Australia

Whisky #599: Starward Cognac Cask Single Malt

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Starward Cognac Cask Single Malt. Victoria, Australia. ABV: 48%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Happy Australia Day! 🇦🇺🦘Thought it was only appropriate to rip into this bonza Starward Cognac Cask single malt made in Melbourne, Australia. Enjoy!

Colour: Deep sunburnt plains.

Nose: Dried apricots, fresh banana bread, cinnamon & vanilla.

Palate: Medium bodied biscuity goodness. Buttery soft salted caramel macarons. Both the taste and mouthfeel of freshly baked Anzac biscuits that are still soft and warm as you bite into them.

Finish: Fresh strawberries and cream, passionfruit pulp. The creamy juiciness you get at the bottom of a tropical fruit salad slathered over pavlova.

Comments: A rich, creamy and fruity delight. This is a wonderful summery whisky. The perfect dram to sip on a stinking hot Australia Day! 🇦🇺🥃

Whisky #596: Lark Christmas Cask Release III Single Malt

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Lark Christmas Cask Release III Single Malt (2021 release). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Crown Towers Sydney.

Colour: Burnished bronze.

Nose: Mandarin peel, ginger cake, cloves and cinnamon.

Palate: Gingerbread pudding, cloves, dark honey, and black tea leaves. Fresh and zesty with burnt mandarin peel.

Finish: Fresh orange peel and ginger nut biscuits to fade.

Comments: They’ve nailed it, this really is Christmas in a glass. Ginger for days along with citrus and all the good Christmas spices. It’s not an everyday drinking dram or even one that you’d drink all night, but as a special occasion for ending Christmas night this is pretty hard to beat.

Merry Christmas to you all, may Santa bring you some special whisky to fill your glass!

Whisky #590: Lark Head Distiller’s Release

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Lark Head Distiller’s Release (created exclusively for The Whisky Club). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 45.6%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $135 (bottle).

Colour: Slightly dulled copper pipe.

Nose: Blackcurrant Soother’s, treacle and hessian sacks.

Palate: Raisins, worn leather, toasted oak, ginger.

Finish: Moderately oily mouthfeel, short-to-medium length. Melted butter and juicy blueberries. Soft tannins and damp woody notes in the fade.

Comments: The Lark Head Distiller’s Release comprises of whisky matured in 100L ex port and ex Sherry casks, then married together. A very tasty whisky with lots going on, but it’s almost a bit too much happening…like your taste buds have spun the flavour wheel of fortune a little too hard.

Whisky #580: Morris Rutherglen Muscat Barrels Single Malt

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Morris Rutherglen Muscat Barrels Single Malt. Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 46%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $140 (bottle).

Colour: Pinkish brass.

Nose: Juicy raisins, caramelised sugar, soft oak.

Palate: It’s all about the jam…blackberry jam and mulberry jam. Slightly oily and cooling mouth-coating, melted butter mouthfeel and flavours to start, then quickly fading to a drying slightly tannic sensation.

Finish: Long lingering blueberry jam, soft cigar leaves and a very well balanced oak. A slight warmth that tapers slowly, particularly on the tip of the tongue. A long tail…it’s like it doesn’t want to leave your mouth.

Comments: Morris of Rutherglen have been known for many years as excellent producers of fortified wines, particularly their Muscat for which the Rutherglen region is particularly renowned. So it came as a surprise to most of the industry when they announced themselves as brand new Australian whisky producer, releasing the the Morris Rutherglen Muscat Single Malt, along with its entry level 40% ABV sibling, the Morris Signature Single Malt. 

The sneaky buggers from Morris kept these whiskies close to their chest rather than expending effort building brand awareness before their official launch. Judging by this Morris Rutherglen Muscat Single Malt, Morris have arrived – keenly priced and bloody delicious.

Even the Morris Rutherglen Muscat box is tasty apparently…

Whisky #573: Tiger Snake Whiskey (Batch 6)

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherTiger Snake Whiskey (Batch 6). Albany, Western Australia. ABV: 43.0%.

