On Sherry Maturation: The Sweet Spot

Being blunt, I distinctly dislike any whisky that feels like it's had sherry poured into the bottle. Sometimes sherry monsters can work for me - I tend to like the more 'old school' style that, say, Glendronach or Glenfarclas offer. That said, I have had some 'farclas that were a bit on the sherry syrup side ... I also like them to have just a wee hint of peat or smoke in the mix.

Benromach seems to get the bourbon to sherry mix just right and it's a style I really dig. I find that Springbank is the same but they can often throw a few odd-balls out there - the 15 I currently have open being a good example. Something about the sherry sometimes feels a little too much but on another day it can work for me. Perhaps more due to my palate than the whisky?

At the risk of repeating Ralfy ad verbatim, if the casks are decent and not first-fill it tends to really help the flavours integrate, especially those in dunnage. I'm not a fan of finishes either (as they usually offer the syrupy quality I mention above) but, like most things, there are always exceptions - the Octomore I recently reviewed being a good example. Mind you, if you take Glenmorangie Quinta Ruben as an example; that has two years in port casks so quite a prolonged 'finish' and it's better for it. Jazzing up some sub par whisky for a few weeks/months in a wet sherry cask, or whatever, doesn't quite have the same effect.

Prior to getting serious about Scotch a few years ago, I mainly drank bourbon and Canadian whisky, I think I was more attracted to heavily sherried whisky at first as it presented a set of flavours I didn't find in those aforementioned whisky styles. At this point in my journey I gravitate more towards a bourbon cask or good refill cask, I find the nuances more interesting and I like their to be some idea of the spirit behind things, so that is my main consideration in any whisky, am I getting something different than all the run of the mill expressions out there, I am getting indications of it's creation, the terroir, the distillation style etc.

It doesn't mean I don't enjoy sherry cask whiskys but I am no longer drawn like a moth to the flame for a "sherry" bomb. Some folks see that dark as coffee colored liquid in a bottle and jubilate, I am weary that it will just taste like "cask strength sherry" as a fellow Connosr said so eloquently.

I like when a good vatting of both sherry and bourbon casks is reached, some examples, Arran 14, Balblair 91, most of Ancnoc's range.

It's incredibly variable for me. I guess it depends on the quality of the new make spirit as well as the quality of the casks. Glendronach 12 uses a combination of Oloroso and PX casks, which would generally mean I don't like it. I find PX usually overwhelms any spirit character and is just too sweet, but Glendronach 12 really works for me. Perhaps the casks aren't all first fill. I like Springbank 10 (exlusively ex-bourbon casks) more than Springbank 15 (exclusively sherry-matured), but I like Springbank 12 CS (70/30 sherry/bourbon, I think) more than either of those.