cask strength Archives - Page 2 of 6

Whisky #560: North Star Glentauchers 11 Year Old Single Malt

January 20, 2020 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

North Star Glentauchers 11 Year Old Single Malt. ABV: 58.9%. Speyside, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $167 (bottle).

It’s bottle kill week here at Whisky a Day! Do you find yourself hanging on to the last dram or two in a bottle you’ve really enjoyed, trying to stretch out the enjoyment? It’s a trap I sometimes fall into, though maybe there’s also an element of opening a bunch of new shinier whiskies and some bottles get a little lonely and forgotten at the back of the whisky shelf.

With an impending move to a new house, it’s time to do some spring cleaning and polish off those pesky bottles with only a drop or two left. I’ll be killing off a different bottle every night this week!

Colour: Candlelight.

Nose: Soft hay, vanilla sponge cake and freshly cut juicy oranges. Though I’ve left this one on the shelf a little too long, the nose has started to lose some intensity compared to how I remember when I first cracked the bottle.

Palate: Toastier than a marshmallow. Honey on buttered toast, malty, roasted almonds.

Finish: A drying new oak finish with a slightly tannic aftertaste.

Comments: Bottled in 2018 and from a cask that yielded only 288 bottles, this North Star Glentauchers was from Series 005 of North Star’s stable of increasingly impressive releases. A good dram, but one in hindsight I’d finished off a little earlier rather than leaving it around on the shelf.

Whisky #559: SMWS 68.18 Triple berry Lamington cake

December 2, 2019 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 68.18 Triple berry Lamington cake. 7 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS exclusive bottling of Blair Athol Distillery for Whisky & Alement, Melbourne. ABV: 58.3%. Highlands, Scotland. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $169 (bottle).

After an extended break, Whisky a Day is back! Life has a habit of getting in the way sometimes…new job, new apartment, trying to buy a new house, new girlfriend, competing in powerlifting and sailing events…it’s been a busy time recently! But whisky got me through 😉

Let’s get back into the swing of things with a stunning whisky from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), one that was an exclusive bottling for one of Australia’s top whisky bars, Whisky & Alement in Melbourne.

Colour: Pinkish bronze.

Nose: Sweet and savoury all at once…fresh muffins and cakes baking in the oven, followed by a balsamic glaze drizzled over roasted beef. And then the heat and smell of walking into a woodwork shop – sawdust and wood shavings.

Palate: It really is jammy; tart raspberry at first, then it softens and sweetens into more of a strawberry jam on buttered white toast.

Finish: Long satisfying goosebumps on the tip of your tongue, like you’ve just kissed someone for the first time that you’ve fancied for a long time.

Comments: Maybe I’m just hungry, but this one is very food-like. I deliberately did not look at the SMWS tasting notes for this one, but the name made it hard not to let your mind be drawn to food. Lamingtons and jam are most definitely in liquid form here, a stunning drop.

Whisky #556: SMWS 93.92 Fruit Pie in a Cleaning Cupboard

August 7, 2019 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

SMWS 93.92 Fruit Pie in a Cleaning Cupboard. 12 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling from Glen Scotia Distillery. Campbeltown, Scotland. ABV: 57.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $195 (bottle).

Colour: Polished gold.

Nose: Hessian sacks, sea salt and that smell of snapping half dead twigs from a tree.

Palate: Salty flavours front the band here, ably supported by backup singers creme brûlée, overcooked toast, dark chocolate and espresso crema.

Finish: Like a salted Werther’s Original caramel candy. I don’t even think Werther’s make a salted caramel candy, but if they did this would be what it tasted like as the last piece melts on your tongue.

Comments: I’ve never tasted a fruit pie in a cleaning cupboard, but if I had I would have expected something sweeter on the palate along with a more pungent ammonia-like hit on the nose. This dram has neither of those things, which is absolutely fine with me.

Whisky #554: GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 7 Single Malt

June 22, 2019 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 7 Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 57.9%. Tasted at Whisky a Dy HQ, $134 (bottle).

After a brief hiatus, it’s time we got back into some serious whisky tasting. And what better way to kick in the front door on your tastebuds than with a GlenDronach Cask Strength Single Malt!

Colour: Deep fried golden batter.

Nose: Sweet strawberries and cream. Like ripping open a fresh bag of the lollies, not the fresh stuff.

Palate: Like some warm salted caramel sauce that oozes across your tastebuds and then down your throat to warm your chest. A touch of oak and spices – think soft flavours of cloves, cinnamon & black pepper overlaid the caramel notes.

