If Oloroso is the king of sherry cask finishes and Pedro Ximénez the showstopper, then Palo Cortado is the mystery: elusive, elegant, and unexpectedly complex
If you spend enough time with sherry cask whiskies, you start to get a feel for the different personalities. Oloroso is bold and nutty. Pedro Ximénez is rich and sticky-sweet. Amontillado dances somewhere in between. But Palo Cortado can still surprise me.
What Makes Palo Cortado Different?
Palo Cortado is unusual even by sherry’s standards. It starts life under flor, like a Fino or Amontillado, but the flor then dies off, the wine is fortified again, and it matures oxidatively like an Oloroso. It’s a style that isn’t made so much as it happens, which feels like part of its charm and contributes to its rarity.
The end result is something that combines the brightness of aged sherry with the richness and weight of oxidation. Think citrus oils, roasted nuts, dried figs, and a kind of savoury, creamy depth that’s hard to describe but immediately recognisable when it appears.
How Is Palo Cortado Used In Whisky Maturation?
In whisky, Palo Cortado casks aren’t common, and that’s part of what makes them interesting. When used thoughtfully, they can bring a beautiful tension to a dram: freshness against richness, sweetness against spice. They’re not loud finishes, usually. You can sometimes expect flavours such as orange peel, dried fruits such as raisin and fig, and nuts (I particularly find almond and hazelnut) alongside a distinct bready character.
In this tasting, I’ve explored four very different whiskies — from smoky Islay to fruity Speyside — each finished in Palo Cortado casks. Some were short finishes, some much longer. But in all of them, I found little fingerprints of this strange and wonderful sherry: bready textures, bright peel, nut oils, and the kind of evolving complexity that keeps you coming back for another sip.
Tasting 4 Palo Cortado-Finished Scotches
1. Tri Carragh, Craigellachie 11 Year Old Finished in First-Fill Palo Cortado, 52.9%
Colour: Pale rosy gold
Nose: Juicy cooked pineapple, honeydew melon and overripe strawberry. Greek yoghurt with honey. Very sweet raisin notes. Orange peel oils and cassia. A warm, yeasty breadiness of traditional hot cross buns with currants and candied peel.
Palate: More sweet bready notes. The fresh fruits subside to reveal more raisin with fig, orange marmalade, roasted nuts, cinnamon and a hint of cardamom. Crystallised pineapple hangs on in the back
Finish: Apple and orange peels with walnut, cinnamon-flavoured sweets, and the uncooked dough of those hot cross buns.
Comments: This gets a big tick from me. The evolution of the fruit flavours is lovely, it’s very calm for its abv, and that bready character gives enough weight to sink you into an armchair with another glass of it.
2. Fib, Glenallachie 15 Year Old Finished in First-Fill Palo Cortado, 62.6%
Colour: Copper
Nose: Orange oil, dried fig and a hint of rosewater. Varnished wood. Portuguese custard tarts, rich with vanilla and frilled with burnt pastry. Caramel, tart apples and mint tea. Water turns the caramel into brown sugar and brings out sour plum.
Palate: Fig rolls, alongside some floral and varnish-like notes that lean toward rancio. Caramelised hazelnuts, sweet raspberry preserve, Maraschino cherry, cocoa, woody spice and a little more of that mint freshness.
Finish: Bitter orange and caramelised nuts. It’s grippy with tannin, but not unpleasantly so.
Comments: The cask finish on this was reasonably short — about three months — but the Palo Cortado influence is nevertheless powerful. I’d recommend keeping this neat as the water flattened the palate somewhat.
3. James Eadie, Caol Ila 10 Year Old Finished in Refill Palo Cortado, 56.1%
Colour: Straw-yellow
Nose: Sweet lemon-lime citrus notes, like 7-Up. Gentle maritime peat, juniper berries, smoky vanilla, and salted crackers. With time comes richer fruit notes of peach and cooked apricot, along with Ibérico ham. Eventually, whispers of milk chocolate-covered raisins.
Palate: Gentle citrus, perhaps a hint of lemon curd, with more gentle coastal peat smoke. Slight piney notes, sponge cake, and vanilla cream. Peach-and-barley cordial. After a while, it reveals notes of candied orange peel and roasted almonds.
Finish: The sherry notes are more present in the finish, with orange peel, sultan, and fondant icing alongside warm, woody spices.
Comments: This is Caol Ila through and through, carrying the lightest of touches from the sherry casks; even given it was finished in refill wood, it’s gentle. However, patience is a virtue — the longer you leave it before sipping, the more sherry notes you’ll find.
4. Springbank, Longrow 15 Year Old Fresh Palo Cortado, 57.4%
Colour: Amber
Nose: Funky notes of overripe banana, morphing into banana bread. Waxy orange, nettle-wrapped Yarg cheese and toasted sesame oil. Boot leather and sprightly bittersweet orange notes, like Campari. The oily crunch of chopped roasted hazelnuts. Dark caramel, dried apricot, and really ripe figs.
Palate: Lots of dried fruits (fig, raisin), expressed orange peel, sweet cooked plums, and a hint of black cherry. Almond frangipane and a little dusting of crushed praline. Terry’s Chocolate Orange. A little savoury oilness, which comes through in the mouthfeel too, and oyster mushroom.
Finish: A pop of freshly peeled orange with prune, very dark chocolate, vanilla pod, and cinnamon sticks. The undercurrent of funk remains, like strawberry fromage frais.
Comments: The funks of Cortado and Campbeltown are a match made in heaven. This is complex, rich, and punchy.
Other Palo Cortado-Finished Scotch Whiskies To Try
Tomatin Sherry Collection Palo Cortado Edition: A 15-year-old expression finished in Palo Cortado casks for three years, this was one of three single malts released in Tomatin’s limited-edition Sherry Collection in 2024.
Glenmorangie 12 Year Old Palo Cortado Finish: Bottled in 2022 as part of the Highland distillery’s Barrel Select Series, this was Glenmorangie’s first single malt to use Palo Cortado casks for finishing. And it’s a significant finish — four years in total.
Glen Scotia Icons of Campbeltown The Mermaid: The first release in Glen Scotia’s Icons of Campbeltown series, this unpeated 12-year-old single malt was finished for eight months in Palo Cortado casks.
Read the full article at 4 Whiskies That Prove Palo Cortado Casks Are Worth the Hunt
