Tastes
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Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #16 Nose: Crème brûlée, candied preserved fruits, honey, warm spiced cookies (powdered ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and caraway seed) straight from the oven. Dark cherries and boiled Christmas plum pudding appear after repeated sips together with a subtle maritime note and a puff of smoke. Palate: The arrival is chock full of caramel stroopwafels, milk chocolate and vanilla flavoured mascarpone (so yeah, I was hooked instantly). As it develops, stewed apples topped with cinnamon sugar and cream appear along with honey, tinned peaches and a gentle trace of smoke. The texture is oily and mouth-coating. Finish: Medium. Some grassy notes emerge in the late palate with mild spices, honey and a pinch of salt being the last flavours. This was one of a pair of confusingly branded Jura 21 year old releases that came out in 2019, jointly marketed and boxed as “Time & Tide”. The “Time” expression (which I have not tasted) was TWE only and the “Tide” variant was for retail distribution. I don’t know if there was a difference between them and I have no idea why the distillery did things in such a confusing way. Just how confusing is reflected in the postings for the two whiskies here on Distiller - look at the thumbnail illustrations and you will see that they have been swapped around. Anyway, this is a very pleasant whisky that I would happily buy were it not so outrageously expensive. It has complexity but is also very gentle and easy to drink, which may make it seem simplistic at first taste, but you need to persevere and get to know it. I returned to the Jura stand twice to get repeated tastings of this and it appealed more each time. It has the same sort of “complex simplicity” as very old grain whisky. If it was priced at AUD$250 I’d snap one up but for just under $400? No thanks. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)395.0 AUD per Bottle
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Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #15 Nose: Orange marmalade, honey, red berries (cranberries? blackberries?), almond brittle, printer’s ink (!), tobacco, leather, damp soil and a waft of peat smoke. Palate: The arrival is an odd combination of dark cherries, dried figs, dried apricots, grilled pineapple, bittersweet cola syrup and espresso. The development shows earthy, woody honey notes together with a little smoke that reminds me of the taste of herbal cigarettes. There is also a briny note that brings to mind Jura expressions from 10 years ago and like many of those, this turns towards bitterness in the late palate. The texture is full but not heavy. Finish: Medium. Drying, burnt butter, burnt sugar, bitter cocoa, bitter coffee, grilled grapefruit and black pepper. A somewhat uncompromising finish. A rather complicated and not entirely balanced whisky that seems to be uncomfortable with itself. It’s not awful, but it is certainly “interesting” and not a dram that would appeal to novices. In fact, it would not appeal to many aficionados either. The nose is great, deep and with lots of complexity to explore, but the palate is where it starts to unwind and the finish is, well, I wouldn’t call it bad but for me it was not appealing. It tastes like the stills were run too hot and the spirit caught, but that’s just a subjective impression and it’s far more likely that the dry, burnt quality of the finish is coming from the casks. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars, but if the finish was better I’d give this 3.75)180.0 AUD per Bottle
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Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #14 Nose: Caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, orange blossom water, dilute honey, pears. Palate: Soft arrival with pear, apple, caramel sauce, milk chocolate, a little honey and a breath of sooty smoke. The development shows malted milk and vanilla fudge balanced by some subtle spice notes (cinnamon) and beeswax. The texture is creamy. Finish: Medium/Short. Stone fruits, orchard fruits and caramel trailing into a pleasantly dry, leafy aftertaste. Journey is the current gateway whisky in the Jura lineup and it’s a cracking good entry-level malt with good balance (if somewhat tilted towards sweetness). There’s nothing at all wrong with this and it would make a great session whisky. The only criticism you can make is that it is simple in profile but for a whisky positioned at this end of the market that is not a fault. For the money this is good value, and it would be an excellent first dram to share with novices just beginning their whisky journey. I bought a bottle on the day for precisely that reason. Not a high scorer, but good solid easy-drinking value. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)85.0 AUD per Bottle
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Callington Mill El Sol
