Amber Lane No. 1 Sherry Lane

This spirit comes from a single cask of ex-McWilliams Apera (Australian Sherry) puncheon. 369 bottles were made available directly from the distillery or Amber Lane, and also through sampling by a very generous friend. Nose: Rich and thick with chocolate, dark honey, raisin, cinnamon, and a very waxy orange peel. No indication of the high proof it contains. Palate: Chocolate-covered toffee, candied ginger, brown sugar, and crisp orchard fruit dominate. The palate develops into something quite textured and similar to grainy cracked, dry leather. A fruitier and brighter presence is also hidden here, but I'm having trouble identifying it. Finish: Long. A strong spice builds with cinnamon and perhaps nutmeg. An overwhelming heat from that spice is held back by more juicy raisins and, a late arrival of fresh mango (am I imagining that?!) Adding a few drops of water, a swirl, and several minutes later... the nose is slightly elevated and lighter but I lose the orange character and a slight vomit-like sourness appears. The palate, softer and less textured, and while a lovely creamy chocolate texture takes over, I also lose the bright fruits. The finish almost completely disappears. A curious whisky that I'm not quite sure what to make of. It has some impressive powerful characteristics and a few lighter, skillfully applied nuances. But some of the flavors that appear and disappear, while pleasant enough, feel a bit mismatched and jarring to me. Also, water ruined the experience for me. I don't know if I'm just not in the right mood tonight, but this just didn't seem to work well with me. My only other Amber Lane experience was a Sherry Cask. And I will reuse my concluding thoughts from that review, as they are perfectly applicable here: "Amber Lane claims to be straightforward, down-to-earth, and focused on flavor. I can agree that they have achieved that here. [Liquid Amber] [Sherry Lane] is a simple, bold, and impactful young spirit that delivers a few flavors exceptionally well. They have a pot still designed to maximize copper contact to produce a more complex flavor profile. I must disagree with that. The local barley is almost lost to the strong choice of cask and the relatively long contact time with the wood. While enjoyable, I would have preferred more from the underlying spirit instead of it being hidden behind a wall of sherry cask." Amber Lane current scores: Liquid Amber Australian Malt: 3.25/5 No. 1 Sherry Lane Special Release Single Cask: 3.25/5

Nose: Sherry, chocolate-covered raisins, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, orange concentrate. A bold, impressive aroma. Palate: Raisins, chocolate, and honey. Develops into stone fruits, pears stewed in sherry, crème caramel, baking spices, and a little hot ginger. Later palate has notes of meaty leather and tobacco. Adding water softens the palate but doesn't harm it. Finish: Medium. The main sherry, chocolate, and raisin character remains, with a hint of spice in the aftertaste. This is a very good, substantial spirit with a unique style. The distillery's character is present throughout, and the soft, fruity nature of the distillate, inspired by Scotland, is nicely complemented by rich sherry aging. A ginger note appears in all their spirits. It's a very good, hefty whisky with an individual style. The distillery character is evident throughout and the soft, fruity nature of the Scottish-inspired distillate is complimented very well by rich sherry maturation. There is a ginger note on the palate that appears in all their whisky. Very Good: 85/100 (4 stars)