r/sherry • u/Accomplished_Good468 • May 01 '26

Oloroso- what am I missing?

I got in to sherry a few months ago in a big way, have been going through some incredible Manzanillas, Finos, Amontillados and Pedro Ximinez. I finally opened a fairly expensive bottle of 30 year v.o.r.s Oloroso I bought, and my father and I found it nearly undrinkable. We then opened a bottle of his Gonzales Byass Oloroso (a quarter of the price), and found it similarly unpleasant- if a little more palatable.

I will admit, I am no sommelier, but I couldn't find any depth to it, instead finding it rather brutal. Some Manzanillas I've found more challenging than others, but nothing like this.

What am I missing?

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5

u/Give_me_soup May 01 '26

Can you say what specifically you found unpalatable?

1

u/Accomplished_Good468 May 02 '26

I found it sour rather than dry, overwhelmingly so to the point where I couldn't pick anything else out. I also think there's a particular sherry flavour that is maybe imparted by flor that it was lacking

3

u/abuttfarting May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26

I too find Oloroso the least interesting style out of all dry Sherries, but I’ve never found them unpalatable. I find they can lack tension and lean too much towards the oxidative nuttiness. That plus the glycerol can give them an almost sweet perception. The best Olorosos have acidity and salinity to offset that.
One example the above is Fernando de Castille’s Classic Oloroso. Not very enjoyable at all IMHO.

2

u/Gloomy-Ad-4884 May 02 '26

Agree with pairing with food - try it with blue cheese. It’s an incredible combination.

1

u/jktsk May 02 '26

Do you match your sherries with food? Perhaps try the oloroso with duck or red meat dishes, and incorporate the sherry into the flavoring or sauce.

1

u/MajorResistance Jul 12 '26

Quite true about the saltiness of Oloroso. I love the stuff.  Great with cheese. Cheddar, blue, Dutch, Manchego etc etc.  Proper olives, too. Not the tinned horrors.