Cask No. 78.41

Cask No. 78.41

A real sherry monster

Highland, Western

The nose took us to straight sherry-land – raisins, figs, fruit cake, cinder toffee, custard flan, sweet pipe tobacco, almond biscuits and Madeiran molasses cake – a resonating cello of a dram. The neat palate was a real sherry monster – treacle toffee, PX, muscovado, liquorice, Eccles cakes and tongue-etching coal tar – fire-breathing dragons arrived from the bodegas of Jerez. With water however, the nose became syrupy sweet – crème brûlée crust, caramel wafers, bramble cheesecake and date loaf – actually a pleasure in its own right. The palate became candy sweet – tablet, chocolate brownie and toffee; an after-tingle of ginger cake – now a sheer delight.