Have tried both expressions from Paul John . Like Oloroso more than PX . Aberlour A bunadh is favourite cask strength Sherry Bomb though. Would love to have Kavalan Sherry Bomb.
Good picks again willl get your number 1 pick for Christmas 🎄 holidays very hot in England my favourite whisky at the moment is compass box orchard house a lovely dram in hot weather cheers Mr G
Orchard House is a beauty for summer. And I believe you'll find the Kavalan well suited for Christmas/winter sipping, so looks like you're covered! Cheers Liam. 🥃
Kavalan solist is a real sherry bomb, a thick, heavy sherry bomb. Thank you for sharing so many new world whiskies, it brings a new perspective to the whisky. Great review, thanks!
Uncle Vinnie's Boom Boom Juice. Distilled in Vinnie's basement in Secaucus, NJ. Finished in bathtubs used by his neighbor, Al Oroso, when he makes his homemade wine.
You've been mentioning that Arran for some time now. I actually did manage to track a bottle down but it was about USD $180 here. A bit much for a 12 year old. Maybe I can find it at a bar or something. 🥃
Hi Geoff, Solist Oloroso would be a dream dram for me. It is just way out of reach on the price. I had a sample of Solist ex-Bourbon a while ago and it was delicious so I can only imagine the Oloroso release to be a Sherry banger. I also like Aberlour A'bunadh which a monster sherry bomb. Recently got my hands on Lakes No5 and look forward to trying that some day. I would throw in GlenAllachie 11 PX into the mix as well which is another solid Sherried offering. Cheers!
That Kavalan looks like an amazing bottle. Even though some bottles are more difficult to find these days due to increased whisky popularity, it is still a great time to enjoy whisky. New distilleries are popping up and starting to find their groove. Thanks for reviewing more unknown distilleries and sharing your reviews.
Well said, buddy. For every overpriced premium legacy whisky there's an still-kind-of-overpriced new distillery making stuff that's just as interesting, if not more so. 🥃
I have just opened my bottle of Cotswolds sherry cask a couple of days ago, which I got because I liked their "Founder's reserve". Very pleasant right away, but I think it'll improve a lot with time, like the other one did - very raw wood like in the beginning but super fruity with an ending of vanilla and dried fruit now almost a year later.
Second your emotion on the Kavalan Solist….have the PX and Amontillado casks and the Vino Barrique (non-Solist) I’ve found Bushmills 16 (Ireland) to be a rich and wonderful dram, appreciated by noobs and sots alike. It’s a bourbon, oloroso and port cask aged whiskey. Best American Sherry bomb whiskey I’ve ever had (alas 2 bottles now both empty) was Beam Masterpiece, a limited run which if available is now pricier than the Solists 🤯. I enjoy your reviews! Thanks, Z
Some really cool recommendations in there, most of which I haven't had the pleasure of trying yet. That Beam Masterpiece sounds fantastic. I'm still quite inexperienced with American Single Malts (matter of access), but I've enjoyed a couple nice ones so far. I can confirm the Bushmills 16 is good stuff. A bit light on the abv but some beautiful flavours. Cheers and thanks for watching! 🥃
With summer basically finished, I hope you'll do a video on 'things to watch out for for autumn/winter'. I know Taiwan is very different climate wise, curious about your cool weather/tail end of the year picks for 2023
Millstone puts out some excellent sherry cask releases as well, but I'm not sure of their availability outside of The Netherlands. Their youngish(both bottles I've had were about six years old) peated PX is great as well.
I've heard a lot of great things about them. They've even been recommended a few times in the comments already. Must be something special. Shame they're incredibly hard to come across here. Cheers! 🥃
The Berg is excellent stuff. A friend was kind enough to bring me a sample earlier this year and I really enjoyed it. It certainly would have fit in nicely here. 🥃
Great video! If you ever have the chance, I'd recommend brazilian whisky, the Lamas Distilery makes beautiful whisky. My favourite would be the Lamas Nimbus Robustus, but their whole core range is amazing. Lamas Rarus, Lamas Verus, Lamas Plenus, Lamas Nimbus....
Archie rose single malt is fantastic. For the price, I was amazed. Dried prunes jam all the way. Geoff if you haven’t tried many Australian whiskeys, I strongly recommend that one.
If only I had access over here. Australia is one of the whisky regions I've explored the least. Constantly hearing how great it can be. I'd love to get into it. 🥃
Damn, the Berg would have been perfect! Loved the Cinco I from the bar as well. I'll be the first to admit it was a mistake not including at least one of those. 🥃
I have the Zuidam Millatone OL Sherry Cask. As it is a hard to find Single Malt from the Netherlands, i wont be opening it for a very long time. If i were to open it, i wont know when i will be able to buy another one🍻🍻🍻🍻
Thanks for your great channel, I do enjoy it. I am relatively new to the whisk(e)y world and have not had many sherry finished whiskeys. The one I do like is Stranahan's Sherry Single Malt from Colorado, USA. Yes, there are single malts in the USA, many are very good.
I've only tried a handful of American single malts, and I agree they can be good. Stranahans is one that keeps getting recommended to me. One to grab if I ever come across it. Cheers! 🥃
You and Ralfy are for me one of the best source of spirits knowledge and special on the whisky reviews and commentaries part ~! Keep up the great work.
Nice list…I would suggest Redbreast 19 year old Oloroso Sherry cask edition. Definitely not a budget dram nor I am sure you consider Irish Whiskey a world whisky but very good none the less.
