Smokehead Sherry Blast

Score: 62

Smokehead Sherry Blast is an unapologetically bold Islay single malt that lives up to its name, blasted with rich, sweet, and spicy Spanish sherry casks and bottled at 48% ABV. The nose hits hard with medicinal peat, dried herbs, vanilla, and lapsang souchong, while the palate delivers charred mango, stewed apples, barbecued banana, and roasted nuts, all wrapped in oily black smoke and nutmeg spice. It’s fiery, intense, and clearly designed to make a statement. But in the club’s tasting lineup, it came dead last, 6th out of 6. The sherry and peat combo, while ambitious, felt more chaotic than cohesive. The sweetness clashed with the smoke, and the overall profile lacked the finesse or balance needed to win over the room. It wasn’t undrinkable, but it was divisive, more of a novelty pour than a go-to dram. A whisky that might appeal to thrill-seekers, but in this crowd, it simply didn’t land.