Australia Archives - Page 2 of 4

Whisky #408: Limeburners Directors Cut M134 Barrel Strength Single Malt

May 14, 2016 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Limeburners Directors Cut M134 Barrel Strength Single Malt (bottle 072 / 101). Great Southern Distilling Company. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at home, $280 (bottle).

Colour: Deep copper.

Nose: Creamy treacle, burnt caramel (think creme brûlée), cloves, dates.

Palate: A melting pot of lusciousness…tingly caramelised pineapple fried on a BBQ. Sweet moist fruitcake. Dark chocolate truffles with rich caramel oozing out as you bite in. It’s a big burst of flavour with a lovely oily mouthfeel, like you’ve bitten into one of those Starburst lollies with the liquid centre. This is amazing stuff.

Finish: Long and slow in the fade. Buttery white toast with golden syrup…flavours I’ve enjoyed from other Limeburners whiskies matured in ex Australian Muscat barrels like this one.

Comments: Arriving home after working a weekend on what’s shaping up to be a 70 hour week, a cask strength whisky was definitely order of the day. The neighbours for some reason were playing Michael Bolton loudly, which only served to cause further irritation. Returning serve with some vintage Pendulum cranked up really loud, I was inspired to pair some West Australian music (Pendulum) with some fine cask strength West Australian whisky. What a glorious combination to take the edge off what has been an insane week.

Limeburners have long been one of my favourite distilleries, not just amongst the many fine Australian distilleries but globally. They really punch above their weight and produce some fantastic whisky, so it’s no surprise to see them take out the trophy for the 2016 Champion Distiller at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards earlier this month. Here’s to founder Cameron Syme and distiller Ben Kagi, another sterling effort gents.

Whisky #400: The Big Black Cock Single Barrel Single Malt Whiskey

March 5, 2016 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

The Big Black Cock Single Barrel Single Malt Whiskey. ABV: 43%. Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia. Tasted at The Wild Rover, $15.50.

Happy Mardi Gras weekend everyone! In keeping with the theme, please strap yourself on, I mean in – strap yourself IN – for a pun-tastic review of the Big Black Cock…

Colour: Spray tan orange. The eyes widen, it certainly looks like a mouthful.

Nose: It’s light; an almost bourboni-ish sweetness. Honey and butter on toasted white bread.

Palate: Contrary to conventional wisdom, it’s quite short on the palate. Malty sweetness, some cereal notes, a touch of hay. Somewhat surprisingly, it’s not a very big mouthfeel. Goes down easily though.

Finish: Short. Not something I thought I’d be saying about a big black cock.

Comments: You think it’d be bigger, maybe hurt a little as it slides down your throat. But it’s surprisingly easy to take.

Made in Far North Queensland in the Atherton Tablelands, from Queensland sourced malted barley and aged for 5 years. It’s a daring choice of name for a whisky, perhaps not one you’d tell your mum about. But you’d certainly brag to your friends about that one time you tasted it…

Whisky #394: Heartwood Convict Resurrection 14 Year Old Cask Strength Tasmanian Single Malt

February 2, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Heartwood Convict Resurrection 14 Year Old Cask Strength Tasmanian Single Malt. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 72%. Tasted at home, $230 (bottle).

A deeply contemplative dram…

Colour: Luscious, syrupy maple.

Nose: Like a chord hammered out on a Hammond organ, minor fifths and sevenths going everywhere. There’s a cacophony of notes that seep into your consciousness at different times as the aromas float into your head. A certain tension, but they are deliciously balanced and bring a smile to your face. Caramelised pineapple cooked on a BBQ, freshly baked carrot cake or even a hint of honey cake. Freshly hewn sawdust, musty bookshelves and lemon sherbet.

Palate: Rich, full and a mouth-tingling warmth. This is big. Sticky date pudding balanced out by a sharp heat and spiciness; like a lamb korma that bites initially, then the sweetness and spices take turns at dancing on your tongue. Mid and front palate get all the fun. A hint of tart raspberries.