Last Sunday it was another stunning winter’s day sailing out on Sydney Harbour. After being cooped up at home with Covid cabin fever the past few months, it truly is fantastic to get back out on the water racing again. And what better way to celebrate a 3rd place finish than with a cheeky dram!

With Australia gradually emerging from the crisis in pretty good shape so far (touch wood), I thought it was time to take a look at another Aussie drop: Tiger Snake Whiskey.

Colour: A dark dusty sunset.

Nose: Hay-like notes, cigar boxes and freshly sawn timber.

Palate: Vanilla butter and soft spices, cloves and black pepper smothered in honey. Get me some lobster, this would be an amazing drink to accompany some fresh salty lobster tail!

Finish: Creamy flavours and mouthfeel. Black pepper and honey sauce, but very light on the pepper.

Comments: An Australian take on the American sour mash whiskies, Tiger Snake is entirely sourced from corn, rye and malted barley produced in Western Australia.

Tiger Snake Whisky is produced by Great Southern Distilling Company, makers of another fantastic Aussie whisky called Limeburners. Many long time readers would know I’ve been a huge fan of Limeburners over the years, so much so that I’ve represented them at a few whisky shows simply because I’m a big believer in the quality of the whisk(e)y they’re producing.

I’ve had this bottle of Tiger Snake tucked away at the back of the whisky cabinet for a while now, maybe because I’ve focused on their Limeburners offerings and juice from other exciting producers. I’ve probably not given Tiger Snake the credit it probably deserves, but after cracking this bottle open in the last couple of weeks it has swiftly sprung a leak…surely one of the best endorsements at Whisky a Day HQ!

A Tiger Snake Whiskey in hand whilst sailing on Sydney Harbour into the sunset…not a bad way to round out the weekend.

Whisky #565: Just Derek…Single Cask Independent Bottling from Craft Works Distillery

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Just Derek…Single Cask Independent Bottling from Craft Works Distillery (bottle 047 of 155). ABV: 65.8%. New South Wales, Australia. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $220 (500mL bottle).

Happy Australia Day! It’s only appropriate that we continue our Whisky a Day Bottle Kill Week by chucking another shrimp on the barbie (hint: we never say that) and polishing off another bottle of booze (hint: Aussies have definitely been known to say that).

Tonight, we polish off a special whisky. It’s called Just Derek…and it’s the very first release from Craft Works Distillery. Hand produced by Craig “Crafty” Field, Craft Works is a small artisan whisky distillery based up in the Blue Mountains a few hours west of Sydney. From a single cask, we’re finishing off one of only 155 bottles that were made. 

Colour: Deep luscious caramel.

Nose: Sweets in a workshop. Fresh liquorice, brown sugar and melted butter that’s just started to separate in the saucepan. Along with old leather and the smell of walking through a mechanic’s workshop where the smells of old engines abound. 

Palate: It’s a contemplative dram, there’s so much going on here flavour-wise.  Chinese BBQ pork, caramelised pork hock, crème brûlée, salted caramel, just a hint of sweet smoke. Very “food driven”…or maybe I’m just hungry? Either way, it’s delicious juice.

A long warm tingle buzzing the front of the tongue, reminding you that as a whisky with an ABV of 65.8% (in that most Aussie of phrases)…it’s not here to f*^# spiders.

Finish: A soft, sweet crème caramel flavour coats the mouth, and a slight saltiness as you lick your lips.

Comments: This is definitely a drop that benefits from time in the glass, as well as some time after first opening the bottle. It was a little sharp when I first cracked open the bottle last year, but it has softened slightly and was absolutely fantastic to drink right now.

As for the unusual name “Just Derek…”? You can read more about Crafty’s touching backstory and tribute to his late mate Derek here. 

A small craft producer in all senses, this is one to look out for. If Just Derek is the starting point, then with Crafty’s infectious passion and humble desire to keep striving to be better and better every step of the way, Craft Works Distillery has a bright future indeed.

Whisky #508: Limeburners Directors Cut M326 Cask Strength Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherLimeburners Directors Cut M326 Cask Strength Single Malt (bottle 114 / 199). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at home.

