Strauss & Co XXO Single Cask (Nr.0407) 18 Year Old

Grapes: Chenin Blanc
Origin: Barrydale, Klein Karoo
Distillation: Double-distilled in Wouberg copper stills
Maturation: 18 years in a single French oak cask, with a sherry cask finish
Packaging: Individually-numbered bottles, presented in a wooden gift boxIn the cool maturation cellars of the Barrydale Distillery, every now and again, one cask in a lot defies physics. Though assembled from the same French oak staves and filled with the same eau-de-vie, it simply outshines its peers. For no discernible reason, it sings. Cask number 0407 is such a cask. The spirit it contains is of such fine character that 300 bottles have been drawn from it for special release.

Nose: Dried peach and raisin followed by Christmas spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon, with dark chocolate and a hint of leather.
Palate: Crème brûlée, followed by chocolate shavings. The finish is persistent and notably smooth.