Came across this in a small town liquor store where selection consisted of all the main stream items and there sat this bottle of whiskey I had never seen nor heard of before, Stranahan’s Sherry Cask Single Malt Whiskey. This caught my attention and after looking it over, I figured why not.
“Stranahan’s Sherry Cask is our latest innovation & expression in single malt. We take our four-year-old Rocky Mountain Single Malt and then transfer it to 500-liter Oloroso Sherry Barrels to cask finish. Procured from the Andalusia region of southern Spain, these sherry barrels have been aging wine for over 40 years, leaving a depth of flavor soaked into the ancient oak staves.” – Stranahan’s Website
I like the subtle and simple yet very appropriate labeling and the additional information on the label. For “small batch” (which can mean anything legally), I was surprised the there was no real handwriting on the label. This was somewhat of a let down as I like to see this on small/special release bottles. The label states that “No two batches are the same” and my bottle is Batch 001, Bottle No. 0577. Bottled at 47% ABV.
“Nose – Over-ripe cherry, sweet apples, raisins, almonds, leather and fresh-cut hay.
Palate – Honey, Montmorency cherries, black currant , and fig, with a nutty brine and walnut characteristics.
Finish – Buttery caramel, whipped cream, brown sugar, and smoked cayenne.”
– Stranahan’s Website
This is an interesting whiskey and I am going to let it sit for awhile and I will come back to it later. My first impression did not leave me wanting another pour initially but later I found myself thinking about it and going over what things made it interesting.
My notes:
Nose – reminded me of my grandma’s canned cherries and warm raisins.
Flavor – canned cherries, fig (need to find some figs to confirm this is the interesting piece), and some kind of medicinal note (can’t quite put my finger on it).
Finish – warm and well-worn leather (like a pair of rawhide work gloves that have been seasoned with ranch labor)
This is unlike ANY Sherry Cask finished whiskey I have had previously and glad I decided to purchase it. I will have to see if I come around to it more in the future but it has been one of the more interesting whiskeys to date for me.
Nice tree