Spirit of Yorkshire 6 Year (2017), Cadenhead’s World Whiskies
Whisky: Spirit of Yorkshire 6 Year (2017), Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection
Country/Region: England
ABV: 59.6%
Cask: Fino Sherry Hogshead
Age: 6 Years (Distilled 2017, Bottled Oct. 2024)
Nose: Woody with hints of cigar and tea, polished wood, slightly chemical, cinnamon, cardamon, earthy with hints of plastic.
Palate: Medium-bodied, candied sweetness, fruit, slightly artificial and chemical, cherries in syrup, woody, more pepper at the end.
Finish: Medium-length with brown sugar, vanilla, and butter rum cake.
Score: 4 (74)
Mental Image: Continental-style Snow Cones
Narrative & Notes: Bursting at the seams with lacquered wood, sandalwood, and teak antiques— an old sailing chest full of cigar and tea boxes. Wood polish churned toward Sharpie markers, cinnamon sticks, and black cardamon for a chemical spice. Potting soil and plastic reminded me of backyard battlefield with toy soldiers and dirt piles. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile offered a panoply of candied fruits and sugary syrups— all a bit artificial, like the mixed dregs of a slightly melted snow cone. Sharpie markers and Windex lingered in the background; not entirely unpleasant, but decidedly odd and slightly chemical. More maraschino cherries arrived near the end with a bit of pepper and a healthy dose of wood. The finish was medium-length with brown sugar, vanilla, and butter rum cake.
Woody! The Spirit of Yorkshire was a new distillery for me, and Cadenhead’s it seems as this was their first release. It was not bad for an introduction, but it was cask-dominant with the sort of ‘wood-core,’ or, as one friend put it ‘wood-tech,’ common among new distilleries these days. The aroma and palate were both big and in your face with tons of wood, fruits, and chemical notes— none of which were necessarily unpleasant, but hallmarks of a young whisky. The mouthfeel was impressively balanced and the finish pleasant enough, even if the flavors, as a whole, were not to my taste.
Overall, an interesting whisky— maybe not a good whisky. Water did help wash out some of the slightly chemical notes and brought more nostalgia to the artificial fruits with a bit of cola and orange.
