Signatory Vintage is really spoiling whisky fans with their 100 Proof series. They keep releasing high strength sherry bombs at an incredible pace and at an incredible price. Some might even say they’re ruining the market, since very few independent bottlers can match this price / quality ratio. Signatory has a vast array of casks and they do master the recipe of a good sherry bomb.
We look at two of their recent offerings: Glenlossie 2012 and Craigellachie 2014.
Glenlossie 12 yo 2012 (57,1%, Signatory Vintage ‘100 Proof’ 2025, first-fill Oloroso butts + bourbon hogsheads)
Nose: rich sherry, with firm chocolate notes, malt extract and coffee beans. Also stewed pears and quinces, dates and maybe a hint of baked banana. This moves to praline, with hints of cask char and a very light whiff of sulphur.
Mouth: rather jammy. Plenty of baked apples and stewed pears, along with muscovado, caramelized nuts and creamy butterscotch. Then more cocoa and a drop of porter beer, as well as a faint bitter note – walnuts, bitter almonds and herbs. A little cinnamon and plain wood in the end.
Finish: medium to long, with more oak char and herbs, caramel, dark chocolate and drying tobacco.
A bit too heavy on the bulky caramel and charred oak for my taste, but not a bad whisky. Remember this is typically under € 50, so no complaints in terms of value for money. Available from The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt for instance.
Craigellachie 10 yo 2014 (57,1%, Signatory Vintage ‘100 Proof’ 2025, first-fill Pedro Ximénez butts + Oloroso butts + dechar/rechar hogsheads)
Nose: orchard fruits up front (peaches, grapes, red apples) with a sour (cran)berry edge. Subtle metallic notes too. Then lots of raisins, fruit cake and a hint of blonde tobacco. Toasted oak as well, but overall it’s not as bloated as the Glenlossie.
Mouth: still a slightly synthetic kind of fruitiness, with grapes, berries, red plums and raisins, but also a herbal, almost fragrant edge. Wood wizardry. Cedar wood, more apples, even a hint of kiwi, as well as cinnamon and brow sugar. Vanilla appears as well. Not the most coherent ensemble but I like the sourness.
Finish: long, with a dark sweetness, herbal honey, a little chocolate and some dusty oak.
Same pressure-cooked style of sherry bomb. Very efficient and to the point, but perhaps a little rough around the edges. For the price, certainly recommendable though. Also available from The Whisky Exchange or Royal Mile Whiskies, among others. Score: 86/100