Nose: Sherry-toned dark malt, maple syrup, honey, brown sugar and a compote of dried fruits (apricot, peach, pear, date and fig). There is a lot of sherry influence here and there is also an aspect to this nose that is so wine influenced it's almost more like cognac or armagnac. While pleasant, this does tend to dominate the aroma spectrum. Palate: Exquisite arrival - rich, buttery, full and perfectly balanced between sherry-soaked toffee and oaken tobacco. Dried fruits again on the palate, plus orange syrup and mild spice. However after this exceptional entry and promising start to the development the palate simply goes nowhere. It just abruptly fades away into the finish. This is one of the mildest palates I've ever encountered. Finish: Very short and curtailed. The rich, sweet fruity palate dwindles to nothing in moments, leaving hardly any aftertaste. The second of four Nant samples I'm tasting, like the Bourbon Wood expression the Sherry Wood is another 43% NAS whisky. I believe it is 4 years old and matured in selected single sherry casks of 100 litre capacity (so around quarter-cask size). The Nant new-make must be very rich (I've not tasted it) because it more than balances the big oak component these casks must deliver, even over a short time. The nose is very good and the palate promises so much, but then simply evaporates. It's most unusual and rather disappointing. Tasting this whisky is like reading a novel that begins well and really grabs your attention, but then you discover that it was never finished and you are left dangling and unsatisfied. What a shame - so much promise, so little resolution. Adding water renders the nose paper-thin and all but obliterates the palate. This whisky is far too fragile to take dilution. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. At the asking price, I wouldn't recommend it. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)