It’s an unusually cold and rainy November afternoon in Sydney…some beef bourguignon is slowly simmering on the stove, time to bust out some peated sherry perfection from Limeburners in the form of their latest Directors Cut. Limeburners have recently picked up a swag of international awards, including Southern Hemisphere Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2018 for their Darkest Winter release.

Like the Darkest Winter, this Limeburners Directors Cut has been smoked with peat sourced from the Valley of the Giants in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, not far from the distillery in Albany. It’s the only whisky in the world using this peat source which makes it quite a unique flavour.

Colour: Bright candied orange/gold.

Nose: Like walking through a damp forest or timber plantation where there’s fresh sawdust on the ground. Pine needles, hessian sacks and lemon sherbet hard boiled sweets.

Palate: It’s not your typical smokey peat at all – quite floral and herbaceous, with whipped cream and subtle liquorice notes.

Finish: A long satisfying tingle on the mid-palate; sweet smoke and creamy raspberry icing flavours too.

Comments: Matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in an old Australian ex-Sherry cask, this is fresh, a touch musty but has some tantalising green woody notes.

When you’re reviewing a damn tasty cask strength whisky, it’s always a challenge to remember to make some tasting notes before you finish the whole bloody thing and have to pour another…and then it’s even harder to remember to make some tasting notes before…you get the picture.

I’ve re-filled my glass three times now, it’s that good.

Whiskies #491-496: An Evening of Heartwood Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherWhiskies #491-496: An Evening of Heartwood Whisky. Tasted at The Oak Barrel, Sydney.

“Making stuff up as we go along” was the subtitle of this Heartwood Whisky masterclass hosted at Sydney’s Oak Barrel, coinciding with the Sydney Whisky Fair. Tim Duckett, the boundary-pushing mad scientist from Tasmania who IS Mr Heartwood, was holding court at the front of the room and led us on an evening of tasting some back catalogue Heartwoods that aren’t easy to come by these days.

Six Heartwood whiskies (all 62% ABV or greater!) in one sitting? Less than two hours? This is going to be a sensory assault…

Whisky #491: Heartwood Mt Wellington Tasmanian Malt Whisky. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 62.4%.

Colour: Apple juice.

Nose: Faint popcorn with a slight prickle.

Palate: Big and juicy – like a mouthful of blackcurrant pastilles.

Finish: Oily smoky notes, BBQ-charred chicken skewers.

Comments: It’s like dinner in reverse – sweet dessert followed by a savoury main.

 

Whisky #492: Heartwood The Beagle 5 Tasmanian Vatted Malt Whisky. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 62.5%.

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: Like a crème brûlée, all buttery caramelised toffee notes, with a gentle hint of smoke.

Palate: A huge dollop of golden syrup on hot buttered fresh white toast. Amazing.

Finish: Big and long, with a drying heat. Like putting your tongue close to a camp fire. Not that I’ve tried to do that…

Comments: A vatting of 7 casks – 5 malts from Lark Distillery, with another 2 from Tasmania Distillery – home of Sullivan’s Cove whisky.

 

Whisky #493: Heartwood @#$%^&. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 62.5%.

Colour: Extremely similar hue to The Beagle 5 – a dark amber.

Nose: Smoke and sugar.

Palate: Butter and brown sugar. Tasting notes scant here as I had fallen one whisky behind the rest of the room…

Finish: Loooooooong (I could just repeat that for all the Heartwood whiskies), a nice counterbalance of savoury and sweet flavours. Think caramelised onions and a big, juicy char-grilled steak.

Comments: 7 years in a 2nd fill Port cask, then finished for 3 years in 2 x 1st fill Sherry casks.

Whisky #494: Heartwood Release the Beast Tasmanian Malt Whisky. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 65.4%.

Colour: Purplish copper.

Nose: A slight prickle, then a wave of strawberries and cream, molasses, and a hint of smoke in the fade. Do noses even have a fade?

Palate: Black pepper, smoke and juicy cherries with loads of tingly warmth. Very satisfying.

Finish: Even the finish has a finish! Lots of smoke, liquorice and campfire heat. This whisky could warm up anything.

