Finlaggan Sherry Finish Single Islay Malt Whisky 70 cl 46%

Sherry and peat smoke are the oldest pairing in Scotch whisky. The dark fruit settles like a blanket over the ash, and the result has been a favourite since somebody first happened to do it.

The expert description

Finlaggan Sherry Finish is an Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in sherry casks, bottled at 46%.

The base whisky is the same peated Islay malt from an undisclosed distillery that the rest of the range is built on. The Vintage Malt Whisky Company has given it a closing spell in sherry wood, and that pulls it in a darker and fuller direction than either Original or the other finishes.

Sherry casks are the most used partner for smoke for a reason: raisin, fig and dark chocolate carry enough weight to meet the peat without either side disappearing. The whisky is bottled at 46% without chill filtration and without colouring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Peat smoke and dark dried fruit, with raisin, a touch of fig and a light nutty note from the wood.

Palate

Full and sweet with raisin and dark chocolate in front, while the smoke works its way up from below and lays salt and ash beneath the sweetness.

Finish

Long and warm with dried fruit, dry smoke and a final touch of spice.

Specifications

Name: Finlaggan Sherry Finish
Bottler: The Vintage Malt Whisky Company
Region/Country: Islay Scotland
Type: Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Bourbon cask finished in sherry casks
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Edition: Sherry Finish
EAN no.: 5024720315003

Flavour profile

Smoky · Sherry matured · Sweet · Maritime · Spiced

Did you know?

Very few sherry casks in Scotch whisky have ever held sherry meant for drinking. They are sherry seasoned: new oak casks are sent to Spain, filled with sherry for a couple of years purely to give the wood character, and then shipped north. Genuine old bodega casks have become a rarity.

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Frequently asked questions about Finlaggan Sherry Finish

What does Sherry Finish taste like?

Peat smoke and dark dried fruit on the nose, raisin and dark chocolate on the palate with the smoke working up from below, and a long warm finish of dried fruit and dry smoke. It is the fullest of the Finlaggan finishes.

What separates the three finishes in the range?

Sherry gives dark fruit and the most weight, port gives sweet red fruit in a layer over the smoke, and red wine gives a drier, grapier fruit with a tannin edge. All three sit at 46% on the same base whisky.

What is a finish?

A shorter period in a second cask after the main maturation. The whisky moves from the bourbon cask into a sherry cask and draws flavour from it without losing its original character.

Are sherry casks and smoke a good combination?

It is the classic one. Raisin, fig and chocolate carry enough weight to meet peat smoke without either side getting lost, which is why it is the most used partner for peated malt.

Which distillery is behind it?

That is not disclosed. The malt is bought from an Islay distillery that does not want its name on the label. See our full range of Islay Whisky.

Should you add water?

Try it neat first. At 46% it is already round, but a few drops of water loosen the dark fruit and soften the smoke a shade.

Which glass is recommended?

A tulip-shaped glass, which holds on to both the dark fruit and the smoke. See our range of whisky glasses.