A couple of weeks ago I was introduced to the Sherishòr whisky. This German concept focuses on genuine (ex-solera) sherry casks for the maturation of an undisclosed blended malt whisky from Scotland.
The whisky is distilled in Scotland and “refined” in Spain. This means it’s officially no longer Scotch whisky. The name Sherishòr is a combination of Sherish (the Moorish name for Jerez) and the Gaelic Òr which means gold. The idea comes from The Rare Cask Company in Germany.
Two versions exist, both 12 years old. We try the standard black label which comes at 45% ABV. The other one has a white label and comes at 54% cask strength. The spirit spent 3 years in bourbon casks, with a 9 year Oloroso finish in casks of up to 50 years old, so not the usual newish seasoned casks.
We’re celebrating International Sherry Week by the way, you may want to look for sherry related events in your area.
Sherishòr 12 yo (45%, OB 2024, Oloroso ex-bodega casks)
Nose: certainly full of sherry character, yes. Sweet and sour fruits, a lot of poached pears, red berries and ripe cherries, aromatic raspberry jam and oranges. Then generous caramel and fudge notes, which sometimes bothers me but not here. Light vanilla and some winey touches, along with mild wood spice and old, slightly exotic woody notes and carpenter’s workshops. Even a flinty and waxy edge. Nice, and indeed different from most “seasoned” Scotches.
Mouth: clearly spicier now, with a dark sweetness in the background. Chocolate and toffee, along with dates. A lot of associations with Brandy de Jerez as well. Quite a lot of malty notes too, perhaps coming accross a little younger than it actually is. Then cold coffee, nutmeg and liquorice with some bitter cocoa and crème brûlée. The woody side gets bigger than I expected, but again, a lot to like here.
Finish: medium length, on chocolate and raisins, along with plenty of marmalade and oak spice.
This Sherishòr does offer generous amounts of proper Oloroso notes. It comes close to some of the best sherry brandies which are also using ancient sherry casks for their maturation. Well done, even though I’m not entirely convinced of the underlying malt whisky, which seems a little rough around the edges. These casks with a nicer whisky could be great. Available directly from The Rare Cask Company and a few retailers in Germany.