Limeburners Single Malt Sherry Cask Standard Strength

Fruity / tasty

N: stone fruit, sultanas, Christmas cake. Slightly woody. Straw notes. P: maple syrup, stewed fig and vanilla fudginess. F: sugary, cloves nutmeg and cinnamon, woodiness Distiller whisky taste #17

Short taste of burnt orange. Nose v honey

Nose: Newly-cut hay, but there is richness and complexity. This is not a raw green nose, it's more like resting in a hay barn at the end of a long hot summer day. The grassy notes are deep, malty and restful, and overlaid with citrus and stone-fruit aromas (peach and apricot). Honey, leather, vanilla and buttery cereal all appear - I smell home-made crumpets and crème fraîche! Luscious and seductive with a foundation of crisp, fresh oak barrel. A fine and uplifting nose that continues to open as it rests in the glass. The addition of water releases floral and woody aromas but deadens the nose. Palate: An arresting combination of semi-sweet oak tannin, nutmeg, mild cinnamon, dark fruits, nuts and toasted cereal. Earthy, wholesome and satisfying - at first it seems like it may be a hard, almost astringent palate but then it suddenly morphs into semi-sweetness with dark fruit cake and brandy butter. The texture is good, but not outstanding, and there is some spicy oak towards the finish. Water seems to kill this palate, although it does release a little more sweetness. Finish: Medium/Short. Fruity and oaky to begin with, as it fades it moves towards sweet mint in the aftertaste together with some mild spice echoes. A satisfying malt - as satisfying as the basic American Oak matured Limeburners is unusual. This dramatically makes the point that this distillery's new-make begs for finishing (or even full maturation?) in hefty, richly flavoured fortified wine casks. Not to cover anything, but to contribute equivalent complexity and gravitas to balance the spirit. This expression is matured in 2nd fill bourbon casks for several years. The exact time is not revealed but I'd guess it is initially 4-6 years old. It then receives a finish (again unspecified - maybe 6-12 months?) in Australian apera [sherry] casks. Don't underestimate the maturation time as in the Western Australian climate this is equivalent to 10-12 years in Scotland. My only warning with this whisky is don't add water. I've seen it advised elsewhere as a way to bring out sweet notes, but personally I thought it ruined the whisky. For all its presence and heft, it is a little fragile. I enjoyed this a good deal - maybe enough to buy a bottle, but I'm waiting to try the third sample from my pack of three to see which I like best. That one is a port cask finish and I have high hopes. Tasted from a distillery-produced 100ml sample. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)