Stranahan’s Distillery was one of the first American single malts on the market in early 2000s, with their first bottle being released in 2006. One of the things American whiskies like bourbon were long not allowed to do because of regulation and tradition was something scotch had begun pioneering in the early 1980s, wood finishing. Not bound by the regulations of bourbons or ryes, American single malts like Stranahan’s are able to push the boundaries in creative ways their whiskey relatives were unable to for many years (though this has recently begun changing). The Stranahan’s Sherry Cask is a single malt aged for four years in virgin white American oak barrels and then finished in 500-liter ex-Oloroso sherry casks from the Andalusia region in Spain.
Distillery: Stranahan’s
Region: Foreign
Age: NAS
Strength: 47%
Price: $79.99
Maturation: ex-Sherry casks
Location: Denver, Colorado
Nose: Sherry, grapefruit, cumquat, tangerine, orange peel, dragon fruit, fig, feijoa, manzanita
Palate: Caramel, sherry, creamed honey, currants, fig, turmeric
Finish: Vanilla, sherry, walnut
Comments: On the Stranahan’s website, they mark how long an employee has been with the team by noting their first batch number.
Adam – The Stranahan’s Cherry Cask is a delight on the nose, a cornucopia of fruits both familiar and unusual. I’ve heard people refer to this or that scotch as a “sherry bomb” and this is one whiskey that would fit that mold perfectly, the sherry cask exerting huge influence over the finished product. Thankfully, the layered elements continue from the nose into the palate where stone fruit and richness dominate before finishing, eventually, with some sweet and nutty notes. There are no harsh transitions, only a smoothly layered story from beginning to end. I noticed the first sip or two was a bit harsh but that quickly went away and that heat can come back on the end if you take too big a sip too quickly but otherwise the overall likely youth of this offering is not discernable. While a little more expensive than the standard Stranahan’s and Blue Peak, it is absolutely worth the money. I do find the inclusion of the screw on shot tin curious and wonder if it is more of form over function, but I’ve seen worse whiskey accessories in the marketplace.
Kate – This smells like bourbon infused syrup you would pour on top of pancakes, with warm berries. I want to cuddle up on the couch on a Saturday, in my jammies, with this scotch in front of my fireplace. The taste for me is like currants, fig, creamed honey, and the bitter skin of a walnut. The finish is really smooth and you mellow in the aftermath. It’s divine. Stranahan’s is a sophisticated American distiller. They are precise in their cuts and I enjoy almost all of their offerings. The Stranahan’s Sherry Cask drinks like a scotch.
Bill – This is a nebulous sherry cloud wrapped in a sherry enigma plumbed with sherry logic. So much sherry. It’s not complex even if delightful.
This is not a pamphlet. It’s a novel.
Henry – Pineapple guava (feijoa) and pomelo/grapefruit with a hint of dried mission fig on the nose. Lush manzanita and dragon fruit on the front. Wow. Palate is hot at first but resolves to spiced compote, nutmeg, and stone fruit with a punch of astringency. The finish ties many of these elements together and lingers for a good long while, crisp and dry like a great IPA. Wonderfully complex and layered finish. As the crispness fades, tropical fruits return and linger. This is not a pamphlet. It’s a novel.
Ben – If there is a downside, it’s that it’s so simple. But if you love sherry, the Stranahan’s Sherry Cask is the whiskey for you. If you pull the glass away after having tasted it, you get a little turmeric.