Single Malt — Oatlands, Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed July 17, 2023 (edited January 10, 2024)Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #13 Nose: Sherry, wood shavings, malt extract. Palate: Hard arrival, bordering on bitterness. Dark malt, bitter dark chocolate, some hot spice and tannin. The texture is moderate. Finish: Medium. Sherry, oak, cocoa. This is only a brief snapshot review as I did not spend much time at the Callington Mill stand and only tasted this one expression. The distillery, located in central Tasmania, is a large startup with considerable private financial backing from owner John Ibrahim. Construction commenced in 2020 and the distillery was brought online in 2021. The company's first offering under the Callington Mill label was a range of sourced whiskies from the Old Kempton and Shene distilleries called the “Leap of Faith” series, which was well received locally. However, they also have a second “prototype” distillery in Hobart that has been in operation since 2019 and I believe it is the spirit from that distillery that has been used for the inaugural release of their own expressions (El Sol, Invicta and Fusion). As I understand it the spirit from the big Oatlands distillery will not be ready for a year or two yet. This El Sol expression was matured in a combination of just about every type of ex-sherry barrel available and has won several awards at international competitions. I’m not sure why. “Adequate” : 70/100 (2 stars)149.0 AUD per Bottle -
Bunnahabhaon 10 2012/2022 Cask 900779 (Signatory Cask Strength Collection)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed July 16, 2023 (edited January 10, 2024)Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #12 Nose: Almost-burnt caramel, raisin, dark malt, scorched nuts, cocoa powder, almost-burnt fruit toast. It’s a big nose with lots of pungent aromas but it lacks delicacy. Palate: (neat) Espresso and dark chocolate arrival with a wall of alcohol. Tingling spices and oak tannins, orange oil and skins, scorched almonds, prunes. Palate: (watered) Overcooked Christmas cake, chocolate, mocha coffee, baking spices, aniseed. Dilution makes the palate a little juicier. Finish: Medium. Clove, anise, espresso and rancio. A large whisky that is expressive and demanding. Unpeated Bunnahabhain loves to age unmolested in a good sherry cask, but I’m not sure this cask was one of the best, or that it was left for long enough. The alcohol content is enormous and I could not begin to come to grips with this until I had taken it down quite a long way. Once it did begin to reveal itself, the story was a little simple and predictable. It's an above average sherry beast for sure, but in my opinion not one of the best, and certainly not one of the more subtle examples. For all its bombast, it lacks complexity. PS – Apologies for the spelling error in the title for this listing. I wish we could correct things like that. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)220.0 AUD per Bottle -
Strathmill 13 2006/2020 (Signatory Cask Strength Collection)
Single Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed July 16, 2023 (edited January 10, 2024)Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #11 Nose: Dusty sherry, heavy malt (almost like porter or stout). Oak wood, old varnish, raisins, cola syrup, tobacco. The nose was tight and seemed very “old” when nosed neat and although it relaxed a little with water it never gained softness or finesse. A big but somewhat clumsy nose. Palate: (neat) The arrival was a bombardment of soft dusty tannin and lignin, dried fruit, alcohol and pepper. Dried apricot, black cherry jam, blueberries, toffee, balsamic vinegar and dark chocolate as it developed. Palate: (watered) Less intense on the arrival but the profile remained essentially unchanged – wood spices, reconstituted dried fruit and chocolate with stewed stone fruits in the development. The texture was heavy, oily and almost gritty. Finish: Medium/Long. Cinnamon, tobacco, oak and leather. Although only 13 years old this whisky had the appearance of a dilute mixture of caramel sauce and PX sherry - dense, dark sienna in colour and with a slightly cloudy aspect. It was initially matured in refill butts (note: plural) and then finished in one “fresh” sherry butt, which suggests there was massive oxidation and loss from the initial casks. As a result, not surprisingly, this is an almost impenetrably cask-driven whisky with all trace of the distillery character hidden by the wood. It lacks nuance but that doesn’t make it bad as such, just rather heavy and generic. There is a lot of toffee, dark chocolate, sherry and dried fruit but the big fault for me was that it never seemed to open. When neat the alcohol content was immediately obvious and although adding water muted this the character barely changed, the whisky remaining closed and dense. It was like diluting dark cooking soy sauce. I'm sure there are many enthusiasts who would relish a big, oxidised sherry-and-malt monster like this but it's not a style that I prefer. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)220.0 AUD per Bottle -
Secret Orkney 13 2009/2023 (Signatory Vintage Un-Chillfiltered Collection)
Single Malt — Orkney, Scotland
Reviewed July 16, 2023 (edited January 10, 2024)Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #10 Nose: Bready, yeasty and a little like new-make. Floral honey, but muted and with a curiously herbal quality (fennel, sage) that is not entirely successful. Some biscuity cereal notes and a little maritime brine. Palate: A gristy, cereal arrival with some brine and hot pepper. The palate relaxes a little as it progresses with sweet flavours giving balance (nuts, orange oil, vanilla) and there is a dash of peat smoke and oak tannin, but it all seems curiously young and tense. The texture is a bit brittle. Finish: Medium. Hot and peppery with some berries and citrus showing through. The person on the Signatory stall who was pouring the drams assured me that this “secret” Orcadian malt was from Highland Park, but if so then it’s not a good example of that distillery’s ability. There are hints of Highland Park to it but despite its 13 year age statement this seemed extremely young, thin and argumentative. The hogsheads in which this was matured were refill and I could easily believe they were on their 3rd or even 4th fill, and I bet they were very tight too, as they seem to have contributed little to the spirit and almost actively opposed maturation. I would not recommend this, particularly at the asking price. “Average” : 79/100 (2.75 stars)139.0 AUD per Bottle -