Comments: Whisky of the night for me – the nuances of the nose and finish were amazing, bookending the juicy and rich palate. Phenomenal. Matured for 3 years in two 100L port barrels and then married in a 200L Australian Sherry cask and matured for a further 4 years.  However at first taste it feels more like a heavily sherried influence.

 

Whisky #495: Heartwood Any Port in a Storm Tasmanian Malt Whisky (Summer). Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 69.1%.

Colour: Deep gold.

Nose: This one’s a creeper – it starts off soft then rolls up the nostrils, lemon muffins and friands.

Palate: Sucking on a spicy butter menthol.

Finish: Mineralic. Like licking a salty yet sweet toffee.

Comments: Majority of the malt was distilled at Tasmania Distillery, with a touch of Lark. I tended to brush over this one as my sparse notes tend to indicate; I was still basking in the warm glow and intense flavours of the Release the Beast.

 

Whisky #496: Heartwood The Good Convict Tasmanian Malt Whisky. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 71.3%.

Colour: Bronzed amber.

Nose: Another softer, more balanced nose. Less mongrel. Sultanas, musty bookshelves (unusual from such a young whisky), boiling toffee on the stovetop.

Palate: Shoots straight down the middle of the tongue – flavour-wise and literally. Liquorice meringue, salty hessian and straw notes.

Finish: Salted caramel, tingling madeira sugar crystals bursting as you crush them between your tongue and the roof of your mouth.

Comments: Port cask, distilled at Tasmania Distillery. Distilled in November 2000 and bottled in June 2015, it’s had a touch under 5 years on oak.

 

Overall comments: What an honour to once again taste some amazing Heartwood whiskies and hear from the man who made them, Tim Duckett.  One of Tim’s observations from the night was that “variation is a form of entertainment.” He was referring to a few things, primarily the notion that many people these days (including whisky drinkers and collectors) are always searching for the next unusual thing (e.g. whisky), something different, something they haven’t tried before. Things that absolutely describe your typical Heartwood whisky.

They’re all so different from one another, yet ironically they all share some similar qualities – the deceptively smooth, oily mouthfeel; layer upon layer of flavour that seems to suck you into a vortex and make you forget about the world around you for a moment; and an incredibly loooooooong lingering finish. A Heartwood is a real thinker’s whisky, one that you don’t want to rush…so whilst trying six whiskies from Heartwood archives was an absolute privilege, over the course of only 2 hours it seemed a little rushed. Whisky like this deserves a less frenetic pace to truly savour what a special beast you’re enjoying.

Whisky #467: Heartwood Calm Before the Storm

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherHeartwood Calm Before the Storm. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 66.4%. Tasted at home, $285 (bottle).

Heartwood are one of the most innovative independent bottlers out there in the world of whisky. For the Heartwood Calm Before the Storm, they’ve sourced new make originated from Lark Distillery, matured it in a first fill Australian Oloroso sherry cask, and then had a load of fun placing it around Heartwood HQ in positions with the greatest temperature fluctuation. And what a creature they’ve created…

Colour: Glowing copper.

Nose: Fresh sultanas, golden syrup, blackcurrant jelly and cabernet paste. Geez that sounds a bit wanky, but damn it I could sniff this all day – it just keeps revealing more and more layers. Cigar box, burnt butter caramel and a slight nose prickle at the end to warn you that this dram packs a punch.

Palate: Intense honeycomb, raspberry sherbet and some dark chocolate. The sweet notes are balanced out by some amazing char-grilled steak flavours. A full mouthfeel, yet with a surprisingly gentle warmth given the 66.4%ABV.

Finish: Blackcurrant pastilles, sweet smokey beef jerky. A long, tantalising finish.

Comments: Stunning.

This is the drink you pour yourself when you get home after you’ve had a stressful, fucked off day at work and you need to have a balls-out whisky to get you out of your funk and make you feel alive. It’s like being kicked in the head by a stray boot of someone crowd-surfing at a gig – it’s a jolt to the system, it gives you a buzz, and yet you’ve got this crazy grin on your face from the energy of the moment. I’d had one of these days and was playing Rage Against The Machine’s “Killing in the Name” on the way home from work just to get some of the stress out. Having just received this Heartwood in the mail, I thought it fitting to crack it open. Lots of parallels…don’t stick to the script, be unconventional. Apt given the Heartwood approach to making whisky. In the words of Rage, fuck you I won’t do what you tell me! Instant calmness.

