Any Sherry drinkers here?

**Teufel Hunden** · 27th February 12, 08:40 PM

I'm trying an interesting whiskey recipe that calls for a bit of sherry to be added before I put it into the barrel for aging. I have zero experience with sherry, aside from Osborne and Fairbanks, both of which were sort of uninteresting to me.

What are some of the rabble's recommendations for the stuff?

**Father Bill** · 27th February 12, 08:47 PM

Harvey's Shooting Sherry.

**Dale-of-Cedars** · 27th February 12, 09:38 PM

I have a recurring addiction to Harvey's Bristol Cream...

**mark.priest** · 27th February 12, 10:45 PM

My favorite sherry is Lustau East India Solera from Spain. I wasn't much of a sherry drinker either until I tried this. I promise you that you will never look at sherry the same way after you try it. It is rich and complex and much more interesting than any sherry I have tasted.

**Duke of Delrio** · 27th February 12, 11:44 PM

I have to second the recommendation of Lustau East India Solera. However, depending upon the flavoring you desire, you may wish to consider using casks that have previously held sherry, rather than adding sherry to your spirits. This requires careful cask selection and a nearly total trust in your cask supplier.

Without attempting to highjack your thread, another interesting offering from Spain is an excellent brandy. . . . Manso and Contreras Brandy de Jerez. Like Lustau East India sherry, it is aged in the solera fashion. I don't, for a moment, pretend to know what that means, but whatever it is, I have come to appreciate what it does for darker color, complexity of flavors, and an unrivaled finish in both sherries and brandies.

**Piipriker** · 28th February 12, 01:43 AM

Originally Posted by Duke of Delrio

..., it is aged in the solera fashion....

for those interested:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solera

**Father Bill** · 28th February 12, 05:50 AM

Originally Posted by Dale-of-Cedars

I have a recurring addiction to Harvey's Bristol Cream...

Also excellent!

**Teufel Hunden** · 28th February 12, 08:19 AM

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!!!! Keep 'em coming!

Originally Posted by Duke of Delrio

I have to second the recommendation of Lustau East India Solera. However, depending upon the flavoring you desire, you may wish to consider using casks that have previously held sherry, rather than adding sherry to your spirits. This requires careful cask selection and a nearly total trust in your cask supplier.

I usually follow the recipe exactly the first time, then modify it afterward. This one has pretty particular aging instructions, so we'll see how it turns out, and I'll go from there.

Also, I don't really have enough experience here, nor do I know a good enough cask supplier for that sort of thing yet.

Without attempting to highjack your thread, another interesting offering from Spain is an excellent brandy. . . . Manso and Contreras Brandy de Jerez. Like Lustau East India sherry, it is aged in the solera fashion. I don't, for a moment, pretend to know what that means, but whatever it is, I have come to appreciate what it does for darker color, complexity of flavors, and an unrivaled finish in both sherries and brandies.

Thanks for the suggestion! I've developed quite a taste for brandy over the last few months.

**Andy Proffitt** · 28th February 12, 09:49 AM

Just had some Tio Pepe last night (so dry it was like eating a desert...in a good way). There are two preferences for sherry, the sweeter/cream preferred by the British (and thence by most Americans) and the drier Fino types are preferred by the Spanish. I prefer...both

My experience is mostly with Sandeman and Tio.

**Lime** · 28th February 12, 12:43 PM

I love the stuff and there are many different and exciting varieties out there to try. I personally steer away from the sticky sweet stuff (I am sure there is an excellent sweet sherry; I just haven't tried it) and go for the dryer lighter varieties: Manzanilla/fino although I do like a good amontillado too.