Finish: Brown sugar and a spicy tingle on the front half of the tongue that lingers tantalisingly long after the flavours fade away.

Comments: The perfect dram for a cold winter’s afternoon.

Whisky #547: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Aultmore 20 Year Old Single Malt

January 20, 2019 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by That Boutique-y Whisky Company Aultmore 20 Year Old Single Malt (Batch II). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 52.1%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $189 (500mL bottle).

There’s nothing like kicking back with a great whisky after a particularly hectic day. Though it’s not often your day is as hectic as a velociraptor attacking a shark from a container ship whilst an oil rig burns in the background…welcome to the crazy world of That Boutique-y Whisky Company!

Colour: Rich gold.

Nose: Creamed honey & lemon cheesecake.

Palate: Soft and creamy mouthfeel; lemon sherbet dusted across the top of a slice of lemon cheesecake. Not that I’ve ever tasted such a creation, but this is how I imagine it tasting. A lemon zing, along with a smooth creamy cheesecake with a buttery biscuit note underneath. Divine.

Finish: It’s like you’ve just downed the last bite of creme brûlée and you’re still enjoying the creamy caramelised goodness as it slowly slips away. Medium length finish.

Comments: A cask strength, single cask release that yielded only 215 bottles. One of the best whiskies I’ve tried in some time. I am definitely trying to get my hands on another bottle of this one, an amazing drop.

Whisky #546: Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2

January 12, 2019 by Whisky a Day 2 Comments

Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2 (2008 Single Cask 10 Year Old). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.8%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ (sample courtesy of Whisky & Wisdom).

Following on from Whisky & Wisdom’s first foray into bespoke bottling of a Glenfarclas in 2016, comes this second edition. Fellow Sydney-sider, self-described whisky tragic and the man behind one of my favourite whisky blogs (Whisky & Wisdom), Andrew Derbidge has hand selected this 10 year old single cask at the Glenfarclas distillery which yielded just 319 bottles at its natural cask strength of 59.8%. What a terrible way to spend an afternoon…sampling cask after cask of delicious whisky!

At the time, I rated the Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom 9 Year Old Single Cask as one of my top 10 whiskies I’ve ever had, hands down. Nothing has changed that opinion, it was a mesmerising whisky. Can the Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom Edition 2 live up to its elder sibling’s lofty standards? Let’s find out.

Colour: Deep honeycomb.

Nose: Juicy raisins, golden syrup, melting butter, and fresh leather. More time in the glass yields earthy almost musty notes with the rich undercurrent of dried sultanas.

Palate: A rich oily mouthfeel to start, with flavours and sensations like biting into orange and cherry chocolate liqueurs. Later sips seem to be like your tongue has wandered into a spice market – there’s a barrage of rich flavours competing for your attention. Orange toffee crisps, dried cranberries, cinnamon and dry cocoa powder.

Finish: Treacle, white pepper, cinnamon, cloves and a slightly prickly spice. A long gentle warmth with a drying mouthfeel and surprising slightly salty tang to finish.

Comments: It takes you on a journey this one, it simply demands your attention. It’s not your typical sherry bomb, there’s a lot more complexity and spice.

So how does it stack up to the first edition of Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom? They’re both quite different beasts, as you might expect for single cask whiskies despite sharing much of the same Glenfarclas DNA. Edition 1 was more akin to your typical Glenfarclas sherry bomb, whereas Edition 2 has an air of mystery and has a multi-layered personality. There’s just so many things to explore here – light and dark, sweetness and spice…your tastebuds are racing to keep up with the barrage of flavours popping around your mouth, as your mind gallops to keep up.

It’s not in my top 10 whiskies of all time like Edition 1, but geez it’s a tasty bit of juice and a very interesting expression of Glenfarclas. I’d be very interested to compare both editions of the Glenfarclas Whisky & Wisdom side by side (perhaps Andrew should organise a tasting!) but in the meantime I’ll be grabbing a couple of bottles of this before they are gone forever.

Whisky #545: Ardmore 2008 Signatory Vintage 8 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

January 5, 2019 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

Whisky #545: Ardmore 2008 Signatory Vintage 8 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt (Celebrating 60th Anniversary of La Maison du Whisky). Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 62.2%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $18 (30mL sample from Casa de Vinos).

Colour: Golden honey.

Nose: It smacks you in the nose initially with a hit of smoke and hessian sacks. But with time in the glass it softens and the smoke lifts, leaving some cocoa and cherry notes.