Finish: Sweet and very long, as you might expect from a whisky at 72% ABV. Rich, intense sweet notes, like some treacle on warm damper with melted butter.

Comment: Distilled in March 2000, decanted December 2014, gracing an ex American oak port cask with its presence in the interim.

This is a whisky of contrasts. The kind of dram that you pour when you get home after a manic day at work. The kind of day when you just want to give a two-fingered salute to the world, drift away and switch off while listening to some jazz, with the 72% ABV and comforting flavours enveloping you and bringing you into its embrace. Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” is my choice of accompaniment tonight; a timeless classic and one of my favourites.

It’s also the kind of whisky that you pour if you want something complex and layered to analyse and enjoy. The sheer delight you get when a whisky makes you go back and pour another couple of drams just so you can keep enjoying it and getting to know it at a deeper level.

Yet it’s also one of those whiskies you pour when you feel like being a bit contemplative. The kind when you’re feeling a bit down, when you’re reminiscing. The whisky when you’re thinking about where you want to head in life; a whisky when you’re thinking about the long lost love who lives on the other side of the country and you wonder every day what might have been had circumstances been different and whether you’ll ever see her in the future.

For me tonight, it’s been all of those things.

Whisky #393: William McHenry & Sons Three Capes 10 Year Old Single Malt

January 29, 2016 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

William McHenry & Sons Three Capes 10 Year Old Single Malt. Tasmania, Australia. ABV: 43.5%. Tasted at The Wild Rover, $17.

Colour: Light copper.

Nose: Quite a light nose; leather and toasted mash aromas.

Palate: Slightly sharp and a little tart. Much like one of my exes. Quite a thin mouthfeel.

Finish: A front and mid palate tingle lingers slightly longer than the flavours; straw and malty tones predominantly.

Comment: Distilled and aged at Tasmania Distillery (home of Sullivans Cove) on behalf of William McHenry & Sons. It’s an easy drinking, inoffensive whisky but doesn’t challenge your tastebuds. It’s the whisky equivalent of of a crisp, clear and very light lager. Not a bad way to start the evening, but you’re probably not going to stick with it all night for the rich flavours.

A shout out to the guys at The Wild Rover (especially for the judicious placement of the menu in the pic above!). A great whisky list and great chatting to you!

Whisky #392: New World Projects Double Cask Release #1 Single Malt

January 27, 2016 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

New World Projects Double Cask Release #1 Single Malt. New World Whisky Distillery, Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 48.6%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

Yesterday was Australia Day and we took a look at a lesser known Australian whisky, Dobson’s Belle Epoque Cask Strength Single Malt. I thought bugger it, let’s make this Australia week. All Aussie whiskies, all week. Let’s head south to Melbourne and check out one from New World Whisky Distillery. Enjoy!

Colour: Luminescent amber. Keeping with the Aussie theme, to paraphrase (and with apologies to) The 12th Man…”Luminescent amber?! That’s Australian gold my friend and don’t you f*ckin’ forget it!”

Nose: Vanilla sponge cake; some zesty yet sweet citrus notes too; slight nose prickle.

Palate: A cool and light mouthfeel on entry, the flavours seem to concentrate down the middle of your tongue closely followed by some building heat. Cigar box, spice and summery fruit salad flavours…like you’ve just smoked a cigar on a hot summer’s afternoon after having a mojito. Ah, take me back to Cuba and sunset cigars and mojitos at the Hotel Nationale in Havana…

Finish: A drying finish, quite long on the mid palate with some dried fruits (think sultanas or raisins). An interesting balance, a touch of sweetness and peppery notes to conclude.

Comments: Another fine project whisky from New World Whisky Distillery, the Australian whisky producers more widely known for Starward whisky. It is a marriage of whisky matured in two Australian Tawny Port casks, one first fill and the other second fill. This was one of the whiskies I selected as part of my “Rebuilding a Whisky Collection – The $1000 Challenge“, have to say I’m quite pleased with this one. It’s not going to be a whisky that you’ll take one sip and it will change your life, but I have a sneaky feeling that the more drams I have the more fond of it I will become.

