Here’s the third of my Amrut “Aatma” reviews this week. This one was matured in an ex-oloroso sherry cask (see here for Monday’s ex-bourbon cask, and here for Tuesday’s ex-fino sherry cask). I believe this may have been the second of the “Aatma” releases. Like the other two, it was a US exclusive and bottled at 56.5%. And with that I have exhausted my introductory patter. Let’s get right to it.

Amrut “Aatma” 7, 2012, Ex-Oloroso (56.5%; cask 4136; from a bottle split)

Nose: Rich sherry (dried tangerine peel, caramel, brandied raisins) with some pencil lead mixed in. Some cherry as it sits. Stickier with time and then there’s some Ben Nevis-style roasted malt and powdered ginger. With a few drops of water the orange pops to the front first and turns quickly to a mix of marmalade and apricot jam; some mango leather as well.

Palate: Comes in with darker caramel than on the nose and without the pencil lead; a quick burst of fruit in there as well as I swallow (orange, apricot). Very approachable at full strength with mouth-coating texture. More orange peel with each sip and the oak pops out earlier as well. With time there’s more fruit (citrus, apricot, peach, tart-sweet mango) and the oak switches to the Amrut rosewood; and the roasted malt shows up here as well. Another ten minutes and the fruit expands quite dramatically, with the mango coming to the fore along with some charred pineapple. Okay, let’s see what water does for it. It makes it brighter/more acidic.

Finish: Long. As the caramel fades the oak emerges. It’s not tannic; provides a bracing, slightly bitter frame to an otherwise sweet whisky. The citrus persists with time. Develops as on the palate with time; the bitter oak transitions to dark chocolate. Much brighter here too with water.

Comments: Okay, this one does taste like a much older sherried Scottish single malt. Indeed, when the fruit gets going on the palate it reminds me of some older, darker Longmorns—though it doesn’t quite reach the intensity of the best of those. Anyway: lovely stuff. This one I do wish I had a bottle of. And I preferred it neat after having sat in the glass for more than an hour.

Rating: 90 points.