Great suggestion. Yes, I intentionally left Irish off this list, as I feel it's big enough to warrant its own category, but I'm always happy to hear a recommendation for a good Irish. Absolutely love Redbreasts. I haven't seen that one around, but I'm sure it's a banger. I'll be opening the 21 year old next month on my birthday. 🥃
Great list Geoff. Quite a few there for me to seek out. Nice to see English Whisky Company getting a mention. I do really, really like the Sherry Butts release but(t) yes it's very small batch so I'm not too surprised that it's hard to find over there. Agree that Cotswolds is a real up and comer in English whisky. Their whisky is easily on par with what EWC were making at a similar point in their early journey but Cotswolds are doing a far better job of getting their whisky out there and getting noticed. I feel that Cotswolds are now the poster boy for English Whisky (with good reason) and that will only continue after their recent expansion. I've been really enjoying the Cotswolds Sherry Cask release you mentioned as well as The Lakes Whisky Maker's Reserve No 5 (review of both coming soon). My Cotswolds Sherry states Oloroso and PX but you can tell that there's a lot of proper oloroso in there. Nice and dry and spicy - very good. I do prefer the EWC Sherry Butts a little, which is impressive considering it's a 46% release going up against two high strength drams. You can just tell that the EWC Sherry Butts has had the benefit of a few extra years in the cask though. But they're all very impressive. I still need to track down a good Kavalan 🤔 Cheers Geoff🥃
Thanks Shane. Yeah I've not had much experience with EWC just yet, just had a couple of their expressions but I'm thoroughly impressed. Definitely a brand I'd like to explore more. Costwolds is great stuff, agree they deserve all the praise they're getting. English whisky is in short supply out here, at least for a good price, but I'll be trying to get my hands on (and review) more myself. Looking forward to your take on the Sherry Cask as well as the Lakes expressions. Cheers, buddy! 🥃
Hey Geoff, another great list. Paul John is a good call, the PX is somehow thinner and less mouth coating than the Oloroso so would be my pick too. However, like Kavalan, you get a real cask puch and a young spirit that could do with a decade in Scotland ;) I would add Filey Bay PX release, could be this is only available in Germany(?) but it is a real thick sherry bomb. One more would be Millstone, Dutch, 7 year old PX!
I've not tried or even seen the Filey Bay PX here. Same for the Millstone, too. Unfortunate... there's quite a few brands that are really tough to track down in Asia. I'll keep them in mind, though. Cheers Neil appreciate the suggestions! 🥃
I was going to recommend the Penderyn. I’ve had a lot of fun exploring this distillery and have enjoyed every single whisky I’ve experienced. So far, their entire gold line has earned a permanent place in my home bar.
I'm going to have to go back to Penderyn and give them another try. I had an opportunity to taste three products from their line-up at an event, and I found them all pretty much like drinking Jameson's. They are also very costly where I live so I have completely ignored them since then.
Cheers for yet another great video. Keep up the good work 🙏🏻 Could we have a “5 Coastal Malts” list? I’m thinking maritime style scotch with taste notes like salt, brine, seaweed, oysters etc. What would I put on it, you ask? Well, incidentally, I might have given this some thought 😂 Pulteney, Ardna, Talisker, Tobermory, Glen Scotia. Maybe Lagg and Raasay? But what else could or should be there?
Hi Geoff, very interesting list, totally agree on the Cotswolds, didn’t tried the other 3. I’m not so enthusiast on the Kavalan, got 2 bottles, and though I like sherry whisky , I rarely go to the kavalan. I have to confess I also used it for a gravy, sorry … Good one though :) (I mean the gravy :)) ) If you got the chance, I’d suggest a Bimber distillery, PX cask (if you’re lucky enough there is also the single casks, which are fantastic) Great whisky, a bit young, pricy and not easy to find as it’s a small young distillery, but they make great handcraft whisky.
Bimber is a great recommendation. I've had some stuff from them, but it's really hard to come by in Taiwan. I don't believe I've tried a PX expression from them, but I have enjoyed some of their single casks. Absolutely fantastic stuff! 🥃
From what I remember (it’s been a while since I have had it) Redbreast, specifically the Lustau had a sherry forward profile. May not be a bomb as such I really can’t remember. So I guess an unhelpful comment. Cheers. 🥃
Hi Geoff, as always a great video with good suggestions - I konw why I always look for new videos on your channel first :D I come from Germany and therefore my problem with non-European whiskies is - like you also state in your video - that they are often too expensive for experimentation, which is why I have not yet tried much from afar - neither from the better-known brands such as Kavalan or Amrut, nor from e.g. the mass of more unknown /new japanese whiskies. Therefore, tips such as the Yushan are super to try solid bottlings from asia for less than 100-200€ - a price range where I only buy the safe options. Without help of people like you it is difficult to recognize the fairly priced bottlings, where the price is appropriate to the quality. This is especially doofy with the japanese whiskies (often blends), as I find the japanese style with a lot of floral notes and unique hints on e.g. jasmine tea pretty awesome (probably the european stereotype of japanese flavors and taste :D). But since the market is just flooded with japanese and other countries NAS whisky I do hard without any help. The Yushan, however, I will try soon :) Thanks already for this tip:)
Very kind words, MorbidElch! Happy to hear you find value in the videos! Yeah... Europe is a special market. I noticed a lot of the more interesting Asian offerings over there were indeed quite overpriced, which is a shame. Oppositely, it's tough for me to find a lot of interesting European releases here, of which there are many. Cheers! 🥃
Hi I am from germany as well and i can tell you that you can get some Kavalans for a reasonable price here too. For between 105€ and 120€ each i got the solists port, vinho barrique, olorosso sherry . The solist ex bourbon i got for around 90€. Podium you can get for around 50€. I would say these are not too far from taiwanese prices. I pretty much bought everything this year for your information.
