Whisky: Glen Ord 8 Year (2013), Hart Brothers

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 57.5%

Cask: First Fill Sherry Butt

Age: 8 Years (Distilled 11 Feb. 2013, Bottled Sept 2021)

Nose: Sherry, rich, leather,  nougat, dried fruits, sour cherry, dark chocolate, brownies, hazelnut spread

Palate: Medium-bodied, rich, dried dates, spirited prickle, musty leather, almonds, bitter chocolate, hints of cherry syrup, dark roasted coffee.

Finish: Lingering rum raisin cake, creme anglais, and vanilla bean

Score: 6

Mental Image: Black Forest Soufflé

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was intensely sherried with classic dried fruits, leather, and chocolate. Fancy desserts came to mind: dark chocolate soufflés, nougat, sour cherries, and hazelnuts. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile was equally intense as rich notes of dried fruits and musty leather gripped the palate. Spirited at turns, the back end featured bitter chocolate, hints of cherry syrup, and an ample amount of dark roasted coffee. Water opened up the palate with more tobacco, blood orange, and pomegranate while the back end of chocolate and coffee remained. The finish was medium-length with a bit of spirited heat, rum raisin cake, creme anglais, and vanilla bean.

A sherry monster— not quite a bomb and not quite a hammer— but a big furry sherry monster here to hug your palate. Water seemed to be a requirement; while the nose and palate were fine without, water opened up a whole new world of vibrant fruit and tobacco notes. Despite the age and heady cask influence, this had a lovely range of well-integrated flavors.

Overall, this whisky will not give you a good idea of what Glen Ord produces— the house style was mostly buried under a warm blanket of sherry. This whisky will provide your palate with a warm sherry blanket, and at $50, a seemingly ridiculously low price from K&L, there are few competitors.

Image Credit: Whiskybase