Whisky : Glenturret 8 Year "Earl and Countess of Strathearn” Distillery Exclusive Exceptional Cask

Country/Region : Scotland/Highland

ABV : 57.8%

Cask : STR Sherry Cask (Cask GTR2006 #546)

Age : 8 Years (Bottled Summer 2014)

Nose :  Rich fruit, coffee, and subtle pastries.  Stewed stone fruits; plums, dates, figs, and currants.  Cinnamon and chicory spiced coffee, cherry syrup, and freshly stretched canvas.  Notes of dessert built over time with caramel fudge, dark brown sugar, and berry-cream cheese turn-overs.

Palate : Thick body with an intense rich sherry influence.  Fruits and spice dominated with sticky honey coated figs, dried dates, creamy dulce de leche, and roasty espresso notes.  Water brought out more subtle nutty browned butter, cola, and lacquered wood.  On the back end were notes of licorice, colored pencils, and oil paints. 

Finish :  Lingering dried fruit sugars with subtle hints of coffee.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Ballroom Dessert Table

Notes :  I tasted this totally blind and I am happy to report I was not totally off.  It was impossible to mistake that this malt was heavily sherried, but I pegged it as a Glenrothes or Glentauchers at around 8 Years.  It reminded me strongly of some of the SMWS I have had from those distilleries.  While I did not quite hit the mark, I was completely totally off, so I chock this up as a win.

Even better than my lucky guess, this was quite tasty.  Though heavily sherried drams are not my forte, I loved the extra layer of roasty flavors that the STR cask brought to bear on the malt.  This had a nice thick oily body and a long finish.  I can totally see why this was an “exclusive exceptional cask” for the distillery.  Across 2020 and into 2021 Glenturret has proven to be a real favorite.