@@Dai240888Sounds good. How would you rank the port, vinho, oloroso and ex-bourbon. 100€ is my threshold that I usually extend only for age-stated bottles like 18 years and older - maybe an outdated threshold to keep risks low:D thus, I need to prioritize…
@@Tobey1003 Very kind gesture, but samples get quite pricey with the international shipping fees. The exact price varies, but it's absolutely not necessary, as I don't like the idea of anyone spending that much on shipping. Thank you, though. 🙏
How many here have ever tasted (good) Sherry? After a three decades whisky journey I recommend to try out some different sherries as well. It helps to identify flavors of your whisky and to describe it. Plus you help providing sherry casks for whisky distilleries as well.
> Plus you help providing sherry casks for whisky distilleries as well. I'm afraid that's not really how it works. Prior to 1986 (or 1981?--I've seen both dates claimed) sherries were often shipped to markets in special casks called travel casks. Those were *not* ex-solera casks (/butts) but rather casks chosen specifically for shipping to places like the UK. Very early they were simply neutral containers, similar to solera casks, but then whisky distilleries started (re-)using them and they began asking (and paying) for specific characteristics such as using newer wood for a more marked wood flavour, or European rather than US oak, etc. Those are things that one doesn't find in sherry wines. Sherry's solera process is due to ageing either under flor (yeast) or oxidative aging, not strong wood flavours imparted to the wine. That was the case throughout the 20C. In the 19C Jerez mainly produced añadas, i.e. non-solera vintage wines. Since 1986(/1) wines from Jerez (sherry) have had to be bottled in Spain, so no more travel casks. Instead bodegas there created a production stream whereby young Oloroso & other forms of (legal) sherry are stored for a few months or more in non-solera casks, and then those casks are sold to whisky distilleries. The "sherry" used in those casks does *not* form part of the usual solera system for producing Oloroso or other types of sherry wine. Instead the sherry liquid used for "flavouring" those casks destined for the whisky industry's use most often ends up being used to produce sherry vinegar. So for the *most* part, the whisky industry does not, and largely never has, had access to ex-solera casks, despite often using that terminology. And arguably they wouldn't be well-suited to producing whisky, because solera casks do not have a strong wood flavour. They're also almost always made from US oak as there's no point seeking out a much more expensive European cask if all one wants is a neutral, porous container for making sherry. A good solera cask is *usually* too valuable for producing sherry to be sold for making whisky, and once it's no longer good for making sherry its only use is splitting in half for holding a plant, or kindling, etc. That does not mean there are *no* ex-solera casks used in the whisky industry, just that they are quite rare. Less-common (in whisky terms) types of sherry casks *may* indicate ex-solera usage, e.g. Palo Cortado, etc. There is a lot of misinformation, or elisions, or "careful" wording used, about the real nature of "sherry casks", in the whisky industry. We whisky consumers perhaps have an idea/image of "years" worth of flavour from the sherry being imparted into the wood, and then later imparted into the whisky, but the interactions between wood and either sherry or whisky liquid contents are far from linear. Most of the colour, and much of the flavour, is imparted in just the first few months. If it didn't work like that then travel casks wouldn't have worked as well as they did--because the sherry was stored in them generally for only a few months or maybe a year or so.
100% agree with #1. Dynamite stuff. And glad to see you were finally able to get your hands on a Cotswolds! My favourite from them is the Founders Choice. Another sherry bomb I really liked is an Irish one: Gelston’s 15 Sherry Finish.
What I've found with world sherry whiskies from warm countries is that the maturity is hurried due to the climate. The casks dominate and the finish is short and blunt. Haven't had the Kavlan, so looking forward to being proven wrong.
They tend to be very dense and cask dominated, yes. For me, the warm weather maturation doesn't damage the finish or the complexity as much as it does the delicacy and nuance that some whiskies from colder climates get, especially with age. Cheers Robert! 🥃
Not a lot of these available in LCBO (Ontario, Canada), just took a look out of curiosity. The Kavalan seems to be only one from the list in stock, at peachy $324.10 CAD. For Omar/Yushan only whisky available is Bourbon Cask Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky at $129.95 CAD.
Great stuff Geoff! That Penderyn cask finish range is very good in terms of value for money but they have some fantastic single cask releases whether in Port or Sherry and they're absolutely gorgeous. Cheers!
So it's a Sherry Bomb series it seems hehe Glad to hear we are so good at suggesting stuff in the comments 😅... ...Great list! Thanks Geoff for all the suggestions, I'm gonna be on the lookout for the Paul John, Omar and Costwold Sherry as well! Love these lists and always finding something new! Have a great weekend my friend! Cheers 🥃🥃
Hah yeah I figured I'd keep the sherry theme going this week. Try the Cotswolds or the Paul John first. Save the Omar for the next time you and I meet for a dram. Bottle's on me. 😉🥃
Cotswolds is vary good, youthful and punchy. The English Sherry Butt is also good too. One addition for me would be the Bushmills 16, sweet, smooth and goes down like water! ;)
Hi Geoff, nice list once again. For someone who claims not to be into sherry bombs, you sure give a lot of of attention to, well, sherry bombs… Cheers!
