I had a little tasting of my own yesterday. This is part of a comparison I made on my new blog: maltsofpandemonium.blogspot.be
A NAS vatting of five first-fill sherry butts (three at 9 years in American oak, one at 13 years in American oak, and one at 14 years in European oak) and bottled at cask strength
Colour: deep rose mahogany (as described on the site, and I agree!), quite impressive
Nose: full and sherried nose, but not overly dominant (this is no sherry bomb). Fruity: dried plums, figs and sultanas. Spicy: rough grind black pepper and nutmeg. And sweet with burned caramel and orange pastries. After some time, a slight breeze of floral notes reveals itself.
Mouth: a full bodied biter, prickling your tongue with cinnamon apples, toffee, candied ginger and notes of tea, and than burning it with an explosion of mustard and spicy peppers. Underlying tones of oak wood and hazelnuts
Finish: a long finish, with warm and spicy notes of herbal-tea lingering in your mouth. And filling your body with pleasant warmness.
Conclusion: This is definitely one for the dark and cold winter evenings (I'll put this bottle right next to my Blair Athol 12yo). Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud to present the winner of this evening, what a class-act. If you come across this one in your local liquor store or on the web, don't hesitate to pick it up.
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