Stones of Stenness Orkney Aged 18yo (Single Cask Nation)

Today’s scotch is an 18 year old cask strength whisky aged in refill sherry casks at an Orkney distillery. I am going to go ahead and guess that this is Highland Park. Finally getting into the serious end of this calendar.

This is part of a series of blind tastings from the “The Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar 5th Edition” advent calendar. I do not know what is in the calendar, so every one of these reviews is 100% no prior knowledge.

1. Macduff 2003 14yo (Single Cask Nation)
2. Wemyss Wooden Chest
3. Lost Distillery Company Auchnagie Classic
4. Glen Moray 2008 9yo #5764 (Secret Spirits)
5. Craigellachie 12yo 2006 Cask Strength (Secret Spirits)
6. Exclusive Malts Islay Sherry Cask (Laphroaig)
7. Adelphi Breath of Speyside 2006 (11yo)
8. Balmenach 2004 13yo (Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask)
9. Glen Moray 2007 10yo (A.D. Rattray)
10. Royal Brackla 2006 11yo (Secret Spirits)
11. Wemyss Delicious Burst
12. Lost Distillery Company Stratheden Classic
13. Auchinderom - Peated Glenglassaugh (Malt Whisky Company)
14. Knockdhu 2009 9yo (A.D. Rattray)
15. Caol Ila 2009 9yo (Secret Spirits)
16. Wemyss Nectar Grove
17. Glentauchers 2008 10yo (Secret Spirits)
18. Glenallachie 2009 9yo (Secret Spirits)
19. Williamson (Laphroaig) 2005 13yo (A.D. Rattray)
20. Stones of Stenness Orkney Aged 18yo (Single Cask Nation)
21. Inchgower 1995 21yo (Hunter Laing Old Malt Cask)
22. Towiemore Archivist (Lost Distillery Company)
23. North British 1988 30yo (A.D. Rattray)
24. Inchmurrin 1996 21yo (Secret Spirits)
25. Glen Grant 1988 30yo (A.D. Rattray)

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Distiller: Undisclosed
Bottler: Single Cask Nation
Distilled: 2000
Bottled: 2018
ABV: 54.9%
Age: 18yo
Cask type: Refill Sherry
Source: Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar
Setting: Blind

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Nose: Blue cheese, mossy basement funk, vanilla cream, pear. An interesting smoky liquorice twist of a note. Some ethanol heat.
Palate: Round and creamy, funky blue cheese, some salty maritime notes if I’m not mistaken.
Finish: A sweet nuttiness, sweet cream and berries, some fading cheese notes in the background.
Overall: Seems like we’re finally getting into the older stuff here, this had a good deal of very interesting blue cheese funk (which I love), and some fun berries and nuttiness to round it out. An outstanding pour.
Rank: 8