Don Papa Sherry Cask 2012

Don Papa Sherry Cask is a 2012 vintage from Bleeding Heart on Negros Island, a turn toward a drier, sherry-forward profile from a brand better known for soft, sweet rum. After an initial period in American oak, it took an extended finish across several sherry casks, fino through Pedro Ximenez, which is where its character comes from.

The sherry and wood take centre stage here. Expect cherry, raisin, fig and plum with cocoa and woody spice, a fruity, spicy nose and a warm, velvety palate finishing on cherry, oak and sweetness. It is less sugary than classic Don Papa and reads drier and more wine-driven, though it is not a bone-dry sipper and carries a clear alcohol bite at 45%. A solid stepping stone for rum drinkers curious about sherried profiles, and a natural fit for anyone who enjoys sherry-finished whisky and wants a fruit-forward, slow after-dinner pour.