Month: May 2018

Whisky #530: Shelter Point Single Malt

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Shelter Point Single Malt. Vancouver Island, Canada. ABV: 46%. Tasted while out sailing on Sydney Harbour, $140 (bottle).

Colour: Golden, but not as deep as this amazing sunset.

Nose: Grassy hay-like notes, unbaked dough, and freshly sawn timber.

Palate: Thin mouthfeel. Sweet on the tip of the tongue but a fuller, more savoury sensation at the back of the palate.

Finish: Toasted woody notes, malt and caramelised onion jam to give a sweet finish.

Comments: While the majority of Canadian whiskies are primarily rye or other grains, the guys at Shelter Point decided to buck the trend a little and make a single malt in the Scottish style from malted barley. Using barley grown on their own farm on Vancouver Island then distilled in traditional copper pot stills on the same site, it really is a paddock-to-bottle kind of single malt.

This is the type of whisky that grows on you. When I first cracked the bottle open I was a bit ambivalent, but each time I’ve gone back for another dram it’s definitely grown on me.

Whisky #529: SMWS 71.51 Summer Berry Brûlée

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SMWS 71.51 Summer Berry Brûlée. 9 year old single cask, cask strength single malt from Glenburgie Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 61.4%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $139 (bottle).

Happy World Whisky Day! 🥃 What better way to start the day’s celebrations than with a bright and spritely dram like this one from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS).

Colour: Glowing morning sunshine.

Nose: Hiking through a forest on a cool winter’s morning – earthy and fresh. Fruit salad too – passionfruit, pineapple and strawberries.

Palate: The palate almost has a few phases – it starts quite fruity, morphs into some more creamed honey and vanilla flavours before sliding into more oaky tones.

Finish: A zing of lemon and juicy pineapple chunks on the top of the tongue, followed by a long oaky warmth that lingers long.

Comments: It feels a bit strange to be cracking open a whisky called Summer Berry Brûlée when it’s late May and quite chilly here in Sydney. But as a breakfast whisky to kick off World Whisky Day it works a treat – it’s light, bright and full of flavour, but isn’t going to blow away your tastebuds when you’ve got an exciting day of dramming ahead. And at only $139, I’d challenge anyone to find a single cask, cask strength whisky for the price, let alone a drop as good as this. Cracking value and an outstanding way to kick off World Whisky Day!

Whisky #528: SMWS Exotic Cargo 10 Year Old Blended Malt

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SMWS Exotic Cargo 10 Year Old Blended Malt. Scotland. ABV: 50.0%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $155 (bottle).

When you’ve been busier than a one-legged man at an ass-kicking contest, it’s time for a kick-ass whisky.

Colour: A hearty toffee, mesmerising as the glass rolls around and the whisky catches glimmers of light.

Nose: Jersey caramels and treacle dripping off a spoon onto hot buttered toast. A slight nose prickle tugs your nostrils further into the glass to soak up the blueberries, soft oak and creme brûlée notes.

Palate: A mysterious cocktail; blueberries and tart fruit salad with a hint of oakiness and caramel. A Turkish belly dancer who performs the dance of the seven veils across your tastebuds.

Finish: Rich oak, burnt brown sugar, and the subtle heat of sweet smoked paprika to finish. My trusted whisky tasting lieutenant Kiwi got a touch of liquorice at the end.

Comments: A first for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), who traditionally focus on single cask, cask strength whiskies. This blended malt comprises a number of single malts all distilled in 2006, which were then matured in first fill ex-sherry Spanish oak hogsheads. Cut back slightly to a strength of 50% ABV, it still has an intensity of flavour, complexity and nuances befitting a SMWS whisky.

An exceptional drop and the perfect end of week dram when you just want to slink down into the lounge and let the worries of the week drift away.