Nantou Distillery Omar Sherry Cask Single Malt

A subtropical island is an unlikely place to produce world-class whiskey, but in a mere decade Taiwan's 2 distilleries have shown what can be accomplished. The success of Japanese whiskies has certainly helped draw attention, but both Kavalan and the Nantou distilleries have made some wise decisions to help forge their own identity. Rather than mimicking the greats from Scotland they decided to harness the warm, tropical climate to their own advantage. With an angel's share loss of 5% long-term aging wasn't feasible, instead they've turned to aging in special casks.This bottle from Nantou (Omar is Gaelic for amber) spends 5 years in sherry casks, imparting luscious aromas of dried fruit, baking spices and dark chocolate all of which carry over onto the palate. It's full, rich and smooth, a surprise hit from an unlikely place.