I probably give them more attention on RUclips than I give them on the shelf. But yeah... I do come down on them, but still love a good sherry bomb now and then. 🍷
Hi Geoff, another great list video . The Malt activist was certainly amazed how good the the Paul John olorosso was.All of these are very hard to get and when one can it’s too expensive. Do like a sherry bomb but my taste goes more in the direction of ex bourbon casks. Slàinte Geoff.
Hah well I've been doing a lot of sherry content lately, but I'm actually with you. Not my go-to style, as I prefer a gentler cask influence. Still, some goodies in here if you can find them at a fair price, which, granted, may not be easy to do. Cheers, my friend. 🥃
I am going to recommend something that is probably not arable in Taiwan or the USA - Elsburn. They do a lot of sherry and other fortified wine casks like Dolce Marsala. Elsburn Cosy Winter VII for example is a bomb, even though the casks are not from Jerez - Malaga, Marsala and Port. www.youtube.com/@WhiskyJason1/ has reviews of some of their whisky. Germany has a warmer climate than Scotland, believe it or not, so 5-8 years of German whisky is like 10 in Scotland. As for Omar, I like it, but even at 46% it’s kinda weak. People have been recommending the cask strength but that is hard to come by in Europe (not impossible).
Great suggestions, but as you mentioned, they're not available here. Something to keep an eye out for on my next trip to Europe. As for the Oman, it's an incredibly batchy whisky. Some are simple, some are complex, some are lightly sherried, and some are absolute bombs. Not exactly a shining beacon of consistency, but a fun one to revisit because the flavours can be wildly different. 🥃
Do you ever drink or tried sherry wine? Also what do you think of the non Solist Kavalan Sherry? I’m not sure if you know of wich im taking. It has a red label and it only says “sherry oak”.
I got a liter bottle of an Oloroso Solist in summer at a comparatively decent price (for the European market) (WB233946). It's nice, but hasn't really wowed me. Sort of like Compass Box The Spaniard on Steroids, rich, smooth, but a bit...boring. Hope it will develop more as the bottle ages.
I agree about the Kavalan. Definitely a good choice when going through duty free in Asia.
Have tried both expressions from Paul John . Like Oloroso more than PX .
Aberlour A bunadh is favourite cask strength Sherry Bomb though.
Would love to have Kavalan Sherry Bomb.
Good picks again willl get your number 1 pick for Christmas 🎄 holidays very hot in England my favourite whisky at the moment is compass box orchard house a lovely dram in hot weather cheers Mr G
Orchard House is a beauty for summer. And I believe you'll find the Kavalan well suited for Christmas/winter sipping, so looks like you're covered! Cheers Liam. 🥃
Great list👍🏻
Really like the Kavalan and the Lakes.
Being from Sweden i have to include Highcoast Berg sherry bomb de luxe😋
The Berg is a beauty and it absolutely should have been included on this list! 🥃
Kavalan solist is a real sherry bomb, a thick, heavy sherry bomb. Thank you for sharing so many new world whiskies, it brings a new perspective to the whisky. Great review, thanks!
Thanks, Tim. Appreciate it! 🥃
Uncle Vinnie's Boom Boom Juice. Distilled in Vinnie's basement in Secaucus, NJ. Finished in bathtubs used by his neighbor, Al Oroso, when he makes his homemade wine.
😂😂😂
Love the Paul John Oloroso Select Cask. Found it in Delhi Duty Free for $92!
Good for that price! 🥃
ok, i’ll add Omar to my cart.
my number 1 cherry is easily The Arran 12 James Mctaggart edition, followed by Kilkerran Port
You've been mentioning that Arran for some time now. I actually did manage to track a bottle down but it was about USD $180 here. A bit much for a 12 year old. Maybe I can find it at a bar or something. 🥃
Hi Geoff, Solist Oloroso would be a dream dram for me. It is just way out of reach on the price. I had a sample of Solist ex-Bourbon a while ago and it was delicious so I can only imagine the Oloroso release to be a Sherry banger. I also like Aberlour A'bunadh which a monster sherry bomb. Recently got my hands on Lakes No5 and look forward to trying that some day. I would throw in GlenAllachie 11 PX into the mix as well which is another solid Sherried offering. Cheers!
That Kavalan looks like an amazing bottle. Even though some bottles are more difficult to find these days due to increased whisky popularity, it is still a great time to enjoy whisky. New distilleries are popping up and starting to find their groove. Thanks for reviewing more unknown distilleries and sharing your reviews.
Well said, buddy. For every overpriced premium legacy whisky there's an still-kind-of-overpriced new distillery making stuff that's just as interesting, if not more so. 🥃
I have just opened my bottle of Cotswolds sherry cask a couple of days ago, which I got because I liked their "Founder's reserve". Very pleasant right away, but I think it'll improve a lot with time, like the other one did - very raw wood like in the beginning but super fruity with an ending of vanilla and dried fruit now almost a year later.
