I was a bit surprised by the spelling of Tokaji, but apparently you can spell it with and without an I at the end. Anyway, I don’t have much experience with this type of cask. I know the Longrow from ages ago and based on past musings on this here blog, apparently I rather disliked that one. The Benromach that was tried last year wasn’t too great either.
As it seems, it’s a bit of a difficult cask type to use. And then we have a Glen Moray finished in such a cask. Glen Moray is, to me at least, well known for quickly taking on flavors from previous cask types, so it’s a bit of a pubescent whisky, highly influenceable.
Let’s see what Kenny and his crew did with this one!
Sniff:
Grapeskin and leather, with barley and vanilla right behind it. Quite some oak and a bit of hessian. A thick, jammy fruitiness with grapes and a bit of orange.
Sip:
The palate is intense, dry and jammy sweet at the same time. Syrupy in texture with vanilla and oak. Not so much barley anymore. The dryness of grapeskins, with some black pepper for heat.
Swallow:
The finish stays with the intensity and peppery heat. The fruitiness from before is toned back. Quite oaky and long.
This is quite an okay whisky! It’s not epic or world changing by any means, but it’s also a rather good example of how Tokaji casks can be used. The cask does really take over the whisky, but not in such an oppressive way that it tastes mostly like amped up wine. Good stuff!
86/100
Malt Fascination 