Smokey Sherry Bomb?

[Darwin]

Hi all
I was wondering if there is a single malt that is a bit of a sherry bomb like Aberlour a'bunadh and also has a decent smoke level? I am not wanting a big peaty/phenolic Islay expression, more like the love child of an a'bunadh and Cragganmore or something similar. I found the Glendronach 15 Sherry cask, but I am not wanting to experiment with $110.
Cheer.

[jcarrick]

I would suggest Highland Park Dark Origins.

[opelfruit]

Hp Dark Origins is hit and miss so be careful and try a sample of the batch you are buying before taking the plunge, the one I had was very badly sulphur tainted.


Glenfarclas 15yo is a consideration, it's not peated at all but there is definate smoke in there, presumably from barrel char. It's also a damn good whisky.

Benriach also do a full range of peated sherry finish (px sherry). It's mainland peat so it's smoky and rich and not medicinal at all, nothing like Islay peat. They do various ages and prices depending on your budget, if you fancy a splurge then the 18yo Albariza is very good. Most, if not all, are 46%, natural colour and not chill filtered....and Benriach is generallyvery good stuff.
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[Quaich1]

[Alastair]

I have gotten through a couple of bottles of the Highland Park Dark Origins and have had no problem with any sulphur, the only place i have read about a sulphur problem is in Jim Murrays Whisky Bible. I would say the Highland Park Dark Origins is just what you are looking for.

[opelfruit]

Must be batch variation, both a sample in a shop and a sample for my tasting panel both had a high amount of sulphur. Drinkable, but only just. Dependant on whether you are sulphur sensitive or not....
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[Calder]

Dark Origins is not the greatest, most complex expression of Highland Park but i didnt find it to be sulphured at all. It does have the big sherry notes and bit of smoke that Darwin is looking for.

[Darwin]

Glenfarclas 12 is on my shopping list, we are not allowed the 15! If that goes well then I can try the 17 or the 105. Dark Origins is available to me and I will try and get a taste.
Would Benromach 10 be a good option? I have not tasted any from them nor do I know anyone that has.

Thanks Gents, your advise is greatly appreciated.

[sorren]

I'm not overly sure Glenfarclas would hold the smoke your after, I'd agree with hp, there are some great sherry casks of hp holding quite a lot of smoke, I have a few indies from old malt cask hps with plenty of smoke and big sherry notes, there are also a few bottles from caol ila matured/ finished in sherry casks that are pretty good, I believe one of the cask strength versions was from sherry casks..

[Darwin]

It appears that my local shop plays up the smoke more than does the Glenfarclas own tasting notes.
Thanks Sorren.

[opelfruit]

Old Benromach was peated to a degree, I've got a 4 cask vatting from the 1981 vintage and it's defiantly got peat in it, but I don't think that's what your after and it's not exactly a big sherry bomb.....not cheap either. Not had their newer stuff yet.

Glenfarclas isn't peated but the 15yo does have a smokey note, although it's not massive.

Left field here, does Yoichi 10yo sit in your budget? It's a sherry matured peated Japanese whisky and it's very very good.
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[sorren]

You could always get someone to smoke a cigar and blow the smoke at you while drinking any big sherry bomb like the abunadh !!

[opelfruit]

I was going to try and squeeze a joke about sherry and peat and flavour and toshan in here for a minute then, but stopped myself as it was pretty cringeworthy
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

[sorren]

Now I want to see what you were going to put !!

[Darwin]