Tis the Season - Sherry and Port casks

Three gorgeous sherry and port influenced drams to keep the winter nights at bay.

Hello everyone, and welcome to the final pack of 2025! I wanted to close the year on a properly indulgent note, so this month we’re going full-on sherry and port cask territory. Rich, spicy, fruity, chocolatey – everything you want beside a roaring fire (or the radiator).

As always, tasting notes are my own, taken slowly at home with a drop of water where it felt right.

Whisky #1 – Royal Mile Whiskies 11 Year Old Blended Sherry Malt (46% ABV)

Independent bottling · Blended malt (100% malted barley, multiple distilleries) · Heavily sherried ·

Sometimes the own-label bottles from the best retailers are absolute gems, and this is one of them. An 11-year-old blended sherry malt bottled exclusively for Royal Mile Whiskies, non-chill-filtered, natural colour, 46%. At the price (around £30 a bottle) it’s absolute value for money.

Nose – Immediate sherry punch, but the really nice dry style rather than syrupy sweet. Quality Oloroso casks here. Warm baking spices (cinnamon and clove), honeyed breakfast cereal, thick-cut orange marmalade, a jammy ripple of blackcurrant, a whisper of tangy rhubarb and dark Muscovado sugar. Surprisingly mature for the money.

Palate – Full and coating even at 46%. Dry grip, moderate spice – cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg – then waves of cocoa powder, candied orange peel, blackcurrants and a hint of cherry liqueur. Marzipan and toasted almonds in the background. Proper sherry-malt weight.

Finish – Short-to-medium, gently drying, lingering spices, old cigar box, dried fruits and a treacle sweetness right at the end.

A ridiculously drinkable sherry bomb that punches way above its price tag. Score: 88/100

Whisky #2 – GlenAllachie “Sinteis Series” Cask Strength (2011/2025) 58.2% ABV

Speyside single malt · Oloroso sherry puncheons + rare Scottish virgin oak · Natural colour · Non-chill-filtered

Billy Walker and the GlenAllachie team have been having far too much fun with wood lately, and “Sinteis” (Gaelic for “synthesis”) is the latest example: classic Oloroso-matured GlenAllachie married with spirit finished in scarce Scottish virgin oak barrels. The result? A cask-strength sherry monster with a citrus-vanilla twist. Bottled at a lip-smacking 58.2%.

Nose – Mocha, grilled honeycomb, sun-dried red berries, cinnamon butter, toasted lemon peel and dark Muscovado sugar. The virgin oak brings a bright, almost crème-brûlée top note that lifts the heavier sherry.

Palate – Lashings of heather honey, ripe citrus and warmed baking spices, then gingersnaps, poached orchard fruits (think pear and apple), dark chocolate, and a luxurious vanilla buttercream wave on the back palate. The high ABV is beautifully integrated – a splash of water opens it up even more if you like.

Finish – Long, creamy mocha and gentle spice that just keeps going.

This is GlenAllachie doing what they now do best: bold, creative, sherry-led whisky that still tastes like it has a soul. Score: 92/100

Whisky #3 – Signatory Vintage Blair Athol 2011/2025 13 Year Old Ruby Port Cask (57.7% ABV)

Highland single malt · 13 years in a single first-fill ruby port hogshead · Cask Strength Collection · Natural colour · Non-chill-filtered

Blair Athol doesn’t get enough love, but give it a full-term finish in a cracking port cask and magic happens. This is cask from Signatory’s latest outturn – only 294 bottles exist, and we managed to secure a healthy chunk for the club.

Nose – Stewed red berries and plums straight away, toasted almonds, baking spice and a whisper of old leather armchair.

Palate – Rich, full-bodied and mouth-coating. Dark chocolate, blackcurrant jam, that classic Blair Athol nutty core, gentle oak tannin and a touch of raspberry ripple ice-cream sweetness. The port influence is bold but never cloying.

Finish – Long and warming dried fruits, berry compote, faint spice and a cocoa powder dusting right at the death.

If you love port-cask whisky but sometimes find it too jammy, this is the sweet spot – fruity, structured and grown-up. Score: 91/100

An incredibly strong trio – only two points separate the top from bottom, and on another night any of them could wear the crown. Perfect winter drinking.

I hope you enjoy the pack as much as I did putting it together. Let me know your own scores or tasting notes in the comments below.

Slàinte and Happy Christmas from Mr Dram Man

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  Stocking Filler Blend
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  Blair Athol 13
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  Glenallachie 2015 Sinteis Series