Ireland 2001 (Sansibar & van der Boog)

One of the younger Irish single malts, distilled in 2001 and bottled by Sansibar for the Dutch retailer van der Boog (Passie voor Whisky).

Irish single malt 15 yo 2001 (50,2%, Sansibar & van der Boog 2016, sherry cask, 161 btl.)

Nose: nicely sherried, but not with the usual raisins and plums. In this case you’ll find roasted hazelnut, a certain dusty tobacco note and some coffee. Hints of old bodegas. Also rather clean gunpowder and rubber. There’s an orange note underneath, perhaps a little peach, but not much of the typical Irish fruitiness in this case.

Mouth: same balance between the wood smoke and gunpowder, mingling with blackberries, milk chocolate and cinnamon. Liquorice. Hints of cherry brandy and exotic wood. Just a light hint of the expected pink grapefruit in the end.

Finish: long, spicy and herbal, with a lingering nuttiness.

This was a bit of a surprise. The sherry is not very typical, nor very thick and it takes away most of the typical Irish fruitiness. Yet it’s interesting – you may want to see what it’s about. Still available – around € 130 from van der Boog.

Score: 82/100