Whisky #391: Dobson’s Belle Epoque Cask Strength Single Malt

January 26, 2016 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Dobson’s Belle Epoque Cask Strength Single Malt. New England Highlands, New South Wales, Australia. ABV: 60.0%. Tasted at Saint John Craft Beer Bar (Launceston, Australia), $15.

Happy ‘Straya Day! Being our national day and celebration of all things Australian, it’s only appropriate that we take a look at an Aussie whisky. I came across this bottle of Dobson’s Belle Epoque at a craft beer bar in Launceston, Tasmania.

Colour: Burnt copper.

Nose: Lightly peated with a slight nose prickle. Almost some meaty peat aromas; like sticking your nose over a pot of fresh bolognese sauce cooking on the stovetop, but with a hint of sweetness as you pull your nose away.

Palate: Opens up on the mid & back palate then the heat slides down as your swallow. My mate Joel gets some burnt toffee notes; I get a spicy, peppery sweetness with some campfire smoke.

Finish: An extremely dry finish. Warmth tingles on the front of the tongue and the roof of your mouth.

Comments: I hadn’t previously heard of Dobson’s, which is understandable as it is a tiny operation located in the village of Kentucky NSW, about 5.5 hours drive north of Sydney and situated at Eastview Estate where they also have a winery, brewery, restaurant and speakeasy bar. And a spectacularly irreverant back story on their website (check it out here at http://www.eastviewestate.com/whiskey.html).

For such a small operation, this is a cracking whisky. Complex, with great depth of different flavours and mouthfeel, overall it’s great drinking. I’d be keen to track down some more of this one.

Handmade in “absurdly small quantities”

Rebuilding a Whisky Collection – The $1000 Challenge

December 2, 2015 by Whisky a Day 5 Comments

The Whisky a Day collection that survived the move interstate

Welcome back whisky fiends! After an extended hiatus, Whisky a Day is back. As some readers may recall, I recently moved interstate from Perth to Sydney having left the bulk of my whisky collection behind to some very grateful friends. In the long drive across Australia, I could only bring a small selection of some of my favourite bottles stashed on the back seat of my car. Starting a new job and moving into a new place to live have all meant the formal whisky tasting has by necessity taken a back seat. Of course the regular informal tasting of whisky has continued unabated…

Now that I’m settled in my new apartment, I got thinking about how to rebuild my whisky collection. What should I choose? How much should I budget for? I decided to set myself a list of criteria that covers most bases in terms of whisky styles and regions to create a well-rounded collection.

The kicker: They all have to be whiskies that I have never tried before. Quite the challenge given how many whiskies I’ve tasted. At least this would ensure the selection was quite unique compared to your average whisky collection.

Budget: I thought $1000 would allow sufficient funds to grab both a variety of different whiskies and some quality or somewhat unusual whiskies. In saying that, I don’t want to blow my budget on say a $700 bottle of whisky and leave very little scope for selecting other whiskies to round out the collection. Like managing a football team trying to stay below the salary cap, you don’t want to put all your cash into a star player and not leave enough to ensure quality players in other positions.

Whisky styles / regions: Below is the criteria for whisky styles or regions that I felt my collection should cover. It would be impossible to cover every single country, region or style of whisky, but I felt the list below covered most bases and would allow me to establish a reasonably broad collection.

