Cardrona Growing Wings Oloroso Sherry

Cardrona Growing Wings Oloroso Sherry

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Pale amber 
61.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, clotted cream, honey, prunes, vanilla, black tea, damson jam, hints of oak chips. With water, raisins, black tea, orange peel, oak chips. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Damson jam, clotted cream, vanilla, caramel, toffee, black tea, hints of prunes. With water, raisins, damson jam, prunes. 
Finish: Short. Damson jam, toffee, black tea, clotted cream, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Cask 101. The sherry cask has imparted some quite delicious notes, but there’s also a big undertone of wood. It’s rather powerful and matches the sweet sherry notes in intensity.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardrona Growing Wings 5yo 2016/2021 PX Finish Melody Whisky Bar Exclusive

Cardrona Growing Wings 5yo 2016/2021 PX Finish Melody Whisky Bar Exclusive

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Amber gold
63.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, hoppy beer, fresh baked bread, wheatgerm, honey, raspberry jam. With water, magic marker, pear drops, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, honey, ink, raspberry jam, raisins, orange peel, wheatgerm, hints of black tea. With water, wet stones, malted grains, magic marker. 
Finish: Short. Orange peel, raisins, raspberry jam, Demerara sugar. 

Comments: 

Fortuitous find! It’s fruity, and opens up nicely with water to become minerally and malty. It builds to a very sweet, and intensely sweet finish. A very pleasant dram.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardrona Just Hatched Sherry and Bourbon Cask

Cardrona Just Hatched Sherry and Bourbon Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Amber
64.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, honey, fresh cut grass, vanilla, cinnamon, vanilla sponge. With water, orange juice, limes, vanilla, white pepper, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slightly oily, loosens, expands. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Orange juice, pears, fresh cut grass, honey, black tea, white pepper, vanilla. With water, honey, orange peel, black tea, fresh cut grass, limes. 
Finish: Medium. Orange juice, pears, fresh cut grass, black tea. 

Comments: 

Complex and robust dram, lots of citrus, honey, and pepper. It’s young, of course, but it’s matured compared to earlier versions. Very enjoyable indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Cardrona Growing Wings Bourbon & Sherry Cask

Cardrona Growing Wings Bourbon and Sherry Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Otago
Amber red
65.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Limes, coconut cream, raisins, pear drops, magic marker, rye bread. With water, coconut cream, lemon zest, limes, pear drops. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Raisins, limes, kumquats, pear drops, pomeloes, malted grains, makrut lime leaves. With water, kumquats, pear drops, pomeloes, grapefruit. 
Finish: Short. Makrut lime leaves, pear drops, vanilla, hints of coconut cream. 

Comments: 

Very citrusy and tropical, almost like a Thai curry, minus the ginger and the galangal. Lots of sweet notes abound too, with a little breadiness on the nose.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardrona 4yo 2016/2021 Growing Wings Breckinridge Bourbon Cask

Cardrona 4yo 2016/2021 Growing Wings Breckinridge Bourbon Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Otago
Dark gold
65.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Fresh baked bread, coconut cream, figs, peaches, lemon zest, oats. With water, oats, sourdough, lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, astringent, fiery. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Coconut cream, oats, figs, tyre rubber, vanilla, hints of white grapes, hints of peaches. With water, oats, tyre rubber, cornflakes. 
Finish: Medium. White grapes, peaches, persimmons, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

Breckinridge Bourbon Cask 111. Fruity, and fiery. The high ABV makes a difference, but I don’t know if it needed to be quite this high. Very young of course, and quite promising. On its own merits though, there’s a strange sort of rubbery, coconut note that jars against the nice cereal and fruit.

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardrona Just Hatched Pinot Noir Cask

Cardrona Just Hatched Pinot Noir Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Amber red
65.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, raisins, pine, rhubarb and custard sweets, hints of new plastic. With water, lemon zest, autumn leaves, hints of lohan fruit. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Pine, cumin, raisins, honey, lemon zest, hints of black pepper. With water, bitter, lohan fruit, raisins, lemon zest, hints of earthy mushrooms.
Finish: Long. Cocoa powder, coffee, honey, fresh baked bread, hints of pomeloes. 

Comments: 

With these young malts from a new distillery, you never know what to expect. Sometimes the cask finishing makes for an interesting dram, and so it proved for this one. It’s not too sweet, instead it’s rather earthy and even slightly bitter. Lots of interesting complexity, looking forward to more from these guys. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Cardrona Single Malt Just Hatched Solera

Cardrona Single Malt Just Hatched Solera

Official bottling
Single malt - Otago
Golden
64.4% ABV
Tiny taste 

Nose: Lemon zest, malted grains, vanilla, jasmine tea, hints of pomeloes, hints of soy sauce. With water, lemon juice, raisins, jasmine, hints of orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, warm, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour. Lemon zest, rolled oats, jasmine tea, vanilla, cornflakes, hints of fresh baked bread. With water, bitter sweet, lemon juice, honey, orange peel, hints of carrot juice, hints of raisins. 
Finish: Medium. Vanilla, apples, fresh baked bread, lemon zest. 

Comments: 

3 years old, from a country that doesn't produce a lot of whisky. This youngling is citrusy and cereally, with some nice floral fragrances as well. With water, it sweetens up, with a vegetal hint in the background. There's a lot of promise here, and I'd love to taste more of this, but I'd probably let it age a bit more. Thanks Katie for the taste.

Verdict:

I like this.