Second your emotion on the Kavalan Solist….have the PX and Amontillado casks and the Vino Barrique (non-Solist)
I’ve found Bushmills 16 (Ireland) to be a rich and wonderful dram, appreciated by noobs and sots alike. It’s a bourbon, oloroso and port cask aged whiskey. Best American Sherry bomb whiskey I’ve ever had (alas 2 bottles now both empty) was Beam Masterpiece, a limited run which if available is now pricier than the Solists 🤯. I enjoy your reviews! Thanks, Z
Some really cool recommendations in there, most of which I haven't had the pleasure of trying yet. That Beam Masterpiece sounds fantastic. I'm still quite inexperienced with American Single Malts (matter of access), but I've enjoyed a couple nice ones so far.
I can confirm the Bushmills 16 is good stuff. A bit light on the abv but some beautiful flavours. Cheers and thanks for watching! 🥃
Nicely parsed on the sherry bomb topic -- solid list Geoff!
Thanks! 🥃
With summer basically finished, I hope you'll do a video on 'things to watch out for for autumn/winter'. I know Taiwan is very different climate wise, curious about your cool weather/tail end of the year picks for 2023
Cool idea! 🥃
Millstone puts out some excellent sherry cask releases as well, but I'm not sure of their availability outside of The Netherlands. Their youngish(both bottles I've had were about six years old) peated PX is great as well.
I've heard a lot of great things about them. They've even been recommended a few times in the comments already. Must be something special. Shame they're incredibly hard to come across here. Cheers! 🥃
I second that, and it is available in Denmark :-)
Very interesting Geoff! I have a Kavalan Soloist Sherry and Port from about 6 years ago. Both are powerful and intense! Wonderful drams! Thank you!
Nice! Glad to hear you enjoyed them. Thanks for watching, Neal! 🥃
Somehow I prefer the Yamazaki 12 to the Kavalan.
hey geoff. try the highcoast berg it is whisky from sweden. good.
thanks mr whisky.
The Berg is excellent stuff. A friend was kind enough to bring me a sample earlier this year and I really enjoyed it. It certainly would have fit in nicely here. 🥃
Try find and buy and review the hard to find Zuidam Millstone OL Sherry Cask from the Netherlands😀😁😎🤩
Oof... that won't be easy to find out here in Taiwan, but dammit I'll try! Appreciate the suggestion. I hear great things about that one! 🥃
Great video! If you ever have the chance, I'd recommend brazilian whisky, the Lamas Distilery makes beautiful whisky. My favourite would be the Lamas Nimbus Robustus, but their whole core range is amazing. Lamas Rarus, Lamas Verus, Lamas Plenus, Lamas Nimbus....
Sounds interesting. I've only tried stuff from the Union Distillery and it was very good! 🥃
Archie rose single malt is fantastic. For the price, I was amazed. Dried prunes jam all the way. Geoff if you haven’t tried many Australian whiskeys, I strongly recommend that one.
If only I had access over here. Australia is one of the whisky regions I've explored the least. Constantly hearing how great it can be. I'd love to get into it. 🥃
Oh Geoff! No High Coast!? You should have put Berg on the list or Cinco II (we had Cinco I at the bar and it is not that good). Perhaps next time 😉
Damn, the Berg would have been perfect! Loved the Cinco I from the bar as well. I'll be the first to admit it was a mistake not including at least one of those. 🥃
I have the Zuidam Millatone OL Sherry Cask. As it is a hard to find Single Malt from the Netherlands, i wont be opening it for a very long time. If i were to open it, i wont know when i will be able to buy another one🍻🍻🍻🍻
Sounds excellent. Sadly not a brand I ever see here in Taiwan. 😞
Thanks for your great channel, I do enjoy it. I am relatively new to the whisk(e)y world and have not had many sherry finished whiskeys. The one I do like is Stranahan's Sherry Single Malt from Colorado, USA. Yes, there are single malts in the USA, many are very good.
I've only tried a handful of American single malts, and I agree they can be good. Stranahans is one that keeps getting recommended to me. One to grab if I ever come across it. Cheers! 🥃
You and Ralfy are for me one of the best source of spirits knowledge and special on the whisky reviews and commentaries part ~! Keep up the great work.
Really kind of you to say. Thanks for watching and for the kind words, Hans! 🥃
my pleasure as you deserve thumbs-up for your work. time and support as your and Ralfy reviews are excellent~!!!
Nice list…I would suggest Redbreast 19 year old Oloroso Sherry cask edition. Definitely not a budget dram nor I am sure you consider Irish Whiskey a world whisky but very good none the less.
Great suggestion. Yes, I intentionally left Irish off this list, as I feel it's big enough to warrant its own category, but I'm always happy to hear a recommendation for a good Irish. Absolutely love Redbreasts. I haven't seen that one around, but I'm sure it's a banger. I'll be opening the 21 year old next month on my birthday. 🥃
Great list Geoff. Quite a few there for me to seek out. Nice to see English Whisky Company getting a mention. I do really, really like the Sherry Butts release but(t) yes it's very small batch so I'm not too surprised that it's hard to find over there. Agree that Cotswolds is a real up and comer in English whisky. Their whisky is easily on par with what EWC were making at a similar point in their early journey but Cotswolds are doing a far better job of getting their whisky out there and getting noticed. I feel that Cotswolds are now the poster boy for English Whisky (with good reason) and that will only continue after their recent expansion.
