Sherry-influenced
whiskeys can be absolutely delightful. There are various sherry types, with Oloroso as
the most commonly used. My favorite is Pedro Ximenéz (also referred to as
PX), as it is sweeter and imparts a richness to the whiskey that I believe is
difficult to beat.
Manzanilla is a type of sherry that comes from Andalusia, a
province in southern Spain. Legally, it must be made and aged near the coastal
town of Sanlúcar de Barrameda and mature a minimum of two years under a layer
of native yeast called flor. It has a distinct aroma of chamomile (manzanilla
is Spanish for chamomile) and a dry, salty taste due to this coastal terroir.
"The flavor from sherry casks is remarkable. The casks can impart an array of flavors on whiskey, and many European whiskeys (especially Scotch) have been 'sherried.' While our production methods differ from traditional distilleries, we've enjoyed exploring how sherry flavors incorporate with our American Single Malt Whiskey." – Jeff Kanof, Vice-President and Co-Owner
Today,
I’m pouring Release
No. 048, an American Single Malt from Copperworks Distilling Co. of Seattle, Washington. It began with the same
whiskey from Release No. 047, which I
reviewed in May, and blended whiskey distilled from
pale malt and aged in a Manzanilla sherry cask for five and a half years. This
marriage included 7.5% of the addition.
But
Copperworks Distilling didn’t simply use seasoned casks:
"I had the pleasure of hand-picking casks during a visit to Spain several years ago. While many sherry casks used in whiskey production nowadays are new casks seasoned with sherry, these were used for sherry production for several decades in Spain before making their way across the ocean to Copperworks." – Jason Parker, President and Co-Founder
Release
No. 48 is packaged in 1310 - 750ml bottles at 50% ABV (100°), which can be
purchased from the distillery or its online store for $69.99. But should you buy it? The
only way to know for sure is to #DrinkCurious. But first, I’d like to take a moment and thank
Copperworks for providing me with a sample in exchange for this
no-strings-attached, honest review.
Appearance: I
sipped this whiskey neat from my Glencairn glass. The liquid was a
reddish-brown amber. A microthin rim formed big droplets that grew until they could
handle no more, then released thin, straight legs. That was certainly different!
Nose: I smelled
stewed peaches. Wait, it was golden raisin. Or is that caramel and vanilla? There
was leather. Then lime and milk chocolate. They came at me one or two at a
time, then switched up, then again. It was more like standing in a room full of
kids, each demanding my attention. Inhaling through my mouth featured strong
lime and milk chocolate notes.
Palate: The mouthfeel
was medium-bodied. Flavors of dried peaches, dried berries, and caramel on the
front. That led to pipe tobacco, milk chocolate, and old leather at mid-palate.
The back consisted of dry oak, bold cabernet, and black pepper.
Finish: Release
No. 048 had a freight train finish. It lumbered in with a steady, spicy taste of
black pepper, oak, cabernet, black tea, and pipe tobacco.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Sometimes,
I encounter whiskeys that make me wonder what is happening. Release No. 048 was
mysterious from nose to finish. I don’t mean to suggest it was disjointed; instead,
it was like a sensory overload. That’s something that caused me to concentrate
deeper than usual while drinking.
If I wanted to sip whiskey
and converse thoughtfully with a friend, this isn’t the whiskey to do that
with. You’ll ignore your companion. You’ll overlook the atmosphere. However, if
you’re looking to get lost in thought while savoring aromas and flavors,
Release No. 48 is darned near perfect; a Bottle rating for sure. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.
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