Gonzalez Byass Alfonso Oloroso Seco Sherry

This is the first oloroso sherry I tried and by every sip I enjoyed it more and more as the palate opened up. The nose promises overripe apple and nuts and the palate delivers them with an oaky finish. I tried some strong cheese with it, liked it even more.

I have no idea how good it is compared to other sherries but after this bottle I sure am motived to find it out.

I feel a bit bad giving this a negative review as I have to admit that I'm not familiar with Olorosso sherry. I knew it was a dry sherry but the experience was not what I was expecting.

Unlike a nice dry wine like a Chablis, which has a crisp and bright dryness to it, this is dry in a different way. It has an astringent and almost acrid sourness that I wasn't expecting. Not so much 'crisp', more 'sharp'. It honestly tasted a lot like drinking a mild vinegar.

Maybe that's what you're looking for? Maybe that's what Olorosso drinkers like? I came to this as a whisky drinker, where Olorosso-cask whiskies are highly sought after for the round richness and complexity that those casks impart to the whisky. I couldn't relate any of those notes to the experience of drinking this sherry, though! I managed to force my way through one glass but my wife could barely manage to swallow a single sip.

Great chilled served with red meat.