Tasting through some samples from indies today, we came to a seventeen year old Auchroisk from newish bottler Whisky Craft. Retailing at around the £100 mark, it's not what you'd call an impulse buy. It's described as having been reracked into ex Polo Cortado sherry casks, which is promising, but the reality was rather confounding.
I've enjoyed the great majority of Palo Cortado finished whiskies I've tasted over the past few years. This particular style of sherry seems to bring a delightful savoury note which sits very nicely with a wide range of malt whiskies. This, alas, is not such a dram.
The first warning sign came when the dram was poured - there was a distinct pink hue to it. And right enough, the nose was all jam and wine and strawberries. The palate was wine and jam again.
Now, this isn't to say it was a bad dram. I enjoyed it. But here's the thing. if you buy a whisky that says "Palo Cortado finish", the last thing you'd expect would be this summer pudding in a glass.
Perhaps, if money were no object, the finishing period could have been extended, Cadenhead's style, for five, six, or seven years. As it is, and if it were me, I'd not mention the Palo Cortado cask at all, and make sure that punters knew it had spent fifteen years in port or red wine (I'm guessing port, by the sweetness, but that is just a guess)