I've been really enjoying the Cotswolds Sherry Cask release you mentioned as well as The Lakes Whisky Maker's Reserve No 5 (review of both coming soon). My Cotswolds Sherry states Oloroso and PX but you can tell that there's a lot of proper oloroso in there. Nice and dry and spicy - very good. I do prefer the EWC Sherry Butts a little, which is impressive considering it's a 46% release going up against two high strength drams. You can just tell that the EWC Sherry Butts has had the benefit of a few extra years in the cask though. But they're all very impressive.
I still need to track down a good Kavalan 🤔 Cheers Geoff🥃
Thanks Shane. Yeah I've not had much experience with EWC just yet, just had a couple of their expressions but I'm thoroughly impressed. Definitely a brand I'd like to explore more. Costwolds is great stuff, agree they deserve all the praise they're getting. English whisky is in short supply out here, at least for a good price, but I'll be trying to get my hands on (and review) more myself. Looking forward to your take on the Sherry Cask as well as the Lakes expressions. Cheers, buddy! 🥃
Blossoming auld
Hey Geoff, another great list. Paul John is a good call, the PX is somehow thinner and less mouth coating than the Oloroso so would be my pick too. However, like Kavalan, you get a real cask puch and a young spirit that could do with a decade in Scotland ;)
I would add Filey Bay PX release, could be this is only available in Germany(?) but it is a real thick sherry bomb. One more would be Millstone, Dutch, 7 year old PX!
I've not tried or even seen the Filey Bay PX here. Same for the Millstone, too. Unfortunate... there's quite a few brands that are really tough to track down in Asia. I'll keep them in mind, though. Cheers Neil appreciate the suggestions! 🥃
Interesting list.
Thanks!
Spaniard Sherry bomb whiskies Equipo Navazos La Bota series and Airem PX cask
I was going to recommend the Penderyn. I’ve had a lot of fun exploring this distillery and have enjoyed every single whisky I’ve experienced. So far, their entire gold line has earned a permanent place in my home bar.
I like Penderyn too.
Good brand. Madeira is a personal favourite from their entry-level stuff. 🥃
I'm going to have to go back to Penderyn and give them another try. I had an opportunity to taste three products from their line-up at an event, and I found them all pretty much like drinking Jameson's. They are also very costly where I live so I have completely ignored them since then.
Cheers for yet another great video. Keep up the good work 🙏🏻 Could we have a “5 Coastal Malts” list? I’m thinking maritime style scotch with taste notes like salt, brine, seaweed, oysters etc. What would I put on it, you ask? Well, incidentally, I might have given this some thought 😂 Pulteney, Ardna, Talisker, Tobermory, Glen Scotia. Maybe Lagg and Raasay? But what else could or should be there?
Love the idea! All great suggestions! I'd definitely need to include Oban as well. 🥃
Thanks Geoff for this selection that certainly appeal to several whisky lovers.
Slàinte mhath
Lol cheers, buddy. 🥃
Hi Geoff, very interesting list, totally agree on the Cotswolds, didn’t tried the other 3. I’m not so enthusiast on the Kavalan, got 2 bottles, and though I like sherry whisky , I rarely go to the kavalan. I have to confess I also used it for a gravy, sorry … Good one though :) (I mean the gravy :)) )
If you got the chance, I’d suggest a Bimber distillery, PX cask (if you’re lucky enough there is also the single casks, which are fantastic) Great whisky, a bit young, pricy and not easy to find as it’s a small young distillery, but they make great handcraft whisky.
Bimber is a great recommendation. I've had some stuff from them, but it's really hard to come by in Taiwan. I don't believe I've tried a PX expression from them, but I have enjoyed some of their single casks. Absolutely fantastic stuff! 🥃
@@Gwhisky yeah difficult to find, even in France as they have a small core range. But they do a fantastic work.
As your reviews !!😀👍
Great walk through. Sadly almost all of these are not around here. Still, good to know in case they do show up. Cheers!
Yeah that's the issue with world whisky. A lot of them can be really hard to track down. Cheers Jon! 🥃
From what I remember (it’s been a while since I have had it) Redbreast, specifically the Lustau had a sherry forward profile.
May not be a bomb as such I really can’t remember.
So I guess an unhelpful comment. Cheers. 🥃
Actually that's been suggested to me several times, so I'm sure you're onto something. I've yet to try it. Great suggestion, cheers! 🥃
Hi Geoff, as always a great video with good suggestions - I konw why I always look for new videos on your channel first :D I come from Germany and therefore my problem with non-European whiskies is - like you also state in your video - that they are often too expensive for experimentation, which is why I have not yet tried much from afar - neither from the better-known brands such as Kavalan or Amrut, nor from e.g. the mass of more unknown /new japanese whiskies. Therefore, tips such as the Yushan are super to try solid bottlings from asia for less than 100-200€ - a price range where I only buy the safe options. Without help of people like you it is difficult to recognize the fairly priced bottlings, where the price is appropriate to the quality. This is especially doofy with the japanese whiskies (often blends), as I find the japanese style with a lot of floral notes and unique hints on e.g. jasmine tea pretty awesome (probably the european stereotype of japanese flavors and taste :D). But since the market is just flooded with japanese and other countries NAS whisky I do hard without any help. The Yushan, however, I will try soon :) Thanks already for this tip:)
Very kind words, MorbidElch! Happy to hear you find value in the videos! Yeah... Europe is a special market. I noticed a lot of the more interesting Asian offerings over there were indeed quite overpriced, which is a shame. Oppositely, it's tough for me to find a lot of interesting European releases here, of which there are many. Cheers! 🥃
Hi I am from germany as well and i can tell you that you can get some Kavalans for a reasonable price here too. For between 105€ and 120€ each i got the solists port, vinho barrique, olorosso sherry . The solist ex bourbon i got for around 90€. Podium you can get for around 50€. I would say these are not too far from taiwanese prices. I pretty much bought everything this year for your information.
