In 2022 Gleann Mòr partnered with the 200+ year old Bodegas Barbadillo to create a bespoke cask seasoning programme. Together they brought together a wide range of sherry casks in different sizes and wood types, with a bespoke seasoning of selected sherry wines if different styles.
Now Barbadillo is one of my favourite sherry bodegas – they have good budget options but also a long list of unique gems – so when I found out about these whiskies in the Rare Find series, I was keen to check them out.
We have four Barbadillo casks in this autumn outturn, and we’re getting a very detailed overview of their specifications. Nowadays most tonelerías in Jerez offer this kind of “bespoke” cask menu to their customers, with a choice of parameters like the length of seasoning and the level of toasting:
- Benriach 9 Years: 16 month finish, Oloroso barrique (12m seasoning)
- Tamdhu 16 Years: 10m finish, medium-char American oak Oloroso hogshead (24m seasoning)
- Longmorn 16 Years: 10m finish, M+ toasted Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead (24m seasoning)
- Secret Speyside 15 Years: 10 month finish, M+ toasted European oak Oloroso hogshead (24m seasoning)
Now the only other thing I would have liked to know is the age of the wines.
Benriach 9 yo 2015 (55,1%, Rare Find 2025, Oloroso barrique finish #9463, 301 btl.)
Nose: quite a beefy start, on Christmas spice (clove, cinnamon), a little brown sugar and natural rubber. Green walnuts and roasted hazelnuts, chalk and hints of soy. Some porridge. Not your typical Benriach, and the sherry influence feels a bit like the early days of whisky finishing, slightly
Mouth: fairly young and spicy, with a heavy focus on malty notes. Hints of cake and bruised apples, quickly joined by dark chocolate, black peppercorn and big hints of black tea. Some roasted herbs and clove, along with a savoury toasted note, even a little sulphuric. The alcohol isn’t perfectly integrated and the herbal side is taking the upper hand, at the expense of fruity notes (which I expected from Benriach).
Finish: medium, drying, on cocoa notes, pepper and clove.
Not my style and I wonder what led to this profile. Maybe the (young) spirit, or maybe the barrique with less seasoning time? False start, this is the only one I’d avoid. Available from The Whisky Exchange for instance.
Tamdhu 16 yo 2009 (51,7%, Rare Find 2025, Oloroso hogshead finish #11199, 216 btl.)
Nose: round and fruity. Golden raisins, hints of almonds, dried and fresh apricots. Then some cake and vanilla pastry, along with candied orange slices and stewed apples. There’s a mild spicy touch and even a light whiff of floral honey. Simply very inviting.
Mouth: more fruitcake and raisins, with dried apricots and figs. Plenty of oranges and marmalade notes. Then a bit of candied ginger, as well as vanilla and nutmeg. Later on there’s some toffee and caramelized almond.
Finish: medium to long, with more oak spice but still a good dose of the rounder elements. Some milk chocolate and nutmeg in the very end.
Totally different, much more refined. The American oak adds rounder hints of vanilla, and somehow there’s a great fruity core here, mixing nicely with the sherry. Available from The Whisky Exchange for instance, and other retailers soon, I guess. Score: 88/100
Longmorn 16 yo 2009 (55,6%, Rare Find 2025, Oloroso hogshead finish #11147, 203 btl.)
Nose: roughly in the same ballpark as the Tamdhu. Quite a lot of stewed fruits, including peaches and apples, some walnut cake with some vanilla and toffee. Then round waxy notes and a little pastry cream too, evolving to cinnamon buns.
Mouth: quite a creamy texture again, with the same mix of stewed fruits and caramelized notes. Creamy malt, hints of milk chocolate and apricot, along with apple pie and a hint of honey. Then some orange candy and orange peels, as well as oak spice like cinnamon and a bit of pepper.
Finish: quite long, with spicy and nutty notes and a generous caramel sweetness underneath.
A totally flawless and rich whisky again. Despite being Spanish oak, the spiciness is very balanced. High quality casks indeed. Already seen at The Whisky Exchange for instance. Score: 87/100
Secret Speyside 15 yo 2010 (58,2%, Rare Find 2025, Oloroso hogshead finish #11169, 184 btl.)
Nose: the most aromatic nose. Some strawberry jam, stewed apple and apricot, marmalade and nice hints of tangerines. A hint of donut icing and cinnamon. Then there’s also a little honey, shortbread and polished oak.
Mouth: sweet and spicy. More stewed orchard fruit, apple pie, hints of candied ginger and caramelized almond. A bit of orange cake and honey. Then mild baking spice like cinnamon, ginger and clove. More marmalade in the end. Also a winey / vermouth-like touch (not disturbing) and something remotely tropical, like pink grapefruit.
Finish: medium to long. A lightly drying resinous note, more orchard fruit and gentle oak spice.
The cheapest whisky of the session, but my favourite nonetheless. Really vibrant whisky, with nice fruity notes and a great balance. I ordered a bottle myself – I think it’s one of the best-value bottles I tried this year. Available from The Whisky Exchange among others. Score: 89/100