Nomad Outland Whisky is a blended whisky expertly crafted by two legendary blenders: White & Mackay’s Richard Paterson, and famed Spanish sherry and spirits producer Gonzalez Byass’ master distiller Antonio Flores. The whisky is a blend of 25 single malts and six grain whiskies that range from five to eight years of age. Once blended, it was aged in Oloroso sherry butts in Scotland for a year before being sent to Jerez, Spain, for an additional year of maturation in Pedro Ximénez (PX) casks at Gonzales Byass. The first release was in 2014.
Since the whisky was not exclusively matured in Scotland, pursuant to Scotch Whisky Association regulations, it could not be called a “Scotch whisky.” Hence, the designation “Outland” to represent a whisky that had been produced in Scotland but had been matured, at least in part, elsewhere.
The use of sherry casks
The use of previously filled sherry butts in the aging of Scotch whisky has long been a ubiquitous feature of the Scotch industry. Historically, the practice was largely reserved for single malts. Macallan, GlenDronach and Balvenie were among the better-known distilleries that offered expressions that had been exclusively matured in one or more combinations of 500-liter sherry butts. Other distilleries offered expressions that had been “finished” from two months to two years in such sherry butts.
In recent years, a number of distilleries have offered expressions that were either “double matured” or finished in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks: Auchentoshan Triple Wood, Glenmorangie La Santa, and GlenDronach 12YO, 21YO and Cask Strength are all examples of this style. Oloroso sherry is dry, imparting notes of nuts, spice and dried fruit to the whisky. Pedro Ximénez, on the other hand, is produced from grapes that have been partially raisinated before pressing. It is extremely sweet and syrupy, and can impart distinctive sweet, raisiny and cooked fruit notes to Scotch.
Sherry butt aging/finishing has been the exception when it comes to blended Scotch, although it is not unheard of. There are a few notable examples of the style:
- In 2001, Grant’s Sherry Cask Finish was the first sherry-finished Scotch blend released by a major whisky company. The expression was based on the same whiskies used in the Grant’s Family Reserve. After blending, the whisky was placed in Oloroso sherry butts and aged for an additional four months before being released.
- Compass Box released a small quantity (3,439 bottles) of its Great King St. Experimental Batch (Sherry Finish, #00-V4) Blended Scotch Whisky, 50cl, 43% ABV.
- The French spirits company, La Martiniquaise, has released its Label 5, Sherry Cask Finish Reserve Blended Scotch Whisky, 70cl, 43% ABV, in select European markets.
- The Famous Grouse, Scotland’s bestselling blended Scotch, has always had a portion of sherry butt-aged whisky in its blend. Not a big surprise, when you consider that its parent company, Edrington Group, also owns The Macallan single malt.
- In 2011, Edrington officially released The Naked Grouse, 70cl, 40% ABV, a higher-end version of The Famous Grouse built around a core of single malts from Highland Park and Macallan. The final blend was aged for an additional period in Oloroso sherry butts. The Naked Grouse had a limited “test release” in Minnesota in 2009, but it does not appear to be currently available in the U.S. All of the other blended Scotches were never released in the U.S. but are available from specialist whisky mail order retailers in Europe.
Nomad can lay claim to being both the first blended whisky produced in Scotland, to undergo a “double” sherry finish utilizing both Oloroso and PX maturation, and to having a portion of that maturation done in Spain.
Tasting Notes
Nomad’s color is dark honey/deep amber. It is packaged in a nontraditional bottle, faintly reminiscent of the various Singleton bottlings. On the nose, the Oloroso influence is unmistakable; it smells distinctly dry, with notes of dried stone fruit like peach and apricot as well as slight dried tropical fruit notes of mango followed by notes of spice and vanilla. There are aromas of walnut, sweet marzipan, and even hints of candied orange peel in addition to a distinct aroma of honey in the background.
On the palate there is a marked crème brûlée-like creaminess with the pronounced, oily, viscous mouth weight that is typically associated with heavily sherried whiskies. An unmistakable but restrained sweetness grows stronger on the palate with pronounced golden raisin and dried stone fruit flavors accompanied by caramel notes. There are also noticeable walnut and marzipan elements.
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The bourbon cask influences are evident in the distinctive spice and vanilla flavors, but act as a nice compliment to the sherry finish notes. The two sherries offset each other nicely, adding nuts and dried fruit notes from the Oloroso and the sweet, golden raisin notes of the PX. That sweetness is nicely balanced and well integrated, and is free of the cloying, syrupy sweetness that can sometimes accompany PX finishes. The alcohol is smooth with a satisfying warmth, and is reminiscent of a fine Spanish brandy.
The finish is long, refined, and complex, and features a succession of sweet dried fruit notes set against a creamy texture highlighted by hints of walnut and tropical spice. This is an excellent, very approachable blended whisky, showing good integration and a smoothness and a degree of complexity that belies its relatively young age. It would make a superb after dinner dram, yet could equally accompany a rich bisque or a spicy entree. Served over ice or with a bit of water it would serve just as well as an aperitif.
Conclusion:
Highly recommended. If you are a fan of Spanish brandy, like a sweeter Scotch, and appreciate the added complexity that a sherry finish provides, then you will find Nomad Outland Whisky an excellent addition to a “Scotch” whisky library even if it is not technically a Scotch. If your tastes run towards “peat monsters,” then it’s best to look elsewhere.
Final Score: 88/100
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