@@Dai240888Sounds good. How would you rank the port, vinho, oloroso and ex-bourbon. 100€ is my threshold that I usually extend only for age-stated bottles like 18 years and older - maybe an outdated threshold to keep risks low:D thus, I need to prioritize…
@@Gwhisky My collection is based in part on your reviews. But how expensive would it be to send you samples?😁
@@Tobey1003 Very kind gesture, but samples get quite pricey with the international shipping fees. The exact price varies, but it's absolutely not necessary, as I don't like the idea of anyone spending that much on shipping. Thank you, though. 🙏
Stranahans single malt Sherry cask
Not sold here, but I hear a lot of good things about Stranahans. 🥃
How many here have ever tasted (good) Sherry? After a three decades whisky journey I recommend to try out some different sherries as well.
It helps to identify flavors of your whisky and to describe it. Plus you help providing sherry casks for whisky distilleries as well.
> Plus you help providing sherry casks for whisky distilleries as well.
I'm afraid that's not really how it works. Prior to 1986 (or 1981?--I've seen both dates claimed) sherries were often shipped to markets in special casks called travel casks. Those were *not* ex-solera casks (/butts) but rather casks chosen specifically for shipping to places like the UK. Very early they were simply neutral containers, similar to solera casks, but then whisky distilleries started (re-)using them and they began asking (and paying) for specific characteristics such as using newer wood for a more marked wood flavour, or European rather than US oak, etc. Those are things that one doesn't find in sherry wines. Sherry's solera process is due to ageing either under flor (yeast) or oxidative aging, not strong wood flavours imparted to the wine. That was the case throughout the 20C. In the 19C Jerez mainly produced añadas, i.e. non-solera vintage wines.
Since 1986(/1) wines from Jerez (sherry) have had to be bottled in Spain, so no more travel casks. Instead bodegas there created a production stream whereby young Oloroso & other forms of (legal) sherry are stored for a few months or more in non-solera casks, and then those casks are sold to whisky distilleries. The "sherry" used in those casks does *not* form part of the usual solera system for producing Oloroso or other types of sherry wine. Instead the sherry liquid used for "flavouring" those casks destined for the whisky industry's use most often ends up being used to produce sherry vinegar.
So for the *most* part, the whisky industry does not, and largely never has, had access to ex-solera casks, despite often using that terminology. And arguably they wouldn't be well-suited to producing whisky, because solera casks do not have a strong wood flavour. They're also almost always made from US oak as there's no point seeking out a much more expensive European cask if all one wants is a neutral, porous container for making sherry. A good solera cask is *usually* too valuable for producing sherry to be sold for making whisky, and once it's no longer good for making sherry its only use is splitting in half for holding a plant, or kindling, etc.
That does not mean there are *no* ex-solera casks used in the whisky industry, just that they are quite rare. Less-common (in whisky terms) types of sherry casks *may* indicate ex-solera usage, e.g. Palo Cortado, etc.
There is a lot of misinformation, or elisions, or "careful" wording used, about the real nature of "sherry casks", in the whisky industry. We whisky consumers perhaps have an idea/image of "years" worth of flavour from the sherry being imparted into the wood, and then later imparted into the whisky, but the interactions between wood and either sherry or whisky liquid contents are far from linear. Most of the colour, and much of the flavour, is imparted in just the first few months. If it didn't work like that then travel casks wouldn't have worked as well as they did--because the sherry was stored in them generally for only a few months or maybe a year or so.
100% agree with #1. Dynamite stuff. And glad to see you were finally able to get your hands on a Cotswolds! My favourite from them is the Founders Choice.
Another sherry bomb I really liked is an Irish one: Gelston’s 15 Sherry Finish.
I'll have to be on the lookout for the Founder's Choice and the Gelston's. Thanks for the recommendations, buddy! 🥃
What I've found with world sherry whiskies from warm countries is that the maturity is hurried due to the climate. The casks dominate and the finish is short and blunt. Haven't had the Kavlan, so looking forward to being proven wrong.
They tend to be very dense and cask dominated, yes. For me, the warm weather maturation doesn't damage the finish or the complexity as much as it does the delicacy and nuance that some whiskies from colder climates get, especially with age. Cheers Robert! 🥃
I fully agreed. Including those matured in quarter cask. Unless these offering are in high abv, the finish are abruptly cut-off.
Not a lot of these available in LCBO (Ontario, Canada), just took a look out of curiosity. The Kavalan seems to be only one from the list in stock, at peachy $324.10 CAD.
For Omar/Yushan only whisky available is Bourbon Cask Taiwanese Single Malt Whisky at $129.95 CAD.
Yeah Canadian Kavalan prices are just wild. Less than half that here. The Omar/Yushan Bourbon is a nice one, too! 🥃
Just came here to comment for the algorithm. ;)
Lol the algorithm gods thank you. 😂🥃
Great stuff Geoff! That Penderyn cask finish range is very good in terms of value for money but they have some fantastic single cask releases whether in Port or Sherry and they're absolutely gorgeous. Cheers!