Palate: Going back for the charred sausages at the end of the BBQ, you’ve already had your fill but you want another bite. A black pepper zing on the tongue, along with golden syrup and intense salted caramel.

Finish: Salty and smokey, almost cool smoke on the tongue. Like ripping into a stick of biltong that leaves a long salty tang on the front and mid palate.

Comments: An independent bottling of Ardmore by Signatory Vintage to celebrate the 60th anniversary of La Maison du Whisky, a renowned French whisky importer and distributor. That’s more confusing than a polygamist’s family tree, but no matter…it is delicious juice, regardless of its lineage. Single cask, cask strength Ardmore is a fantastically powerful and unique Highlands whisky…love it!

Whiskies #541-544: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Festive STEPS Whisky Party

November 30, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Whiskies #541-544: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society Festive STEPS Whisky Party.

It was always going to be a tough ask: 7 single cask, cask strength whiskies from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) in the space of one glorious evening at the Royal Automobile Club in Sydney. The whisky equivalent of a rain-affected T20 cricket match where you’re suddenly chasing 273 runs in just 13 overs…

Time to strap on the pads, head to the nets and face a bit of chin music to prepare for the cask strength onslaught that awaits. A cheeky Starward Old Fashioned cocktail upon arrival to get the eye in and then it’s time to adjust the box, head out to the middle and start swinging (read: swigging) for the boundary rope!

Whisky #541: SMWS 6.27 Sucking on a Cough Sweet. 10 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glen Deveron (Macduff distillery). Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.0%.

Colour: Pale straw like a third morning Test pitch.

Nose: Sweat-stained leather, freshly snapped twigs off a small tree.

Palate: Tangy orange peel and white pepper

Finish: Salty and dry; some lemon hard-boiled lollies.

Comments: A good opener to see the shine off the new ball, but not too many juicy deliveries.

Whisky #542: SMWS 2.109 Let the Good Times Roll. 11 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glenlivet distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 62.4%.

Colour: Like looking into a glass of Riesling. If you’re not a Riesling drinker…yes I am aware of the irony of describing one unfamiliar drink with another. Sorry about that.

Nose: A handful of sawdust rubbed into the popping crease at the drinks break. Freshly cut grass, rising humidity as the dew evaporates off the outfield in the morning sun.

Palate: Toasted oak, preserved lemon and freshly toasted white bread smothered in butter. Creamed that one for six – nailed the tasting note with my last sip!

Finish: A lovely long zesty tingle on the from my palate.

Comments: Raise the bat and acknowledge the applause, a fine partnership from Glenlivet and the SMWS.

Whisky #543: SMWS 9.148 Mustard, Custard and Musk. 21 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glen Grant distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%.

Colour: Rose gold.

Nose: Floral perfume and an old cigar box. Clarinet reeds…yes I used to play the clarinet in my younger days…

Palate: Like chewing into a salty wagyu sirloin steak with plenty of jus. The warmth gently builds like the midday sun building the heat rising off the pitch.

Finish: Tangy, with black pepper. Dry woody notes to finish, like a paddlepop stick on your tongue. Open up and say ahhhh…

Whisky #544: SMWS 73.104 Happy Hobnobbing Moments. 16 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Aultmore distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 55.6%.

Colour: Unpolished brass.

Nose: An old leather belt; ripping open a packet of juicy sultanas. Fruitcake baking in an oven. Butter caramel notes.

Palate: …it was at this point that the required run rate started getting steep and I decided to declare this innings of cricket analogies over. Time to simply enjoy the remaining whiskies of the night without putting pressure on myself to deconstruct every joyous drop.

Comments: Trying to analyse every whisky at an event where you’re meant to be simply relaxing and enjoying some new whiskies isn’t all that festive or sociable! There were some amazing SMWS drams on offer and it was time to chill out and share a yarn with some familiar faces. Another cracking SMWS event as always, many thanks to Suzy, Matt and all the other SMWS ambassadors for putting together a great night!

Whisky #539: SMWS 4.244 Welcoming an Old Sea Dog

October 3, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by SMWS 4.244 Welcoming an Old Sea Dog. 13 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling from Highland Park Distillery. Orkney Islands, Scotland. ABV: 57.6%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $185 (bottle).

When you’ve been on a fitness retreat for two weeks and you’re thirstier than a pirate at an open bar, you’d better make your first whisky an absolute banger. A cask strength, single cask Highland Park offering from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) ought to do it!

