Berry’s

Whisky #471: Berrys’ 2005 Single Malt From Bunnahabhain Distillery

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Berrys’ 2005 Single Malt From Bunnahabhain Distillery (Drawn from Cask Ref. 9000058). Islay, Scotland. ABV: 56.9%. Tasted at Mjølner, $23.

Mjølner is a new Viking whisky bar here in Sydney.

Viking. Whisky. Bar. Absolute genius.

An awesome array of whiskies behind the bar and a great basement fitout, can’t wait to come back and pillage and plunder some more liquid gold.

Colour: Bright lustrous gold.

Nose: Soft smoke, honey on slightly burnt toast, creamy pink marshmallows.

Palate: Oaky, smoky and…oki dokey. A light burst of salted caramel down the middle of your tongue, then a gentle warmth that slowly builds in your mouth.

Finish: A long gentle smoky fade; dusty blueberry without the sweetness.

Comments: Bunnahabhain’s official distillery releases are typically unpeated, so a peated independent bottling from Berrys’ was worth a try.

It’s a nice whisky, but quite straightforward and gentle in all aspects – nose, palate and finish. Nothing too outlandish or bold; a little beige. I found myself searching for ways to describe it, looking for depth when it wasn’t there. The smokiness is the dominant flavour, but it’s not overpowering like some (typically younger) Islay whiskies.

Whisky #418 – Berrys’ 1997 Arran 17 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 1)

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img_7808.jpgBerrys’ 1997 Arran 17 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 1). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 46%. Tasted at home, no idea how much I paid…a jet lag impulse purchase when coming through Dubai airport.  Not too outrageous if I recall correctly, maybe around $100.

Colour: Olympic gold.

Nose: Light and delicate; pineapple, freshly lacquered timber furniture. Cereal notes too – like sticking your nose into a new box of muesli, some oats along with some light fruity notes.

Palate: A very crisp entry with a light touch on the palate. It feels like it effortlessly glides over your tongue, teasing you with some sweet lemon sherbet and tangy passionfruit notes.

Finish: Medium length with a light salty lemon tang, followed by some honey and white pepper notes to finish.

Comments: I picked up this bottle as I’m a huge fan of Arran whiskies and I thought I’d not tried a Berrys’ bottling of Arran before. As it turns out, quite some time ago with Whisky #284 I had tried a very similar bottling, the Berrys’ 1997 Arran 16 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 2). The night in question where I tried Whisky #284 turned out to be a rather large one at Whisky & Alement whilst visiting one of my best mates AB in Melbourne, so it’s not a surprise my memory was a little sketchy.

Despite this expression having one more year’s maturation, the brief tasting notes we made that night seem to suggest some similarities between the two releases, hardly surprising given both releases had similar barrel maturations…transferred from bourbon casks to ex Marsala casks during the latter stages of their life in the warehouse.

A nice easy drinking drop that allows some of the Arran house style to shine through whilst also offering something different to the distillery bottled releases.

Whisky #284: Berrys’ 1997 Arran 16 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 2)

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IMG_4037Berrys’ 1997 Arran 16 Year Old Single Malt (Cask Ref. 2). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 46.0%. Tasted at Whisky and Alement (Melbourne).

Colour: Cloudy apple. Lacking viscosity according to my good mate AB who is ably assisting tonight’s tastin

Nose: Honied straw, a touch of lemon rind.

Palate: Honey, sweet lemongrass. “A little passive aggressive” from AB.

Finish: Medium length, dryish.

Comments: A good starting whisky, a palate cleanser before getting into the serious business of…um, drinking more whisky.

Whisky #253 – Berry’s Bladnoch 19 Year Old 1992 Single Malt

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IMG_3808Berry’s Bladnoch 19 Year Old 1992 Single Malt. Lowlands, Scotland. 46%. Tasted at Lafayette, $22.

Colour: Very pale lemon.

Nose: Floral, quite delicate. Citrus notes too – not like the outside of an orange peel, but more like the smell after you’ve peeled an orange or mandarin and you’re just left with the white pith.

Palate: Quite a soft entry, but then quickly builds with a bit of heat and pepper.

Finish: Long finish. Gradually dries and contorts itself on the palate as it fades, revealing lemon and pepper.

Comments: Bottled in 2011, having been aged for 19 years. Surprisingly complex for a Lowlands whisky. It’s very light yet complex, some great stuff going on here.