I'll be on the lookout for their single cask stuff. Appreciate the recommendation, buddy! 🥃
So it's a Sherry Bomb series it seems hehe
Glad to hear we are so good at suggesting stuff in the comments 😅...
...Great list! Thanks Geoff for all the suggestions, I'm gonna be on the lookout for the Paul John, Omar and Costwold Sherry as well! Love these lists and always finding something new! Have a great weekend my friend! Cheers 🥃🥃
Hah yeah I figured I'd keep the sherry theme going this week. Try the Cotswolds or the Paul John first. Save the Omar for the next time you and I meet for a dram. Bottle's on me. 😉🥃
@@Gwhisky I thankfully accept that offer my friend! I'm gonna bring a High West Campfire for that onccasion then 😉🥃
Cotswolds is vary good, youthful and punchy. The English Sherry Butt is also good too. One addition for me would be the Bushmills 16, sweet, smooth and goes down like water! ;)
Love everything about Bushmills 16 except for the abv. Excellent stuff, still. Cheers. 🥃
@@Gwhisky which is probably why is goes water. I have never noticed it’s a 40% ABV…
Hi Geoff, nice list once again. For someone who claims not to be into sherry bombs, you sure give a lot of of attention to, well, sherry bombs… Cheers!
I probably give them more attention on RUclips than I give them on the shelf. But yeah... I do come down on them, but still love a good sherry bomb now and then. 🍷
Hi Geoff, another great list video . The Malt activist was certainly amazed how good the the Paul John olorosso was.All of these are very hard to get and when one can it’s too expensive. Do like a sherry bomb but my taste goes more in the direction of ex bourbon casks. Slàinte Geoff.
Hah well I've been doing a lot of sherry content lately, but I'm actually with you. Not my go-to style, as I prefer a gentler cask influence. Still, some goodies in here if you can find them at a fair price, which, granted, may not be easy to do. Cheers, my friend. 🥃
Just found your channel. Cool stuff.
Welcome! Appreciate the kind words! 🥃
Edradour 21 is good
Well now you gotta do Peat Monster world whiskies right?
Not bad choice mr. Geoff ))) Slainte !
Thanks, buddy. Gaumarjos! 🥃
@@Gwhisky gaikhare - by happy in Georgian )))
Helping out with the algorithm 😅
You're a star. Cheers! 🥃
Love me some Kavalan
Fantastic whisky. 🥃
Never tried any of these.. I've seen Paul John Olorosso but never go for it yet ..
REDBREAST Lustau Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is very good too.
Still haven't tried the Lustau. It's on the wishlist! 🥃
I am going to recommend something that is probably not arable in Taiwan or the USA - Elsburn. They do a lot of sherry and other fortified wine casks like Dolce Marsala. Elsburn Cosy Winter VII for example is a bomb, even though the casks are not from Jerez - Malaga, Marsala and Port.
www.youtube.com/@WhiskyJason1/ has reviews of some of their whisky.
Germany has a warmer climate than Scotland, believe it or not, so 5-8 years of German whisky is like 10 in Scotland.
As for Omar, I like it, but even at 46% it’s kinda weak. People have been recommending the cask strength but that is hard to come by in Europe (not impossible).
Great suggestions, but as you mentioned, they're not available here. Something to keep an eye out for on my next trip to Europe. As for the Oman, it's an incredibly batchy whisky. Some are simple, some are complex, some are lightly sherried, and some are absolute bombs. Not exactly a shining beacon of consistency, but a fun one to revisit because the flavours can be wildly different. 🥃
Thought kavalan will be first one 🎉 hard to get hands on world whiskey in my place. M&H any good? Haven't had it
M&H has some really solid whiskies. The Sherry Cask is nice. Apparently the Sherry Cask Strength release is fantastic, too, but I haven't tried it. 🥃
You are just one man/liver :)
Lol true. 🥃
Glenallachie 10yr batch 9
Good one, but not a world whisky. Scotland is officially not part of the world. 🥃
@@Gwhisky Didn't know that, but now I know..😉
What...No Penderyn Sherrywood !!?? It's a top Sherried Whisky from my home country of Wales 🏴
Thanks for watching til the end. 😉
@@Gwhisky Big Sherry bomb fan here,although I do like a big hit of peat mixed in sometimes !! Cracking video as always mate 👍
Do you ever drink or tried sherry wine? Also what do you think of the non Solist Kavalan Sherry? I’m not sure if you know of wich im taking. It has a red label and it only says “sherry oak”.
I've tried it, sure. Not something I have often.
@@Gwhisky what’s your opinion of the Kavalan sherry oak wich is not from the Solist range. I heard some opinions saying it was a bit hefty.
Also very good. Ofc cask strength is better, but yes at 46% it's got a lot of flavour. 🥃
Where's the Aussie whiskies though.
They're not in Taiwan, that's for sure. I've looked. 🥃
were you a tough kid?
Nope. Absolute nerd.
@@Gwhisky as it should be
I got a liter bottle of an Oloroso Solist in summer at a comparatively decent price (for the European market) (WB233946). It's nice, but hasn't really wowed me. Sort of like Compass Box The Spaniard on Steroids, rich, smooth, but a bit...boring. Hope it will develop more as the bottle ages.
The sherry releases can be batchy. The Vinho is both better and more consistent imo. 🥃