Whisky: Glenburgie 15 Year (2008), Signatory Vintage Exceptional Cask Edition 2

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 57.1%

Cask: First Fill Oloroso Sherry Butts

Age: 15 Years (Distilled 2008)

Nose: Lacquered wood and stewed fruits, charred oak, brown sugar, caramelized banana, hints of cream.

Palate: Medium-bodied, tannic, stewed fruits and lacquered wood, hints of coffee; caramelized brown sugar, stewed fruits; drying and peppery; with water more chocolate and cream.

Finish: Medium to long with drying wood, pepper, and stewed fruits.

Score: 6 (78)

Mental Image: Trojan Horse Wholesaler

Narrative & Notes:  Lacquered wood and stewed cherries made clear that this was a big cask-driven whisky with charred oak, banana’s foster, brown sugar, and an occasional waft of rich cream. Cream cheese frosting or Basque cheesecake made for a lovely companion to the thicker wood and fruit notes. Medium-bodied, the whisky was viscous and tannic with loads of wood and cask-driven sticky stewed fruits. Hints of coffee lingered behind caramelized brown sugar, dates, cherries, and lacquered wood. The whisky was drying and peppery toward the end. A few drops of water mellowed the peppery spirit and brought more chocolate out from the coffee with a touch of cream.  The finish was medium to long with drying wood, pepper, and stewed fruits.

Glenburgie is one of my favorite distilleries, so when I saw this relatively affordable product among Signatory Vintage’s new 100 Proof line, I was sorely tempted to buy it. Luckily, a bottle featured in a local tasting a month or so back, and I recently got around to tasting it again to see if my impression that evening, which was not a very positive one, was still apt.

I have come around on this a little bit. It is still too wood and cask-driven for my taste, with heady tannins and peppery spirit; the wonderful Glenburgie malt was just about obliterated by the cask. While I do not rate it highly as a Glenburgie, I did think it made for a fine sherry bomb, and I doubt fans of the style would find this quite as woody as I did. A few drops of water helped bring additional balance to the spirit and wood without compromising the mouthfeel.

Overall, not my vibe when it comes to Glenburgie— but decent for a sherry bomb.