Trader Joe's Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Sherry Cask Finish

NOSE Sherry, caramel, malt, dried O & DF, slight baking spice, and cocoa. Soft and shockingly nice. The sherry is pronounced and well-integrated. PALATE Dry cocoa, roasted malt, sherry sweetness, leather, baking spice, brown sugar and some orange peel and nutty notes. Again, shocked at the amount of sherry in this whisky and even more so with the depth. FINISH Medium -> Sherry, malt, caramel, and oaky spice.

I was looking for something special to review for my 250th review, but I landed on this. I just moved to a new state. The wife and I are exhausted from unloading boxes, switching utilities, meeting new neighbors, etc. Back in Texas, only beer and wine was sold in grocery stores, but apparently there are no rules here in Louisiana. Enter the Trader Joe's selection. I was there buying snacks and saw they had whisky. Not unlike the Costco selections, they have independent bottlers select barrels for them, including a 10 year old Highland single malt (reputed to be Dalmore) and an 8 year old Speyside single malt (allegedly Glenlivet). I opted for the NAS Highland aged in bourbon casks and received a secondary maturation in Sherry casks. Because sherry. And it was $18 and I already had about $100 worth of snacks in the cart... So what to say. Got home, poured a dram in the Glencairn. Took a sip.....40%? You bet. Chill filtered? Almost certainly. Colored? You betcha! Taste.....week but not unpleasant. It's pleasant on the nose...like a dollar store sherry cask, but falls apart on the palate drunk neat. BUT. Then I ditched the Glencairn and threw it in a rocks glass with a few ice cubes. Bingo. Ice smoothes out the edges and brings out the sherry notes more. Is it a game changer? Hell no, but sometimes you just need a drink, and in the (very humid) southern heat I've just moved into, sometimes that'll hit the spot.

Smooth, wine-ish taste, not much peat flavor

Nose: a mix of ripe orchard fruits and some darker fruits in a jam-like sweetness, apple, pear, cherry, honey, sherry comes through in a medium tone, light floral and herbal notes, hay, faintest wisp of brine but then hides again, a touch of oak barrel. Taste: pleasant fruitiness with honey upfront, a mild peppery note, light ashy char that pairs with the peppery note, baking spices, a light sweet grassiness that’s almost herbal but not quite. For one of their budget entries, this is actually not bad at all for the price. Worth a try.