10 of the best sherry cask whiskies for beginners to try
The Sherry and Scotch industries have had a somewhat symbiotic relationship for centuries and casks have been used by both industries in both Spain and Scotland with both drinks benefiting from these wonderful wooden barrels.
Helping to smooth out the character of the spirit and giving it a far richer, fruitier character, these sherry casks arrived in the ports of Glasgow and Leith in vast quantities and were readily available until the 1950s when legislation in Spain changed the way Bodegas distributed the drink.
Now, becoming harder and harder to source and still very much in demand, several of Scotland's most prominent distilleries have made their name on sherry cask matured whisky and you'd be hard pressed to find a whisky fan you didn't have a favourite example of this popular maturation style.
A perfect example would be the American obsession with Macallan.
So, to help you get started on your road to sherry head nirvana, we've picked out eight examples, which are reasonably priced and should be easy to get a hold of.
Just remember, this is only the tip of the iceberg, so don't come crying to us when you're getting into trouble from your SOs or families for spending way to much time and money in pursuit of your next sublime sherry cask hit.
10 of the best sherry cask whiskies for beginners to try
Glendronach 12
(Distillery: Glendronach, Region: Highlands and islands, RRP: £35-38 )
Outwith Macallan and Aberlour, this is definitely the distillery sitting upon the sherry cask throne (we kind of want a sherry cask seat now) with a range of expressions that have really grabbed whisky fans attentions over the past 5 or 6 years.
In the 12-year-old we have a stunning example of what is capable of being produced when smaller distilleries give the bigger guys a run for their money.
Created using a combination of Spanish Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks it gets the balance between distillery character and cask influence just right, producing an example of the style that, as the oft quoted Goldilocks would say, is "just right".
Auchentoshan Three Wood
(Distillery: Auchentoshan, Region: Lowland, RRP: £45-48)
The first thing to get out of the way here is the pronunciation.
Auchentoshan is pronounced Och (as in loch) - en - toshan and this little lowlands Distillery easily holds its own against some of its northern neighbours.
This is a great dram if you haven't tried much Scotch single malts as its lighter due to its triple distillation. The Three Wood refers to its triple maturation, with bourbon casks, then Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez casks being used to give it a light fruity character with hidden depth.
Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year Old
(Distillery: Balvenie, Region: Speyside, RRP: £38-40)
Tamdhu Batch Strength
(Distillery: Tamdhu, Region: Speyside, RRP: £70-75)
One of the most underrated drams from one of the most underrated distilleries in the country. The 105 is a big, uncompromising slap of vanilla and toffee that coats the mouth with moreish flavour and will keep you coming back for more.
Be warned, at 60% abv it's dangerously drinkable - perhaps it's one best kept for an enjoyable night cap or two to avoid ending up leg drunk in your local.
As it's cask strength, try adding a little water to really open it up and explore its depth.
We had to finish with another trip to Islay, and Bowmore, an underrated distillery that deserves a little more love.
The Darkest is a luxurious dram that really manages to balance peat smoke with summer fruits in a way that is subtler, but no less enjoyable for it, than the Ardbeg Uigeadail, it's the perfect pudding for any Christmas feast and great value at the perfectly reasonable price it's available at.
https://foodanddrink.scotsman.com/drink/5-of-the-best-peated-scotch-whiskies-for-beginners/