A Scottish whisky
Something Australian
An American whiskey
Something Asian
An Irish whiskey
A sherry matured whisky
A peaty / smokey whisky
A quaffable, go-to whisky
Something surprising
An independent bottling
A blended whisky
A cask strength whisky

With these criteria in mind, here’s what I’ve decided upon:

Zuidam Distillers Millstone 12 Year Old Sherry Cask Single Malt – $165. Thought I’d start off with something a little unusual. A Dutch whisky, which also ticks the sherry matured box. Awarded “World Whisky of the year” by Whisky Advocate Magazine in the USA 2013, as well as 95 points from Jim Murray in his 2015 Whisky Bible; this could be a decent drop.
Balcones Brimstone Texas Scrub Oak Smoked Corn Whiskey – $165. The American whiskey. It’s a smokey whiskey, but not peaty like many Scottish malts. In fact it’s a very unusual wood smoked whiskey made using sun-baked Texas scrub oak. I loved the Balcones True Blue 100 Proof Corn Whisky, so I cannot wait to try their Texas Scrub Oak Smoked Corn Whiskey. It promises to be quite the unique whisky I suspect.
1996 Duncan Taylor NC2 Glentauchers 15 Year Old Single Malt – $100. The independent bottling and first Scottish malt. Light and delicate, the reviews I’ve read sound great. Plus I’ve not tried either a Duncan Taylor bottling or a Glentauchers whisky before. Coupled with the fact it seems decent value at $100 and this seemed like a solid choice and also quite a contrasting style to the previous two whiskies.
Strathisla 12 Year Old Single Malt – $80. This is my quaffable, go-to whisky. It’s a fruitful, balanced, yet mid-bodied whisky. Strathisla is also the distillery that comprises the base of Chivas Regal, which makes for an interesting anecdote when serving a whisky to guests at my housewarming party. I’m not going to serve them all $165/bottle whisky now am I? That’s why we all need a quaffable whisky in our collection which is also great drinking in its own right.
Glendalough 13 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey – $135. The Irish whiskey. A whiskey from a relatively young distillery, this one has received great reviews and sounds like a well balanced drop with plenty of layers.
Glengoyne Cask Strength Single Malt – $100. The cask strength whisky. I’ve been impressed with the Glengoynes I’ve tasted previously, so when I heard favourable comparisons between this and the Aberlour A’Bunadh – one of my favourite drams for a while now – I knew that this one had to be part of the selection.
New World Projects Port Double Cask Release #1 – $140. An Australian whisky from the producers of Starward whisky. A marriage of whisky matured in two Australian Tawny Port casks, one first fill and the other second fill.
Kavalan Single Malt Taiwanese Whisky – $100. This is the Asian whisky. I love Japanese whiskies, but I’ve had quite a lot of them and couldn’t find anything interesting that I’d yet to try and which fitted in my ever-dwindling budget. Kavalan was one of the revelations from my Whisky a Day project last year, with the Kavalan Solist Ex-Sherry Cask Strength Single Malt coming in my top four whiskies of 2014. On the back of this, I was keen to add another Kavalan single malt to the collection.
Heartwood ‘Any Port In a Storm’ Tasmanian Malt Whisky (30mL taster bottle) – $25. Down to the last $25 of my budget, and I’ve gone for this Heartwood. It ticks a lot of boxes – it’s an independent bottling, a blend, Australian, cask strength, and somewhat surprising. Heartwood have been producing some amazing whiskies lately and attracting rave reviews. And as a small taster bottle it brings me nicely up to my budget of $1000. I wish I had more room in the budget to get a full size bottle and have a more generous amount of blended whisky available, but as I’ve always been more about the quality of the dram and not too hung up on the single malt vs blend debate, I’m really not all that fussed.

TOTAL: $1000 (precisely!)

Full tasting notes for each of these whiskies will ensue in good course. What would you pick in your selection?

The $1000 rebuilt collection…minus the Heartwood which is still on its way.

Rebuilding on a more modest $500 budget

I realise that not everyone has $1000 to drop on whisky, especially as some of the malts listed above are a little obscure and pricey. So what would I recommend for say $500, a whisky collection “starter kit”?