Colour: Lustrous pale gold.

Nose: Like tearing open a tin of smoked mussels. Hessian sacks soaked in seawater and left out on the jetty in the rain.

Palate: Salty edamame beans, citrus salty crystals. I’m not even sure that’s a thing, but it’s the best way to describe it. The whisky just crackles and pops in your mouth with a salty lemon tang.

Finish: A long salty woody tang. Like sucking for just a second too long on some wooden chopsticks after you’ve had a takeaway Chinese meal with just a little too much MSG. You just can’t help but want to come back and enjoy every last ounce of that rich salty zest.

Comments: I’ve enjoyed this one so much I had to refill the glass three times to complete the tasting. Enough said. Another cracking dram from the SMWS!

Whisky #535: SMWS 63.44 Deep Soul Medicine

August 14, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by SMWS 63.44 Deep Soul Medicine. 11 year old single cask, cask strength SMWS bottling from Glentauchers Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.7%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $170 (bottle)

Colour: Sparkling copper.

Nose: Earthy. Think hessian sacks and oak barrels as you walk through a warehouse at a winery.

Palate: An intense flash of juicy flavour, like biting into a couple of Starburst jellies with the liquid centres. Maybe a raspberry and orange together, it’s hard to tell. After the intensity subsides some mango chutney and freshly baked fruit cake. My trusted whisky tasting lieutenant Kiwi got some berries and dried fruits.

Finish: Spicy, slightly salty and an oaky red wine tannin finish. Blueberries and burnt biscuits in the fade.

Comments: Like copping an unexpected slap to the face, it brings a rush of blood to your lips and wakes up the taste buds with a jolt. An intense mix of fiery flavours all jostling for attention, before sorting themselves out and letting each other have their turn in the spotlight.

Whisky #529: SMWS 71.51 Summer Berry Brûlée

May 19, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by 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 #525: Bowmore Straight From The Cask 2002 Signatory Vintage 12 Year Old Single Malt

April 3, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Bowmore Straight From The Cask 2002 Signatory Vintage 12 Year Old Single Malt. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 57.4%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $225 (500mL bottle).

Straight from a single cask of Bowmore whisky distilled on 2nd October 2002 and bottled 12 years later on 25th August 2015. Matured in an ex Sherry cask, it yielded an outturn of only 342 bottles at a natural cask strength of 57.4% ABV.

Colour: Bright golden caramel.

Nose: Golden syrup and soft sultanas, soft oak and a gentle dustiness and light smoke. My trusted whisky tasting lieutenant Kiwi also picked up hazelnuts.

Palate: Rich flavours of sticky date pudding, smokey treacle, raisins and dried cranberries.

Finish: Smoky; salted liquorice and oak, with a long salty fade.

Comments: Sometimes you feel like lashing out on a special whisky to commemorate a special event or to reflect on something significant in your life. Today was Day 1 of a big promotion at work, an opportunity to take a step up to an exciting new role. This Bowmore Straight From The Cask was the bottle I chose to mark the occasion.

This is the whisky you reach for when you’re in a reflective mood. When you’re deep in thought about something important in your life and you just lean back to have a quiet moment to reflect. The celebration of a significant accomplishment; the anguish of disappointing someone you love – or anything on the spectrum in between.

And when reach to take another sip and your thoughts drift back to the whisky at hand, you realise there’s so much to appreciate in this drop. This is a real thinker’s whisky.

Whisky #523: Edradour 2006 Bourbon Cask Matured 10 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt

March 12, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Edradour 2006 Bourbon Cask Matured 10 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 60.2%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $17 (50mL bottle split from Casa de Vinos).

Colour: Liquid sunshine.

Nose: Straw, vanilla and fresh pine furniture pulled straight out of the IKEA flatpack box. My trusted whisky tasting lieutenant Kiwi gets lemon aromas along with some barley and sunflower seeds.

Palate: Powerful and intense – a dry mouthfeel but with bucketloads of flavour. Toasted malt, hay and cereal notes with a salty lemon tang. Not sweet at all, quite sharp but very moreish.

Finish: Preserved lemons. A dry timber paddle pop stick on your tongue at the doctor when you’re made to open your mouth wide and say “ahhhh”.

Comments: This one leaves a long salty tingle on the front of the palate and around the lips, making you want to lick them before diving back for another sip. Quite different to the more creamy mouthfeel whiskies I’ve had previously from Edradour, but the difference should definitely be celebrated. A top drop.

