A grain whisky entirely aged for 18 years in an Oloroso sherry cask is a very rare experience, and very different from any other one: quite unusually for a whisky of this kind, it’s already very mature, no doubt due to the use of first fill wood. At the nose it’s winey, but even more strikingly it matches the balsamic and aromatic notes of the spirit with the oak: the result is intense, with notes of pinewood and camphor, very rich and earthy. Let it breathe in the glass for a few minutes, add some drops of water before tasting, to let it open up: again, it’s very earthy, with rich dark notes of tea (black and pu-erh), cherry and pear liqueur, aniseed and liquorice. The oaky overtones, chewy and spicy, are somehow reminiscent of old Armagnacs. The finale is very astringent, with a touch of tannic bitterness, but also coffee and damp clay.