Hats off again to Heartwood, another amazing whisky.

Whisky #464: Heartwood Devil May Care

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherHeartwood Devil May Care. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 67.1%. Tasted at home, $70 (100mL bottle split from the International Beer Shop in Perth).

Colour: Disarmingly golden.

Nose: Rose water, strawberry marshmallows and raspberry tarts. Not too much of a nose prickle, despite the high ABV.

Palate: Sea salt, flame grilled steak notes too. Fresh raspberries – it’s got some berry notes, but quite tart. Like sucking on a lemon Fruit Tingle and feeling it buzz on the tip of your tongue.

Finish: Sweet smoked paprika and a touch of turmeric. Looooong fade, some meaty saltiness (think salty biltong) with the tastebuds getting all excited by the tingle of flavours and a satisfying warmth.

Comments: A real savoury beast in the finish. Unlike other recent Heartwood releases, where independent Tim Duckett has gone a little mad scientist (in the true Heartwood way) with all manner of blending and syrupisation (I made that word up) of the whisky, the Heartwood Devil May Care is a 14 year old single malt. Cask strength of course. And yes, I finished all 100mL in one sitting. It’s bloody delicious.

Heartwood whiskies truly are in a class of their own – in style, quality and innovative creation. Long may you continue to produce such gems, Mr H.

Whisky #458: Limeburners Directors Cut M118 Barrel Strength Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherLimeburners Directors Cut M118 Barrel Strength Single Malt (bottle 031 / 161). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at home.

We’ve all had those lazy Sunday nights when you’re faced with life’s crucial decisions – should I cook the dinner I’d planned all afternoon, or should I pour myself another whisky and order in?  Safe to say I won’t be winning any Masterchef awards this evening…

Colour: Dark varnished mahogany.

Nose: Molasses, caramelised balsamic, hot toffee cooking on the stovetop.

Palate: Golden syrup and buttery toast. Dried muscatels, raisins, and tart blueberries.

Finish: Liquorice, raspberry and oak on the front of the tongue. A slow, salted caramel fade.

Comments: Matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in a very old 100 litre port cask. Another stunning drop from Limeburners. Probably more of a dessert whisky given the flavours, but when it’s this good I’ll drink it at almost any time of the day.

Suffice to say that I’m satisfied with my choice of whisky over cooking tonight!

Whisky #453: Redlands Estate Paddock to Bottle Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherRedlands Estate Paddock to Bottle Single Malt. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 46%. Tasted on Sydney Harbour on Australia Day! $155 (bottle).

Happy Australia Day to all! It’s only appropriate today we take a look at an Australian whisky, whilst sailing past a few famous Australian landmarks. Tasmania (that little island off the southern coast of the Australian mainland for you overseas readers) is now home to more whisky distilleries than Islay in Scotland. Really! Sure, they’re much younger and at the more boutique craft end of the whisky spectrum, but geez they’re producing some top notch whisky that has picked up quite a few international awards. Today, we’ll delve into some Redlands Estate Paddock to Bottle Single Malt.

Colour: I love a sunburnt country…

Nose: Raspberries and lemon fondant. Then it’s like walking into a cellar at a winery…all earthy and oaky. Freshly snapped lantana branches. ‘Straya. My good friend Emma picked up bread & butter pudding with raisins.

Palate: So smooth. Strawberries and cream, blue cheese and blueberries. Ems had a hint of banana and a little cherry. My very good mate Rossco got some chilli flavour without the heat; raspberries, rosemary and copper coins.

Finish: Some dry oak and sultanas, creme brûlée too.

Comments: Matured in ex Tasmanian Pinot Noir casks. Stunning colour. So multifaceted, especially the nose. Amazing stuff from Redlands, hats off to head distiller Dean Jackson. Happy ‘Straya Day folks, drink some Aussie whisky – there’s some good drops out there.

