Whisky Review: Arran Sherry Cask

Given the pricing, you probably won’t complain about this one.

Arran Sherry Cask “The Bodega” / 55.8% ABV / ¥9,500 ($67)

Tasted neat

From Lochranza comes the Arran Sherry Cask, a whisky-lovers dram boasting natural cask strength, natural colour, and non-chill filtering from a 250L sherry hogshead. The front label also features braille, which is awesome and something I do not see on most bottles.

The blurb claims:

— Complex and luxurious. Notes of dark chocolate and ginger. Hints of spice, ripe figs and sweet cherries.

• Color: burnt umber (1.7) — quite dark
• Nose: turpentine, chocolate, stewed plums, honeycrisp apple, salt spray, and oloroso sherry
• Taste: honey, sherry, a very juicy fruitiness, some butter, tobacco smoke, and lemon zest
• Finish: quite long and sweet, with berry jam

I was somewhat skeptical when I bought this, only to find the bottle disappeared quite quickly before my eyes. It’s eminently drinkable, a very well-produced and integrated sherry bomb. While I did not get the cherry notes the label promised, it’s packed full of flavour that develops in the glass over time.

Considering the price, this is a good, affordable new mainstay to add your sherry go-to list.

Rating: 6/10