48°
Distillery Officially Unknown - Islay
Bourbon and Sherry Casks, Oloroso Sherry Finish
Independent Bottling
By Ian MacLeod Distillers Limited
Limited Edition
Single Malt
Bottled in 2021
Unchillfiltered
In 2021, Sherry Cask Blast takes the place of the Sherry Bomb, which has been released every year since 2018. Why such a name change? Because the maturation process is not the same. The Sherry Bomb was aged entirely in Oloroso Sherry casks, the Sherry Cask Blast was first matured in Bourbon and Sherry casks, and only finished in Oloroso casks. What's more, the Sherry Cask Blast seems to have had colouring added, whereas the Sherry Bomb does not. Everything degrades. That said, this is still a limited edition of 18,000, so we'll see if it's really worse.
Let's Taste It :
Nice thickness of the Sherry, sweet red fruits, raspberry coulis, leather, caramel, nice balance with fat coal and violent, herbaceous, marine peat. Blackberries, blueberries, lignite. A few drops of tar, still hot fuel oil. A touch of lemon to sweeten things up. Pleasant and fruity on the palate, strawberry, raspberry, well-managed spices, paprika, white pepper, nutmeg. Hints of earth. The finish is long and sparkling, with cola, slush, humus, burnt wood, blackcurrant.
In Short,
To my surprise, it's about as good as the Sherry Bomb, perhaps even a little more balanced and mastered. They're doing well. As friendly as ever. On the other hand, the price is only slightly lower, although the maturation must have cost them a lot less. Inflation is taking its toll, or the demands of shareholders, I don't know. Obviously, I'm less enthusiastic, but the quality is there. We're still a long way from Uigeadail.
Score : 87
To Be Listened While Sipping :
Devin Townsend Project - Deadhead
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