Description
Cask 12.62 Heaven-sent (Vaults Collection)
Read the tasting notes from our expert panel on this one. Then re-read them. A sherried whisky you’ll never forget would be the perfect summary of Cask 12.62 in this case. Every so often we see the kind of whisky that displays that rare balance of being both very obviously old and stately, but at the same time tropical and lively. A whisky that strafes that balance of being both clearly displaying the age statement, but holding onto its youth in the background. This is that whisky. It’s had a long time in full sherry maturation so the age and grace of that level have held on — but, at the same time, there’s that classic ’12’ distillate of mango and lychee, all wrapped up in a sublime ‘heaven-sent’ experience.
An aroma of incense of the most valued scented aloeswood which noblemen of the ancient Japanese imperial court called ‘Kyara Kongo’ and translates into ‘Diamond Kyara’ filled the room. On the palate somewhat heavy and dark but at the same time fruity and light as we envisaged watching the show ‘How the Andalusian Horses Dance’, an equestrian ballet accompanied by Spanish music in the Royal Andalusian School in Jerez. With a drop of water, we imagined the beating wings of a hummingbird, gracile, filigree, a playful elegance and seemingly without the slightest effort. A heaven-sent enjoyment you will not easily forget. After twenty-nine years in an ex-oloroso butt, we transferred this whisky into a first fill PX butt.
One of the rarest Vaults Collection offerings ever offered up by the SMWS, we’re super proud to have the opportunity to present this whisky — a single-cask, cask-strength, sherried beast. Quite possibly the rarest sherried whisky ever released in Australia, this is a true time capsule of a long gone era of whisky, and a moment in whisky history we’ll never see again. Distillery 24 almost needs no introduction. No other distillery on Earth has captured the attention of whisky appreciators like it has, and no other distillery has the reputation of sherry cask maturation like it does. The opportunity to taste the distillate in quality sherry casks is one thing, but the opportunity to taste the spirit after 33 years in original sherry oak is a whole other story.
A deep russet hue led us straight into an autumn landscape with aromas of polished horse chestnuts, rosehip, birch branches, prunes, dates and figs. Tasting neat the first thing we noted was “still plenty of zing”, followed by flavours of hay-smoked roe deer with blackberry and beetroot beautifully balanced by a fresh berry Chantilly cake. After reduction, we found cedar, tobacco and dark chocolate notes next to the scent of roasting chestnuts. On the palate were orange oil, raspberry and blackberry jam, ahead of a long finish from a tiramisu with conker coffee liqueur. Following 29 years in a refill oloroso butt, we transferred this whisky into a first fill oloroso butt.
Cask 35.305 Oh, so oloroso! (Vaults Collection)
Insane. Truly marvellous. Like nothing else. We’d honestly run out of superlatives to describe this whisky. This is the kind of cask that appears maybe once every 7-10 years which really makes your brain wires re-awaken and exclaim “I had no idea sherried whisky could taste this good”. How on earth can that complexity follow through so well? How does that integration of sherry and oak and spirit just merge so well? We’re afraid this whisky may ask more questions than it answers. This is something for a quiet night in late summer. Something to share with your closest whisky lover, and to celebrate something special. Expect notes of cathedral-aged sherry butts, fragrant wood, cinnamon, orange blossom, and more.
Oh, so oloroso! From the Latin olēre – to smell. Imagine sitting on a rooftop patio in Jerez overlooking cathedral-style warehouses storing sherry from soleras founded in the 18th century, sharing the magnificent fragrant scent with the angels and friends, while watching a glorious sunset. As pre dinner nibbles you offer cornes de gazelle, crescent-shaped cookies filled with cinnamon, almonds and an intoxicating dose of orange blossom water. Diluted we were back on the patio after dinner and sipped a very old Brandy de Jerez with a taste of Maamoul cookies; melt-in-your-mouth buttery dated filled utterly scrumptious sweets. After thirty years in an ex-bourbon hogshead we transferred this whisky into a 2nd fill Oloroso hogshead, which previously matured whisky from Society cask 10.196.
