Recommend a sherry!

My individual notes:

I’ve found that I don’t really like sherried whiskies all that much, but I do like a little something sweeter around Christmas. Last year, I had a bottle of a’bunadh that was too much (in volume, not intensity) for me. So I think this year I’d like to just get one bottle of the actual sherry instead of a bottle of sherried whisky.

I’ve read a little bit about sherry here and there—especially old posts on the K&L blog—so I understand the general stuff about the flor and whatnot. But I have no idea about what’s on the shelf. I’ll probably buy only one bottle (at least until this time again next year), so I want to get a good one on my first try for under $20. I’m not going to try a bunch of different bottles. I’m not intrinsically interested in sherry like I am in whisky.

I understand that Fino typically has more of a bracing, saline quality. That sounds great—like sherry from Campbeltown! :) So unless I hear that a Fino would fail to deliver the Christmastime quality that I’m primarily looking for, it’ll probably be a Fino for me.

Oh, and I did find the previous Connosr discussion along these lines (“Sherry Anyone?”) but it only elicited two actual recommendations.

Final note: I see that Ralfy did a video on sherry, #331. I plan to hit that up when I get a chance.

OK, I’ll shut up now. Cheers!

@OlJas From my small experience with Sherry I would recommend Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana, their Faraon Oloroso Seco is realy nice and good value for the price. I had some of their Sherry more on the side of the Fino, with the flora, still good but I prefer the oxydise notes of the Oloroso, like a Tawny Port but realy dry.

Thanks for that, @CognacFan!

I see that Binny's carries a Manzanilla from Hidalgo La Gitana. $16 for 500 mL, with these notes: "Bright, with saline, sunchoke and blanched almond notes backed by a piercing, chalk-framed finish. This is all precision and cut."

It's not your Oloroso, but that sounds pretty good to me.

And FYI to anyone paying attention to this thread: I watched that Ralfy video. He does have some specific bottles featured but it's more about sherry in general. He basically just recommends you avoid cream sherries and find dry, aged sherries instead.

I enjoy a glass of Pedro Ximenez at Christmas. It's very sweet but delicious. If you like port then you will almost certainly like this. Good with a blue cheese like Stilton.

Gonzalez-Byass is a fantastic producer - their sherry can be bought at The Whisky Exchange among other places. Great value for money - their Pedro Ximenez is to die for.

Can anyone give a nod to Emilio Lustau East India Solera Sherry?

@Anxyous Ive seen gonzalez- Byass Pedro Ximenez 30 yo at the Whisky Exchange, for £20. I think i'll take your advice and buy a bottle for Christmas.

I have only ever had one or two of the Australian variants before and some Spanish PX. They are generally too sweet for my tastes.

I would recommend anything by Valdespino, Equipo Navazos or Gonzales Byass. I just bought a second bottle of Valdespino Palo Cortado Viejo C.P., which I can recommend in particular.

My other advice would be, chill your sherry as you would white wine, which it basically is, and always drink it with some kind of savory food. Spanish cheese and sausages -in other words, tapas - being the best. You will find that full flavored food brings out hidden elements of the sherry that other foods do not. You will also find that the dryer the sherry the colder it should be. Something sweet like oroloso is best when a little less cool than, say, amontillado. Fino, manzanilla and palo cortado are all dryer and best when cooler still, in my opinion.

@beduffboy Enjoy!

Nice recommendations, @McTeague. Cheers.

@OlJas Enjoy!

So my local liquorist had none of the bottles recommended in this thread. I hope others find the recommendations useful.

I ended up getting a Lustau Los Arcos Amontillado. It had some shelf tag with good scores from some publication. And it came in a half-bottle for $10, so it seemed like a small risk. I don't like it at all. Too nutty, it think is the problem. I'm getting through most if not all of it, but a little grudgingly. After having a proper drink or two over Thanksgiving, I ended up swigged most of the rest directly from the bottle while cutting my family's Christmas tree out in the rather cold early-December night. It was fitting enough for that occasion, but I still didn't love it.

If it hasn't gone bad now (five days after opening), I might try a dash in a peated dram.

And i'm going to try to return the second, similar, FULL-SIZE (d'oh!) bottle that I also bought at the same time, this one of Lustau Jarana Fino. I know they're different but I don't think I'll like this Fino any better.

Maybe for next Christmas, I'll get an Oloroso or PX.