Happy ‘Straya Day from Sydney!

Whisky #441: New World Projects Starward Limited Release Pedro Ximinez Sherry Cask #3

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_8244.jpgNew World Projects Starward Limited Release Pedro Ximinez Sherry Cask #3 (Batch No. 160920-A). Victoria, Australia. ABV: 48.0%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Molten copper. Stunning.

Nose: Like opening a roll of blackcurrant pastilles. Toffee and some soft fresh pine timber notes too.

Palate: Crème caramel with the barest hint of smoke. Definitely not peaty. Fresh, tart raspberries and crème brûlée.  It’s creamy and caramelly. Lots of flavour, a dryish mouthfeel but with some creaminess too. Like a sponge cake with cream.

Finish: Butter Menthols, chocolate and cocoa; some coffee notes too. It’s basically a tiramisu.

Comments: This is like a liquid dessert, yet is not overly sweet. It’s refreshing to try a whisky matured in an ex Sherry cask that doesn’t taste like the stereotypical Christmas cake in a glass. Another outstanding whisky from the folks at New World Whisky Distillery, makers of Starward. Highly recommended.

Whiskies #425-427: Limeburners Peated Whisky Showcase

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_7949.jpgIt’s Peat Week here at Whisky a Day!

Never one to conform to expectations, for round one I thought I’d mix things up a bit and kick off with some peated whisky that is NOT from Islay. So we’re heading to Western Australia, all the way down the bottom left hand corner of Australia to the town of Albany where the wonderful Limeburners Whisky is made. Long time readers will know that for a while now I’ve been a big fan of Limeburners, however it’s only been relatively recently that they’ve started releasing a few peated expressions.

Made using a locally sourced peat from Western Australia’s Great Southern region, near the ‘Valley of the Giants’ forest, this is a unique peat source that is not being used to make whisky anywhere else in the world. Tonight, we’re going to dive in to explore three peated Limeburners expressions:

  • Peated Single Malt M215
  • Heavy Peat Barrel Strength M227
  • Darkest Winter M348

img_7946.jpgLimeburners Peated Single Malt M215 (bottle 142 / 267). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 48%. Tasted at home, $250 (bottle).

Colour: Golden wheat.

Nose: Very light, not very peaty at all. Like walking past a kitchen where you’ve just cooked your toast for breakfast.

Palate: Such a smooth entry, this isn’t like a typical peaty Islay malt from Scotland. Light and bready, like some fresh bread dipped in olive oil.

Finish: A juicy, tangy finish. Tart raspberries and char grilled steak. A gentle fade, with a hint of cool smoke.

img_7947.jpgLimeburners Heavy Peat Barrel Strength Single Malt M227 (bottle 179.1 / 216). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%.

Colour: A slightly darker shade of gold.

Nose: A more intense nose than the Peated M215. Mossy, almost floral notes. Freshly lacquered timber.

Palate: Rich fresh fruit flavours – think strawberries, lemon zest and mandarine peel. Some beef jerky flavours too – lots of salty meaty goodness. Quite a smooth mouthfeel despite the 61% ABV.

Finish: A long and earthy finish; somewhat tangy and salty.

img_7948.jpgLimeburners Darkest Winter Single Malt M348 (bottle 185 / 212). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 65.1%. Tasted at home, $250 (bottle).

Colour: Full gold – they’re all very similar hues, but of the three drams the Darkest Winter is the, um, darkest…

Nose: Rich toffee, sticky salted caramel cooking on the stovetop. Some soft smoke like a distant bushfire. With some time in the glass the smoke intensifies a little, with more of a salty sea spray aroma.

Palate: Now we get some rich, peaty notes. Not overly smokey, but more floral, organic notes; like biting into a juicy slice of cucumber. A rich oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Again a tangy, meaty fade. Much like the flavour sensation after eating a rich, salty piece of prosciutto.

 

Overall comments: These Limeburners are a very different beast to your stereotypical peated whiskies. The peat influence is more botanical than medicinal; less smoke but plenty of poke. The Heavily Peated was the winner of Australia’s Champion Whisky Trophy at the 2015 Australian Distilled Spirits Awards, yet I think it is definitely outshone by the Darkest Winter which was released in 2016. Outstanding stuff.

