Now, I have had Oloroso and Manzanilla Sherry, and I know they are both very different drinks. Wikipedia lists about a half-dozen varieties.

What I commented back on John’s blog was that “Sherry” is usually unqualified (at least at the top-level description) when discussing whisky aging.

Having read John’s nosing/tasting notes: There seems to be little in common between the two whiskies. It seems obvious to me that whisky aged in an Oloroso butt should taste different than whisky aged in a Manzanilla butt. If the type of Sherry makes such a difference, why isn’t the type of Sherry listed front and center when mentioning the wood used to age or finish the whisky?

John is a skilled taster and has a LOT of experience rating whiskies. He’s a lucky man! I can’t help wondering if the fact that he knew the whiskies were aged in the different casks made a difference to his perception. I wonder if he tasted them blind, not knowing which was which? He didn’t say, but that’s how I would have done it. Of course, he only has decades of experience, and probably already knows what to expect from different types of Sherry.

I’ll comment back here with my own notes as soon as I find these two at my local whisky emporium (Beltramo’s is in my blogroll).