Apparently Sansibar released a Christmas Edition about three years ago from Longmorn Distillery. Also apparently, a sample of it found its way to my shelf. I had no idea it was there, and the fact that there only was a Whiskybase Number on the label instead of any other info made for a nice ‘blind tasting’.

Of course, I didn’t really do it blind since I didn’t want to start the evening with a 60% belter and not taste anything for the rest of the night, so I checked before hand. I guess a Whiskybase ID and an ABV are ideal.

Let’s just dive in, before I really start rambling.

Sniff:
A gentle start with lots of baking spices, and a whiff of aniseed. So, a more crisp note as well. A scent of old wine is present as well. It’s quite rich with lots of wine-cask notes. A sherry or port wine that is. Not overly specific, interestingly.

Sip:
The palate is smooth and gentle. A bit of a spicy bite, with oak mulch, old casks and a rich soil note. It strangely tastes like port casks, and oloroso sherry. Some dates and chocolate.

Swallow:
The finish brings some more spices and a little bit of a bitter note. Like cherry stones, and almond. There’s almond like sherry too.

The way the sherry tastes reminds me a bit of how Dalmore can taste. Good, but not overly complex. It’s Christmas-y in the same way that sherry is, based on what people used to drink at Christmas, back in the 70s when Sherry was much more popular than it is now.

87/100