Maybe it’s just me, but in life I like to surprise people and take the road less travelled, to always have something up my sleeve that causes people to raise an eyebrow and open their eyes to something different. That’s what excites me about the Darkest Winter – it’s peat, but not as you know it. I’m glad I tasted it side by side with the Peated M215 and the award-winning Heavy Peat M227 – I think the Darkest Winter leaves the others out in the cold. Recommended.

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Peat Week! 7 Days of Peated Whisky

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_7936.jpgIt’s Peat Week here at Whisky a Day! 7 days of peated whisky.

It’s been a rainy Sunday here in Sydney, one of those long lazy afternoons that you just don’t want to finish. Not because it’s been a particularly spectacular day, but mainly because it’s been a relaxing day that is soon to be cut short by the notion of heading back to work again tomorrow morning!

So with the last vestiges of cool weather lingering, I thought it the perfect excuse to have a peated dram. Which led me to think – bugger it, why not have a whole week of peated whisky? Exploring a few different styles of peated whisky?

To a lot of people, peated whisky equates to whisky from the island of Islay in Scotland. While there are many fine examples of peated whisky from Islay, I thought it would be interesting to also explore a few peated whiskies produced in other regions around Scotland as well as a little further afield.

So here’s this week’s lineup…

Some Australian whisky to start as we explore the peated range from Limeburners. Closely followed by the recently released (and much anticipated) Lagavulin 8 Year Old to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Lagavulin distillery. The Johnnie Walker Double Black then gets a call-up, highlighting that it’s not just single malts that get all the peat. Moving across to Speyside where we’ll dabble in some Glenrothes, followed by zipping back west to the Isle of Skye to sample the Talisker Storm. Then it’s back to the home of peaty whisky – Islay – for the Bowmore 18 Year Old, before finishing off the week in style with a very rare Port Ellen 30 Year Old bottled by Douglas Laing.

So strap in your tastebuds, slip into those comfy slippers and turn off the fire alarms…it could get a little smokey in here this week.

Whisky #411: Black Gate Distillery 5 20s Cask Strength Single Malt

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FacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailFacebooktwitterredditpinterestlinkedinmailby featherimg_6791-3.jpgBlack Gate Distillery 5 20s Cask Strength Single Malt. New South Wales, Australia. ABV: 67.00%. Tasted at home, $195 (500mL bottle).

It’s a cold, windy and rainy afternoon here in Sydney today. Today’s sailing race has been abandoned due to dangerous conditions. So…perfect weather for staying indoors with a cask strength whisky! And what a cracker this is…

Colour: Deep treacle.

Nose: A satisfying nose prickle. Very complex, lots of rich sweetness; raisins, treacle, and (somewhat strangely) blackcurrant Soothers. A campfire burns in the distance.

Palate: A rich and full mouthfeel. Imagine a smoked golden syrup, or smokey salted caramel. Caramelised balsamic onions that have been baked with a Sunday roast – a perfect balance of rich savoury and sweet notes.

Finish: Ridiculously long. The syrupy flavours subside leaving a rich, smokey and salty tang in the fade.

Comments: Distilled in September 2013 and bottled in December 2015, this is a very young whisky – but fortunately with Australia’s climate variations whisky tends to mature a lot more quickly than whiskies from other parts of the world where the variation in temperatures are less pronounced. The scientist in me would love to take the same new make spirit, place it in (as near as possible) identical barrels, and then send them to four corners of the earth and see how the whisky matures, both in terms of flavour variations as well as maturation times.

But back to the Black Gate. The “5 20s” in the name refers to the five twenty litre casks that were vatted together to produce the 159 bottles of this release. A limited release, and one that they’ve put out to market as soon as it is legally becomes whisky. However, with the small cask sizes turbo-charging the maturation by increasing the wood-to-whisky ratio, it tastes a lot older.

Amazing complexity and flavour profile, this is a whisky that is perfectly suited for a cold rainy afternoon.