Here we have Balcomie, a sherried release from Kingsbarns distilled with locally-grown Fife barley. It was matured exclusively in American oak butts that previously held Oloroso sherry. Richer, spicy notes from the sherry balance the sweeter, tropical notes from the oak. Top stuff from the Lowland distillery!
Cinnamon scrolls and hot cross buns, with a drizzle of maple syrup and dried cherry.
Pineapple upside down cake, marmalade and more cinnamon, with a touch of cocoa.
Apricot jam and chocolate-coated nuts.
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For the price, it's a total banger. I'm getting some slight peat in this one. Nose is fruity, green apple, pineapple. Rich and full mouthfeel. Good sherry influence, steady finish.
Have now had this 9months. It had an overpowering linseed/castor oily aroma and flavour when i first opened it. Let someone else(not a whisky drinker) try it a month or so ago..thought it was very chocolately and would be appreciated by someone who didnt like whisky. Latest person to try it still thought it had the linoleum/ rubber smell and taste. If you put enough water in it the smell disappears and it tastes like aquavit without the spice. That's the punishment I get from supporting distilleries in my home county!!
pineapple and cherries on nose and mouth, with chocolate and spices on the way down. not bad for a youngster although a tad thin for my liking. still its a very decent drop. well done kingsbarns.
Young, but very good balanced and fruity.
Not tried this yet but, regarding the bottling note, I believe Oloroso is normally (exclusively?) aged in American oak as it's more porous, which lends itself to oxidative ageing. Sherrys such as Fino are matured in tighter-grained European oak and develop a layer of yeast (flor) on top, which prevents interaction with the air. There is a wider context too, in that most 'Sherry casks' are actually custom built for the whisky industry and merely seasoned with youthful 'Sherry', which will never be drunk. The casks in which actual Sherry is matured are part of Solera systems, they are often many decades old and are rarely sold to the whisky industry. I've sampled the regular Kingsbarns Dream to Dram and it is quite underrated in my opinion. It does not taste like a three year old whisky at all. It's very light and floral, in the classic Lowland style (think Bladnoch for example), and I look forward to seeing how it works with a sherried cask.
