46.145 Castanets and cowboy hats (Malt of the Month)

Description

From the team

Read the flavour notes from our expert Tasting Panel and tell me this doesn’t just drive you crazy!? I can’t remember the last time we saw a sherried bottling from Distillery 46, but we’re so excited to now have one to offer up to members as Malt of the Month, and with a nice little September price slash to go along with it. The spirit character coming off this distillery’s pot stills typically carries lighter, floral notes, so seeing it spend a further three years of maturation in 1st fill Spanish oak Oloroso wood is getting us giddy — the result is richer, bolder flavours, but that lovely floral zest is still hidden under the new additions (a sherried bottling worth trying with a bit of water).

Tasting Panel notes

Rich aromas of Seville orange marmalade, pears poached in claret and scumptious carrot cake blended into caramel wafers, dipped in honey and served with toffee, ginger biscuits and fragrant cigars. A big and spicy palate moved from ginger and nutmeg to Turkish delight, cinnamon and leather with milk chocolate-coated oak staves. Adding water released oaked chardonnay wine with a lovely buttery complexity that complemented coconut husk, mango and toasted pineapple served with dry sherry. Drier flavours now blended hazelnut husks and heavy wood with scorched leather before almonds joined dried figs and bitter chocolate, with a menthol finish. After 12 years in a bourbon hogshead, this was transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.