Oloroso
Encyclopedia
Oloroso is a variety of sherry
produced by oxidative aging. It is normally darker than amontillado
and has a higher glycerine content, which makes it smoother and less dry. Oloroso is usually dark and nutty.
Unlike the fino
and amontillado sherries, in oloroso sherries the flor
yeast
is suppressed by fortification at an earlier stage. This causes the finished wine to lack the fresh yeasty taste of the fino sherries. Without the layer of flor, the sherry is exposed to air through the slightly porous walls of the American or Canadian oak casks, and undergoes oxidative aging. As the wine ages, it becomes darker and stronger and is often left for many decades.
Oloroso sherry is also the base for many of the sweet sherries developed for the international market, such as Bristol Cream, in which oloroso is sweetened and sometimes has the colour removed by charcoal filtering to achieve a desired effect.
Sweetened olorosos, (produced by blending with Pedro Ximénez
wine), should also be served at 12-14°C and are usually served after a meal as a dessert wine. They can also be served with certain dishes, such as foie gras
.
The older the oloroso, the longer it will stay perfect for consumption, as much as 12 months.
, where they are used to age fine Scotch whisky
. Single malt whisky
aged in sherry casks is regarded by some as a special category with its own aficionados. The oloroso wine infused in the wood of the casks imparts some of the flavor and aroma of the wine to the whisky during the aging process. Oloroso casks are also used to age brandy
for the same reasons.
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
produced by oxidative aging. It is normally darker than amontillado
Amontillado
Amontillado is a variety of sherry, characterized by being darker than fino but lighter than oloroso. It is named for the Montilla region of Spain, where the style originated in the 18th century, although the name 'amontillado' is sometimes used commercially as a simple measure of colour to label...
and has a higher glycerine content, which makes it smoother and less dry. Oloroso is usually dark and nutty.
Unlike the fino
Fino
Fino is the driest and palest of the traditional varieties of sherry. They are drunk comparatively young, and unlike the sweeter varieties should be drunk soon after the bottle is opened as exposure to air can cause them to lose their flavour within hours.-Flor:The defining component of Fino...
and amontillado sherries, in oloroso sherries the flor
Flor
Flor is a winemaking term referring to a film of yeast on the surface of wine and which is important in the manufacture of certain styles of sherry. The flor is formed naturally under certain winemaking conditions, from indigenous yeasts found in the region of Andalucía in southern Spain...
yeast
Yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic micro-organisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with 1,500 species currently described estimated to be only 1% of all fungal species. Most reproduce asexually by mitosis, and many do so by an asymmetric division process called budding...
is suppressed by fortification at an earlier stage. This causes the finished wine to lack the fresh yeasty taste of the fino sherries. Without the layer of flor, the sherry is exposed to air through the slightly porous walls of the American or Canadian oak casks, and undergoes oxidative aging. As the wine ages, it becomes darker and stronger and is often left for many decades.
Oloroso sherry is also the base for many of the sweet sherries developed for the international market, such as Bristol Cream, in which oloroso is sweetened and sometimes has the colour removed by charcoal filtering to achieve a desired effect.
Varieties
- Oloroso del Puerto is an oloroso from El Puerto de Santa MaríaEl Puerto de Santa MaríaEl Puerto de Santa María is a municipality located on the banks of the Guadalete River in the province of Cádiz, Spain. , the city has a population of c...
. - Manzanilla Olorosa is a manzanillaManzanillaManzanilla is a variety of fino sherry made around the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the province of Cádiz, Andalusia . In Spanish, chamomile tea is called "manzanilla", and thus this wine gets the name because the wine's flavour is said to be reminiscent of such tea.The sherry is manufactured...
aged to the point that it takes on the quality of an oloroso. - Cream sherry, Amoroso, and Brown sherry are different styles of sweetened oloroso.
- East India sherry is an antiquated style of sweet sherry that is aged in a hot, humid cellar to approximate the effect of tropical weather on casks of sherry stored on board ships.
Serving
Dry olorosos should be served at 12-14°C, and can be served as an apéritif with nuts, olives or figs, with game and red meats, or after a meal with rich cheeses. It can also be taken as a long drink with ice.Sweetened olorosos, (produced by blending with Pedro Ximénez
Pedro Ximénez
Pedro Ximénez is the name of a white grape grown in certain regions of Spain, and also a varietal wine, an intensely sweet, dark, dessert sherry...
wine), should also be served at 12-14°C and are usually served after a meal as a dessert wine. They can also be served with certain dishes, such as foie gras
Foie gras
Foie gras ; French for "fat liver") is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through gavage corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is occasionally produced using natural feeding...
.
Storing
Because oloroso sherries have already been through years of oxidative aging, they can be safely stored for years before opening. Once opened, oloroso will begin to slowly lose some of its aroma and flavour but can be kept, corked and refrigerated, for up to two months after opening.The older the oloroso, the longer it will stay perfect for consumption, as much as 12 months.
Other uses
When the casks used to age oloroso sherry are retired, they are often sent to ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, where they are used to age fine Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...
aged in sherry casks is regarded by some as a special category with its own aficionados. The oloroso wine infused in the wood of the casks imparts some of the flavor and aroma of the wine to the whisky during the aging process. Oloroso casks are also used to age brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
for the same reasons.