Monkey Shoulder Batch 27 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: $46. A vatting of malts from Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie distilleries. Cracking value, in fact I think this is possible the best value for money whisky out there. A quaffable go-to whisky that I will happily drink all night.
Starward Single Malt Australian Whisky: $80. Another outstanding drop, this time from Australia. Along with the Monkey Shoulder this is fantastic bang for your buck, but stands on its own as a fantastic single malt. It drinks like a much more expensive whisky.
Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt: $70. Ah, sweet peat. Ardbeg is one of the staples and one of my first Islay whiskies that I loved. For $70 you’re not going to get much cheaper, and it’s an excellent introduction to the Islay style.
Nikka From The Barrel: $70. A Japanese blend and one of my go-to Japanese whiskies. So smooth, great bottle design too.
1993 Gordon & Macphail Scapa Single Malt (375mL bottle): $85. An interesting independent bottling from Gordon & Macphail, possibly the most prolific of all independent bottlers. Light yet with a tangy saltiness. You’re not going to get too many good independent bottlings cheaply, so this little one provides a decent starting point.
Basil Haydens Bourbon Whiskey: $70. A smooth bourbon without overpowering spice. A great introduction to the genre without breaking the bank or stepping up to something too intense (either in flavour or ABV).
Kavalan Solist Ex-Sherry Taiwanese Single Malt (196mL bottle): $66. On of my Top 4 whiskies from my Whisky a Day project in 2014. An intense sherry bomb; ruch, full mouthfeel with flavours that linger forever. Pick up at 196mL bottle at only $66, great buying.
Glendronach 18 Year Old Allardice Single Malt (30mL taster): $12. Not much left in the kitty, so with the remaining few coins I’d pick up a 30mL taster bottle of Glendronach 18 Year Old. Another quintessential sherry dram, 100% matured in ex sherry casks, unlike others that only have a period of time “finishing” in sherry casks.

TOTAL: $499

So there your have it. What criteria would you have when building a whisky collection? There’s never a single correct answer, but I found the debate and budget limitations forced me to explore and consider whiskies I’d never heard of before. Which can only be a good thing.

Slàinte!

Todd (aka Whisky a Day)

Whisky #378 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Port Cask Barrel M175 Single Malt

July 21, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Port Cask Barrel M175 Single Malt (bottle 300.2 of 344). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43%. Tasted at my good mate Kiwi’s place.

Colour: Pinky orange Turkish delight.

Nose: Cinnamon, honey and rose petals.

Palate: Vanilla spice; hot buttered fruit toast with a smattering of raspberry jam.

Finish: Quite a drying finish; spiced fruits with a warming fruit tingle at the front of the palate. Actually, kind of like letting a pink Fruit Tingle sweet sit on the tip of your tingle and slowly dissolve.

Comments: The port flavours came through more in the finish, but definitely not in an overly syrupy, sweet kind of way. It’s a whisky of contrasts – on the one hand it’s very easy to drink, not brash or in your face. Yet it has this subtle complexity that you could sit there and really analyse the multitude of layers if you so choose.

I chose to have this Limeburners as my first whisky in Sydney since moving back here from Perth last week. I thought it fitting that I should bring a little piece of Western Australia over with me and introduce Limeburners to some of my Sydney friends. Sitting here at my mate Kiwi’s place overlooking the Harbour Bridge, it’s really the perfect drop to contemplate how things have changed, but also reflect on how good it is to be back in Sydney too. I look forward to sharing some more Limeburners malts with my Sydney friends soon, they really are producing some cracking whisky over there in the wild west.

Whisky #375 – New World Projects Ginger Beer Cask Finished Starward Single Malt

June 30, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

New World Projects Ginger Beer Cask Finished Starward Single Malt (Cask #2). Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 47.70%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Luminescent amber.

Nose: Candied ginger, it really hits you straight away. Fresh pineapple and citrus notes, mainly limes.

Palate: Prickles on the front half of the palate. Lots of ginger (obviously), but also an intense combination of mixed spices, mainly cloves and cinnamon.

