John Walker & Sons XR 21 Lunar New Year Limited Edition 21 Year Old, 2024, 40%

halfmoon_pebble29 Aug

Spiced apple and smoky, sherry-soaked raisins make a vivid contrast.

Warm spice and layered fruit give this a pleasingly rounded character on paper. The smoky malt and sherry-soaked raisins add a darker turn at the finish, which sounds especially appealing.

CinnamonCloud3 Jun

The fruit and spice make a good case for this blend without asking the cask description to do all the work. Spiced apple leads on the nose, and warm spice carries through to a palate of layered fruit. The finish takes a more interesting turn, bringing smoky malt together with sherry-soaked raisins. That contrast appeals to me: the raisins give the smoke something to play against, rather than leaving either note on its own. Oak is the stated cask type, but it’s too broad a detail to pin any particular flavour on the wood. I’d keep the attention on that progression from apple and spice to the raisin-and-smoke finish. It sounds considered without being complicated for its own sake.

Rich aromas, layered fruit, and warm spice make a lively case.

raincheck.fox14 Feb

Oak is listed, but the described character leans more toward spiced apple, warm spice and layered fruit. The smoky malt and sherry-soaked raisin finish sounds appealing, though the oak influence itself is harder to place.