Balmenach 9 Year Old Oloroso Cask - Darkness (50cl, 56.6%)

A nine-year-old Speyside single malt from Balmenach, bottled by Darkness at 56.6% in a 50cl bottle. It was finished in small Oloroso sherry octaves, and the nine years cover the whole maturation, finish included. Darkness refits sherry casks down to 50 litres, which gives the whisky more contact with the wood than a large sherry butt would. The whisky is non-chill-filtered and its colour comes from the casks. The nose suggests freshly baked nut cake with rich chocolate icing, alongside lilac, lavender, fruit, cinnamon and oak. On the full-bodied palate come peanut butter and jam on toast, chocolate-covered nuts, cherries and dried fruit, with fig syrup, heather honey, oak spice and cloves. The finish is long, with sherry and nutty notes.