Tobermory 17 Year Old 2004 Oloroso Cask

Nose: Hairspray, red summer berries, vanilla, caramel, cream (?), wax and rubber Palate: Toffee, sweet, unusual & musty, rubber, oak, summer berries, sherry-influenced, spice - allspice & clove Finish: Long finish. Waxy/oily. Orange, citrus, more berries. Leather & tobacco. Baked fruit cake & jam. This is a rather enjoyable whisky, but there's an odd, unusual, rubbery note throughout that doesn't appeal to me. It has a lot of fruit, but the waxiness somewhat reduces it. Came in a tie for first place out of the six samples, with 29% (6 votes) of the final vote for favorite of the night. 81% (17 votes) of attendees indicated they enjoyed the whiskey.

Tasted one of 11,124 bottles. Non-chill filtered, natural color, 55.9% ABV. Distilled and placed in Oloroso butts on June 8, 2004. Aged 17 years. Bottled in July 2021. Color: Yellow gold. The color didn't suggest intensity; it wasn't a typical Oloroso. Aroma: Caramel, followed by almond, blackcurrant, and slightly spicy. Adding water reveals much more aromatic fruit and a strong coastal influence. Taste: Strongly sherry influenced, also with tropical fruits, walnut, toffee, balanced with oak. Finish: Unusually dry, but still long and warming to the feel, nutty with a touch of ginger. Personally, this is one of the best whiskies I've tasted this year.

It's challenging to locate this bottle; I had to search for it. Based on endorsements from people I respect, I had very high expectations for this. It hasn't quite met them yet. It possesses some of the pleasant funk found in Tobermory/Ledaig, but it seems somewhat unfocused. I'll continue to sample it over time, but with the excellent Ledaig 18 readily available, it's difficult to suggest seeking out this bottle.

Pale amber. Sherry. Spice, mushroom. High alcohol. Strong Sherry, requires ice or water.