Today dry-sherried Aultmore


October 13, 2023

WF's little duos,
today dry-sherried Aultmore

A lovely little (well) tasting we did with friends at the Consejo Regulador
de la D O Jerez Xérès Sherry in Jerez (November 2017, WF Archive)

We've already had some splendid sherried Aultmore! Always a joy to try Aultmore, even if it's become a little uncommon these days. Let's wait for some distinguished brokers to gently kind of flood the independent market with 25, 50 or 100 new casks. Please!

Aultmore-Glenlivet 12 yo (46%, Cadenhead, Original Collection, bourbon then fino & manzanilla, 2023)

This finish in fino and manzanilla is intriguing, too bad it's not full maturation, as Cadenhead's latest Aultmores fully-ex-bourbon and bottled at similar ages had been excellent in my book(W F86 – 88 for the 2006s). Colour: gold. Nose: oh awesome, we're almost nosing shoe polish, you would believe we're in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. And walnuts of course, soft mustard, white earth (albariza, naturally), a little paraffin… The sherries are doing the job here, we love them. Mouth: perhaps rather an acquired taste on the palate, with rather a lot of pepper and bitter citrus, but we're just fans of this style (and of fino and manzanilla in general). Finish: very long, pungent, bitter, ultra-dry, totally fino-y. Comments: perhaps not for everyone but love it. To be sipped slightly chilled by the banks of the Guadalquivir while enjoying local langoustines with good friends.
SGP:372 - 87 points.

Auchindoran 14 yo 2008/2023 (54.2%, The Whisky Cask Company, sherry, 331 bottles)

Auchindoran 14 yo 2008/2023 (54.2%, The Whisky Cask Company, sherry, 331 bottles)
This baby spent only six years in bourbon, it was then transferred into oloroso. It is well an Aultmore, not too sure why they wouldn't use the distillery's name, but it's true that the name 'Auchindoran' could possess even more charm. Colour: full gold. Nose: once again some dry sherry on the nose, full of walnuts, pine bark, wholegrain bread, black cigars (Italian Toscani) and some kind of dry molasses, garden compost, and just plain oloroso. Awesome nose, once again, but we know Aultmore loves dry sherry. With water: it wouldn't change much. Perhaps has it gotten a little earthier? Mouth (neat): bitter oranges, old walnuts, cracked pepper and the tartest lemons, plus touches of horseradish and mustard. An extremely pleasant burn, this time I'm sure you could dip poppadums and onion bahjis into it. Namaste! With water: a little mint and a little mango coming through. More dips. Finish: long, a little fruitier and fresher, but I cannot get spicy mango chutney out of my head. Comments: I don't know why this wonderful Aultmore immediately reminded me of Indian cuisine. Awesome sherry here.
SGP:562 - 88 points.

Check the index of all Aultmore we've tasted so far

		Fino or Manzanilla
		The majority of websites and blogs (thus ChatGPT and other AI, I just checked that) are widely mistaken when discussing the difference between Fino and Manzanilla produced in the Jerez triangle. Fino, by the way, is also produced in other regions of Spain, such as Montilla-Moriles. In any case, in Jerez, both Finos and Manzanillas are produced from the Palomino Fino grape (there are a few dry PX Fino too but they are very rare), which can be harvested anywhere in the delimited Jerez region. The grapes for Manzanilla, therefore, do not necessarily have to be harvested in the Sanlucar de Barrameda area! However, to be labeled as Manzanilla, the wine must be exclusively aged in or around Sanlucar de Barrameda, where the climate is coastal, cooler, windier, and more saline. In short, a Manzanilla is a Fino from Jerez aged in or around Sanlucar de Barrameda. It is one of the few designations primarily defined by the place of aging and maturation, which is interesting from a 'terroir' point of view. I would like to add that Manzanilla is not necessarily aged using the solera/criadera system where several vintages are added successively; there are also 'añada' Manzanillas from a single vintage, aged statically, such as the fantastic añadas from Callejuela. They are kept in barrels for a shorter time because, as no new wine is added, the flor deteriorates more quickly, no longer finding sustenance after a certain period. I hope to find one day a Clynelish entirely aged in a cask of Manzanilla añada!
		Recommended website: Ruben's SherryNotes