Finish: Sharp and tangy finish, a little sweet too. Reminds me of being a kid and you’ve just had too big a spoonful of lemon sherbet Wizz Fizz. Delightful.

Comments: This is a very unique proposition, unlike any other whisky I’ve tried before. It’s essentially a standard Starward Single Malt that has been extra matured for 3 months in a cask that contained barrel fermented alcoholic ginger beer…which the guys from New World Whisky Distillery using their trademark malted barley, fresh ginger and a blend of aromatics. It’s so complex and interesting that you almost could be forgiven thinking it wasn’t a single malt. I like it, but it’s not the kind of whisky that you would have more than a dram or two in a sitting. In any case, its supply is very limited so I want to stretch this bottle out as long as I can. A surprisingly different dram that’s for sure.

Whisky #374 – 2000 Smiths Angaston 14 Year Old Single Malt

June 28, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

2000 Smiths Angaston 14 Year Old Single Malt. Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia. ABV: 43.5%. Tasted at home, $120 (bottle).

Colour: Bright sticky toffee.

Nose: Outstanding – some sweet dried fruits, rich oak and hessian. Like a Columbian playboy I could snort this all day.

Palate: Salted caramel, rich fruits; chewy, oily mouthfeel. Like biting into a moist Christmas cake.

Finish: Spicy vanilla flavours with a long fade and a slightly drying finish. A warm tingle as the alcohol subsides.

Comments: Franklin barley from Tasmania, malted at Coopers Brewery in Adelaide, then distilled at Angaston in the Barossa Valley.

Whisky #373 – Starward Single Malt Wine Cask Edition I

June 27, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Starward Single Malt Wine Cask Edition I, New World Whisky Distillery. Essendon, Victoria, Australia. ABV: 41%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Lustrous deep copper. Wow.

Nose: Turkish delight, smooth oak. It really does remind you of when you’re on a winery tour and you sneak off at the back and stick your nose into a wine barrel just to see what it smells like.

Palate: Quite light and smooth, the flavour sits on the mid palate. Creamy and fruity, like grabbing a handful of Allen’s strawberries and cream lollies.

Finish: Medium length, some salted toffee notes in the fade.

Comments: Fantastic to see the guys from New World Whisky Distillery releasing some new expressions to compliment their core Starward Single Malt, which itself is a top quality whisky and cracking value for money. I was fortunate to pick up this bottle from their cellar door in Essendon Fields in Melbourne, if you get a chance I’d recommend heading out there as they often have some interesting limited release project whiskies available to sample. Some innovative and high quality stuff happening with these boys, I look forward to future releases if this Starward Single Malt Wine Cask Edition I expression is anything to go by.

Cellar door tasting at New World Whisky Distillery

A few of the very interesting project whiskies available to taste at the cellar door

Whisky #368 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M140 Single Malt

May 22, 2015 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M140 Single Malt. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 43%. Tasted at Helvetica, $18.

Colour: Light lustrous amber.

Nose: Hokey pokey ice-cream; rich and syrupy, yet somewhat creamy.

Palate: A little bit of let down compared to the nose and the finish, not as intense a flavour punch as I was hoping. Smooth sweet and dry balance, lovely dusty port flavours.

Finish: Port, sultanas and a slight dry oaky finish.

Comments: Great flavour profile, but ultimately it’s not quite as strong as I would like. For this expression, think I’d prefer it bottled at a higher ABV to really enjoy the richness of what are some amazing flavours going on here. Still a great drop though, would be a great introductory malt for those whose palates are not accustomed to high ABVs but who want to discover Limeburners and see what all the fuss is about.

Whiskies #345 & #346: The Nant Sherry & The Nant Port Cask Single Malts

December 22, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Nant Sherry Cask Aged Single Malt. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home.

Colour: Bright amber.

Nose: Sweet dried fruits; a fresh nose prickle.

Palate: Juicy sultanas; chewy.

Finish: Medium length, juicily smooth with a drying finish.

