yes or no, but, as usual, things are much more complicated than that.

Some modern casks. Being more specific than that is difficult…

Firstly, there is no legal definition for ‘sherry cask’. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (the...

Läs mer http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2014/11/what-was-a-sherry-cask/

Tobermory 1972 32 YO Oloroso Cask Finish – Distillery Exclusive, 49,5 % I present to you another Distillery Exclusive from Tobermory. This whisky was distilled in 1972, and bottled on maj 14, 2010. It still says 32 YO, and the reason is that the whisky was transferred to a sealed cask (glass? steel?) in 2005. […]...

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Cadenhead’s Cask Ends is a series of leftover bottlings. In their Campbeltown store, they have small casks with taps from which you can hand-fill your own bottle. Sometimes in 70cl bottles, sometimes just 20cl if there’s not enough, they finish off casks this way.

This Dallas Dhu 1979 is one of these Cask Ends . The spirit was distilled 8th of juni 1979 and filled into a bourbon hoggie. Mark Watt brought it to Spirits in the Sky in Brussels and it turned out to be the kind of dram everyone was talking about.

Dallas Dhu 35 yo...

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Glengoyne 21 YO, 43 % Let us go back to Glengoyne Distillery and try another sherry matured whisky. If you like sherry matured whisky, Glengoyne is usually a very safe bet. Especially if you go for the expressions matured for 18 years or more. The Glengoyne 21 YO has been part of their core range […]...

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In the seemingly endless stream of Kilchoman bottlings, there are two PX finished versions for Belgium .

One is the Kilchoman 2009 cask 576/2008 for TastToe & Broekmans. There must be some kind of error on the label because the cask reference (2008) and the vintage don’t match. I believe this is actually a 2008 vintage as casks #575 (for LMdW) and #577 (for Whisky Import Netherlands) are distilled on the same day in 2008.

The other one is Kilchoman 2009 cask 262/2009 for two whisky clubs (2009 for real this time). This is a 100% Islay version.

...

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Region – Upstate New York – $40-50 for a 375ml bottle

This here post was something I started just over a year ago.  I often find myself traveling throughout Upstate New York and when I do, I like to stop in to the Tuthilltown Distillery. I do this in part to see the non-stop updates to the distillery (it never ends there!). I also like to say hello to Ralph and Gable Erenzo.  Two super cool and humble guys that really want to just make and sell good hooch.

On one of my visits last year they happen to...

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Clynelish 1982 15 YO Flora & Fauna cask strength, 57,7 % A good friend gave me a sample of this Clynelish Flora & Fauna cask strength. She had noticed my reviews of the standard Flora & Fauna whiskies…where I always find the nose to be good and interesting, but the taste…not to my taste… She […]...

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Craigellachie 13 Year Old is the youngest option in the new core range from Craigellachie. The distillery is still using worm tubs to create a thick spirit with some meaty character.

Check our review of its older brother, Craigellachie 17 Year Old , for more background information.

Craigellachie 13 yo
(46%, OB 2014)

Nose: fairly neutral and spirity. Plenty of apple peelings, with some raw yeasty notes and light mineral touches. Soft vanilla marshmallow. Citrus. Hints of banana skins and other vegetal notes in the background. Not bad, just a little youthful. Mouth: oily and sweet, very malty....

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Velvet Fig Blended Malt, NAS, 46 % Here is a brand new blended malt from Wemyss Malts, just in time for the coming Yuletide. This expression is non chill-filtered, and bottled at 46 % ABV. It is a limited release of 6000 bottles. The whisky has been matured in sherry casks, which is very apparent on […]...

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Released exclusively for the Taiwanese market, this was the second oldest Karuizawa ever (at the time), and the only cask left of the 1967 vintage .

It was presented at Whisky Live 2012 in Taipei and then released to the market at the beginning of 2013.

I’m sure visiting Asia makes you understand this kind of whisky even better.

Karuizawa Vintage 45 yo 1967 (59,6%, OB for Taiwan 2012, Aqua of Life, sherry butt #2725, 310 btl.)

Nose: typical solventy ebony, cedar and sandalwood. Old leather. Mild ashes / incense. Reminds me of Asian temples (the dark...

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Yoichi Distillery is the oldest of the two Nikka distilleries. Masataka Taketsuru founded Yoichi Distillery in 1934. The distillery is located in the small town of Yoici, about 30 minutes by train outside Sapporo, on the island Hokkaido. This is almost as far north as you can get in Japan, and it is said that […]...

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The Golden Cask is a single cask series bottled by Cumbrae Supply – House of Macduff (incidentally also the name of the distillery, but pure coincidence with the fact that the owners have this family name).

Until now they had a standard bottle with a fairly dull label, but apparently they’ve been given a recent makeover. They’re now sold in Compass Box-like bottles with a nice cardboard case. Of course it’s the contents that counts, but you can’t deny this is way more attractive.

We’re trying a new Macduff 1980 . Note that there was another Macduff 1980 from the...

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Macduff 1967 35 YO Old & Rare Platinum Selection, 53,8 % Please indulge me today. I do try to not focus too much on old and obscure bottlings on the blog, but from time to time it is fun to just nerd out completely. The whisky I am presenting today is one of the very […]...

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