77.73 Waxy McSherryface

Description

Imagine you let all 40,000+ members of the SMWS crowd-source the name of a boat, or a whisky bar, or, a whisky! Well, this cask kind of sounds like it was done that way. A fun variation of Boaty McBoatface, it’s rare to see 77s through the SMWS, especially with sherry cask influence. Distillery 77 is one of Diageo’s most exciting ‘workhorse’ distilleries that usually only goes into blends, but we’re lucky to be able to showcase how this spirit works not just as a single malt, but also at cask strength, a rare treat indeed. Clear wort, long ferments, a high cut point on the spirit, and a slightly unusual distillation method make for a fascinating end result. The extra time spent in sherry is one of our own second-fill Oloroso casks, again showcasing how exemplary our sherry program is.

First nosing suggested to us waxed jackets, pine needles and spice, plus raisins, mint julep, malted milk biscuits and old-school dunnage warehouses. Some water added many notes of walnuts, tobacco pouches, dried tarragon, mushroom powder and cookie dough. The palate was initially full of mineral oils, waxes, putty, chai tea, spiced winter ales and smooth notes of old calvados and sultanas. Water brought milk chocolate sweetness, fruit loaf, yellow plums, olive oil cake, pistachios and caramel sauce. This matured for 10 years in a bourbon hogshead before being transferred to a second fill oloroso hogshead.