Moonshiner Simmons Street Aussie Native Gin
Distilled Gin — Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed July 16, 2023 (edited January 10, 2024)Aroma: Forceful and bold with juniper, coriander, aniseed, liquorice, lemon and pepper all defiantly present. It’s a strong, brightly-lit nose with a neon-like intensity that jumps right out of the glass. Flavour & Texture: Prominent juniper, aniseed, native pepper and finger-lime. The palate is well balanced but has considerable intensity of flavour. There is a savory, almost umami quality and a good amount of spicy heat coming from cinnamon, native citrus botanicals, aniseed and fennel seed. The texture is slightly creamy. Catching up on my review backlog with a few quick-hit reviews. Moonshiner is a micro-distillery in suburban Sydney which Mrs Cascode and I visited in March 2023. We shared a tasting flight of four gins which were served both neat and with some recommended garnishes and mixers. This gin was served with an optional cinnamon quill and Fever Tree Mediterranean tonic water. This was our favourite gin on the day. Its intensity made it immediately stand out from everything else we tasted but its profile was still close enough to a classic gin that we could imagine using it in a range of drinks. It’s so powerful in both aroma and flavour that it could just be a chaotic mess of elements, but the strength of the juniper component makes it work by providing a robust framework for everything else. We bought a bottle on the day and have almost finished it now. Mrs Cascode is a big fan but over time the gloss has worn off for me. At heart this is something of a side-show act – a really good one for sure, but the more I’ve tasted it in comparison to my favourite classic gins the more it seems to be overly-demonstrative. Still, it’s a great gin and arguably the best product currently being made by Moonshiner Distillery. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)57.95 AUD per Bottle -
Moonshiner Margaret Street Signature Gin
Distilled Gin — Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed July 16, 2023 (edited January 10, 2024)Aroma: Light and elegant. Juniper, coriander, some citrus and a peppery note in the foundation. Very much a classic gin nose. Flavour & Texture: More intense than you might think from the nose, showing a well-balanced combination of orange and lime zest (lots of native finger-lime), red fruit and a touch of white pepper. Complex juniper flavours are always present, and the texture is crisp but with a slight creaminess. The appearance is crystal clear. Catching up on my review backlog with a few quick-hit reviews. Moonshiner is a micro-distillery in suburban Sydney which Mrs Cascode and I visited in March 2023. We shared a tasting flight of four gins which were served both neat and with some recommended garnishes and mixers. This gin was served with an optional dried lime wafer and Fever Tree Indian tonic water. We enjoyed this gin a lot and it was our second favourite of the day (second only to the distillery's Aussie Native Gin). We bought a bottle and in subsequent use at home I’ve come to enjoy this even more and it has now become my favourite from the Moonshiner range. It has classic balance and composition with juniper and coriander clearly discerned, but there is also a touch of individuality from the use of native botanicals (finger lime, Dorrigo pepper and lemon myrtle are all obvious). It's a versatile and genteel gin that is packed with interesting flavours and has good length. The only criticism I could make is that it is equivalent in quality to many other fine Australian contemporary gins and lacks that special something that would make it stand out from the pack. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)57.95 AUD per Bottle -
Moonshiner Angel Street Cherry Gin
Flavored Gin — Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed July 16, 2023 (edited January 10, 2024)Aroma: An unusual nose for a gin. Juniper is significantly downplayed and the focus is on cherries and red berries (raspberries?) with an earthy quality. There is a note in the background that I couldn’t pinpoint – maybe almond or macadamia nut? Flavour & Texture: A big, rich and very sweet palate with considerable length. The flavour profile is cherries, citrus and red berries and is almost liqueur-like it is so intense. Juniper is pushed right to the back and the texture is full and dense. The colour is tawny-red and remains so when diluted. Catching up on my review backlog with a few quick-hit reviews. Moonshiner is a micro-distillery in suburban Sydney which Mrs Cascode and I visited in March 2023. We shared a tasting flight of four gins which were served both neat and with some recommended garnishes and mixers. This gin was served with optional star anise, sugar-cured cherries and raspberry-flavoured tonic water(!). We thought it was interesting as an experiment but completely unbalanced and heavy-handed. It’s the sort of thing you try once and don’t actively dislike, but you never feel compelled to try again. Its intense fruity sweetness would appeal to those who have a sweet tooth and want to play with something unusual as a mixer, but it is primarily a novelty. “Average” : 75/100 (2.5 stars)64.95 AUD per Bottle
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