The Nant Port Cask Aged Single Malt. ABV: 43%. Tasted at home.

Colour: Same shade as the Sherry Cask malt. No discernible difference.

Nose: Dusty, damp earthy, hessian aromas.

Palate: Muscatels. Not quite as rich and fruity as the Sherry malt, it’s smoother and a little more subtle. A good balance of sweetness and saltiness.

Finish: A slight fruity sweetness to start, which then gives way to a drying almost almond-like finish. Medium length.

Overall comments: I prefer the nose of the Sherry malt, but the palate of the Port malt. They’re both very decent whiskies, but given the choice of a Tasmanian dram I think The Lark might just have their nose in front, with one of the sherry cask finishes or port cask finishes.

Whisky #342 – The Grove American Style Spirit (sample)

December 20, 2014 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

The Grove American Style Spirit (sample). Margaret River, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: unknown. Tasted at a friend’s house, $0.

Colour: Cloudy copper.

Nose: Wet sweaty socks. Reminds me of the smell of the salty, sweaty socks I’ve worn for four days straight during the Sydney to Hobart yacht race – except that my sailing socks generally don’t smell this bad. Smells like vomit on a pub carpet that hasn’t been scrubbed out from the night before. Aromas like the smell when you overtake a cattle truck on the highway.

Palate: You can’t really appreciate a whisky if you’re holding your breath to avoid the repulsive nose. There are some oaky, somewhat rich dried fruit notes, but totally overshadowed by the nose.

Finish: A few sherry-like notes in the fade, medium finish.

Comments: The nose just totally ruins this whisky. I’m not normally a negative person and even when I taste a poor whisky I don’t like to sink the boot in, but this is horrible stuff. Which is a shame as earlier in the year I tried a different bottling of The Grove American Style Spirit, and whilst it wasn’t outstanding it was certainly drinkable. Unlike this one, so they’ve obviously got a bit of variation between their batches. This one definitely makes it to the rarified air to achieve the designation of a “truly awful” whisky.

Whisky #267 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M93 Single Malt

October 24, 2014 by Whisky a Day 3 Comments

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Barrel M93 Single Malt. Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at home, $200 (bottle) from the Limeburners cellar door in Albany.

Colour: Dark varnished timber floorboards.

Nose: Like sticking your nose into a packet of juicy sultanas or currants. Ever so slight tobacco feints, soft oak as well.

Palate: Rich and intense, buttery dark honey notes and spices. Lots of warmth that fills the mouth like you’ve just had a sip of some warm tea with a big dollop of molasses.

Finish: A long finish. Lots of residual warmth radiates while the spice and golden syrup flavours continue to dance around your mouth, begging you to have another sip.

Comments: I bought the second last 700mL bottle from the cellar door. I really don’t want this bottle to finish, but given how much I enjoyed it I fear it will be difficult to ration it out and make it last. $200 a bottle, but worth every penny. Simply superb.

Whisky #265 – Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Directors Cut M90

October 20, 2014 by Whisky a Day 1 Comment

Great Southern Distillery – Limeburners Directors Cut M90 Barrel Strength Single Malt (bottle 106 / 228). Albany, Western Australia, Australia. ABV: 61%. Tasted at the Great Southern Distillery cellar door, $10 (15mL tasting).

Colour: Dark ambery caramel.

Nose: Freshy hewn hardwood timber, golden syrup notes too.

Palate: Buttery, creamy sweetness; oily mouthfeel. Hot toast with butter and golden syrup.

Finish: Long and smooth; intense flavours but without overpowering heat, belying the barrel strength 61% ABV.

Comments: It’s like licking a salted caramel hard toffee, amazing. I’m definitely enjoying the barrel strength Limeburners more than the standard single malts, which typically run around 43%. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the standard single malts – they’re delicious – it’s just that the barrel strength releases seem to strike the balance between being full flavoured and yet don’t seem to have the kick you might expect of something north of 60%. Another great Limeburners!