Whisky #519: SMWS 96.11 Frisky Fun

February 5, 2018 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by SMWS 96.11 Frisky Fun. 10 year old single cask single malt from Glendronach Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.6%. Tasted at home, $160 (bottle).

With a name like “Frisky Fun”, never has the phrase “whisky makes me frisky” been more appropriate. Let’s stumble through the front door and start peeling off the layers as we hurriedly get intimate with this dram…

Colour: Golden glow.

Nose: Fresher than the aroma of an over-zealous Tinder date who applies just a touch too much perfume right before walking into the bar. Fresh pine needles, jersey caramels and red raspberry jellies.

Palate: Hot toasted white bread, melted butter, honey, butter menthols and tangy lemon tarts.

Finish: Buttery with a satisfying salty tingle on the front of the tongue. Like kissing your date after she’s had a couple of margaritas.

Comments: It’s the unexpected excitement of discovering something new, like that kinda cute girl from IT who rocks up to the work Christmas party dressed to the nines and suddenly takes everyone’s breath away. Long finish, warm oily mouthfeel.

Glendronach are well known for their use of ex sherry casks (both Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso) in which to mature the majority of their core range of whiskies. The Glendronach Revival 15 Year Old and Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old are phenomenal sherry bombs that have deep rich dried fruit characteristics, but this refill ex bourbon barrel release takes you in a different direction and shows you a side of the distillery that you might not have previously thought possible. Much like the excitement of a new frisky encounter. Another outstanding release from the SMWS!

Whisky and Seafood – Whisky #513 & Whisky #514…Glenfarclas, Arran, King Crab and Lobster

December 28, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Whisky and Seafood – Whisky #513 & Whisky #514…Glenfarclas, Arran, King Crab and Lobster.

Whisky and seafood, two of my great passions. I’ve enjoyed many whiskies, but I’ve not enjoyed reviewing too many more than today’s lineup.

Today’s seafood – fresh WA Rock Lobster and king crab legs from the Sydney Fish Market. The king crab legs are so tender, juicy and salty; while the rock lobster is firmer with very creamy flesh but a more subtle shellfish flavour.

Full-flavoured seafood deserves full-flavoured whisky. So let’s dive in to a couple of contrasting drams…a sherry influenced Glenfarclas and a creamy, tropical fruit malt from Arran.

Whisky #513: Glenfarclas 10 Year Old Single Malt Bottled at 50% Exclusively for The Whisky Club. ABV: 50.0%. $130 (bottle).

Colour: Deep caramel.

Nose: An initial nose prickle when you first pour it in the glass. After it settles there’s dried raisins and strawberry marshmallows.

Palate: Almost a bit tannic, like some red wine finished whiskies. Golden syrup and burnt butter with caramel.

Finish: Dry, spicy and a slightly briny aftertaste.

Seafood combination: The Glenfarclas is better with the king crab, which softens the tannins and accentuates the sweetness of the whisky. Brings out some fresh raspberry notes too.

Whisky #514: Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask Single Malt (Batch 2). Isle of Arran, Scotland. ABV: 55.2%. $135 (bottle).

Colour: Bright orange gold.

Nose: Like sticking a pine needle up your nose – it’s fresh and green, tickles a little and makes you pull away initially before heading back for more. Fresh lemon, kafir lime leaves, BBQ’d pineapple slices, and top-notch vanilla ice cream. None of that generic reduced fat, bleached white bulshit you buy from a cheap supermarket – this is the full cream, full-flavoured stuff where you can see the real vanilla beans swirled through the real deal cream coloured frosty goodness.

Palate: Loads of caramelised pineapple, honey, vanilla, and soft fresh oak.

Finish: Creamy, oh so creamy. Zesty lemon sherbet. Fresh prawns on freshly baked white bread you’ve picked up from the bakery that morning. Lemon cheesecake with a crumbled ginger nut cookie pastry. Sweet ginger spiciness.

Seafood combination: With the lobster, the lemon sherbet and fresh oak shine through. The king crab brings brown sugar, buttery croissants and juicy pineapple to the fore.

Overall comments: As a whisky, the Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask leaves the Glenfarclas in the shade. Combined with seafood though and they both allow some flavours to be accentuated and others to emerge. But overall, the Arran The Bothy Quarter Cask is an amazing dram that marries stunningly with fresh seafood like king crab or lobster. Outstanding stuff.

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

November 5, 2017 by Whisky a Day Leave a Comment

by Limeburners 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.