Today we’re having the Winter selection from The Whisky Exchange’s The Seasons series. They follow similar releases in the Summer and Autumn.
As winter drams, it is quite logical that we’re dealing with three sherry cask expressions, each bottled at cask strength with natural colour. They are said to capture the feel and flavours of a cosy winter’s evening.
Blair Athol 16 yo 2007 (55,1%, The Whisky Exchange ‘Seasons – Winter’ 2024, Oloroso sherry butt #4259, 485 btl.)
Nose: a warming mix of red apples and poached pears with cinnamon and lots of raisins. Toffee as well. Just a hint of umami (soy sauce?) and walnuts in the background. Then there’s a top layer of new leather and polished wood as well, which makes it a very wide, appealing profile.
Mouth: same feeling of complexity. Raisins, dates and brown sugar. Underneath we find lots of charred notes, cigar boxes and some of those mushrooms from the label. Even a Mortlach-like meaty edge and some roasted paprika. More leathery notes. A bit of herbal bitters too. Then back to cinnamon, with dark chocolate, walnuts and liquorice.
Finish: long, still bittersweet and spicy, with liquorice, charred wood and hints of ginger.
A very wintery Blair Athol indeed. I’m not the biggest fan of meaty whisky, but here I think it works pretty well along with the heavy sherry influence. Available from The Whisky Exchange.
Orkney 10 yo 2013 (57%, The Whisky Exchange ‘Seasons – Winter’ 2024, sherry hogshead #7, 312 btl.)
Nose: not that different: rich raisins, figs and roasted chestnuts, although there are more orange peels and juicy cherry notes. Cocoa, some cedar and black nougat. Later some red apples, hints of pepper and a slightly sour and winey note appears. Just a hint of wood smoke in the back.
Mouth: the smokiness takes it in a different direction, away from the Blair Athol. More orange peels and cedar wood, with roasted walnuts and a lot of dark chocolate. Hints of leather and blackberries, as well as a firm hint of chilli and black pepper.
Finish: long, now showing a herbal, bitter edge, with liquorice, nutmeg and smoke.
Slightly more winey than the Blair Athol, but on the other hand the ashy smoke is a nice asset. Both influenced by a similar style of sherry cask, that makes it very wintery. Available from The Whisky Exchange. Score: 87/100
Laphroaig 8 yo 2015 (66%, The Whisky Exchange ‘Seasons – Winter’ 2024, sherry hogshead #203, 305 btl.)
Nose: proper smoke now: coal ashes, bacon and creosote. Some mint chocolate and slightly floral woody notes. Then salted caramel and hints of coastal breeze, along with moist leaves and hints of roasted nuts. Not a lot of fruits, just a bit of plum.
Mouth: youngish, raw peat, full of tarry notes, burnt seaweed, plenty of bonfire notes and creosote. This comes with nutmeg and black pepper, as well as salted elements. Then more minty notes, along with roasted coffee beans.
Finish: long, briny and tarry, with a lot of dried seaweed and liquorice.
A nicely dry and ashy Laphroaig, with the sherry bringing spices and chocolate, rather than fruits. Lovely deep smoke though, kind of a 10yo CS on steroids. Overall a great expression of the wintery feeling accross the series. Available from The Whisky Exchange. Score: 88/100