Cardrona Distillery Full Flight Solera Cask Strength Single Malt New Zealand Whisky (375ml)

'Full Flight' is the final installment in Cardrona's Coming of Age series. Seven years in a marriage of specially selected ex-Oloroso Sherry butts and ex-Bourbon barrels delivers a fabulously rich experience at natural cask strength. Apparently Jim Murray is referring to a different batch below. The distillery explains, "For the Solera marriage we don’t distinguish. We have done a limited Single Cask release which was PX, but the Solera has both." There is lovely purity to this with the succulent dried fruits expressed in a juicy fashion, especially fresh, plump dried apricots and prunes overlaying the malt and vanillas. A relatively simple but very effective delivery that’s even better with water where the whisky really lands on its feet. 62.8% Alc./Vol. Non chill-filtered.

Other reviews... PX...!! It telegraphs the grape before you get within an inch of the glass. But the sweet fruit doesn't have all its own way... The first moment on the palate is so sweet . And salivating, too, especially when the malt starts to get amongst the action... I am not normally much of a fan of PX matured malt. But you have to give a nod of approval when something works well, as this does. 93 points - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2024