Tastes

Nose: Marshmallow, banana, bubblegum, freshly-sawn timber, stone-fruits, oatmeal, vanilla custard, caramel. As it opens in the glass a little rye spice and Vegemite (!) comes through. Palate: Sweet and soft on the arrival, with an oily texture. The development is slow and limited but shows stewed fruits, cappuccino and a little malted milk. There is a vague reminiscence of bourbon about this. The texture is oily and creamy. Finish: Medium/short. Sweet, fruity, inoffensive but a bit fast. With repeated sips it turns a little sour in the aftertaste. This whisky is fairly new to the Australian market and is the first major product from Archie Rose’s new distillery at Banksmeadow in Sydney. It is now one of the largest whisky distilleries in Australia and their production philosophy rivals that of Waterford in complexity. Six different malts (different strains, toasting, fermentation, etc) are separately distilled before being matured in an array of different casks. The final result is blended and solera-married to create the product. Their two “core” products before now were their “single malt” and “hybrid malted rye” whiskies, both of which are very good – particularly the hybrid malted rye. These are still being produced but this new whisky is a blending of some parts of what constitutes each of the two other malts It is essentially a "lite" blend of malted barley spirit and malted rye spirit targeted at bartenders and home bars. It was launched together with a dry gin and a vodka and the three products form what the distillery is calling its “Fundamental Spirits” range. Put bluntly, this is a marketing exercise by Archie Rose to capture part of the market that is currently dominated by imported spirits. In that context, and at the price, it is a good product that fulfills its mission objective but when compared to any Scottish single malt or blended malt it is decidedly ordinary. However, remember that this is designed as a “cocktail” whisky for mixing, and consider it as such. It is better than I expected and will certainly work well as a mixer, but I doubt I’ll be taking it as a neat dram or buying it again – it’s just not interesting enough. Oh, and the label is one of the worst I have ever seen on a bottle of booze. Honestly, what idiot approved such a banal label? It looks like the packaging you would find on a bottle of bottom-shelf cooking oil. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Nose: The nose is sharp, intense and seemingly aggressive on first contact, but that is deceptive as this needs at least 15 minutes to rest in the glass before any serious analysis can be undertaken. Once the immediate alcohol vapours have dissipated the full bouquet can be appreciated, and my goodness what a wonderful and complex nose it is. Meaty and full-bodied with umami qualities that are off the scale. Smoked ham, barbecued beef, dark soy sauce, perique tobacco, toasted walnuts, Brazil nuts, malt extract, beef consommé and an elegant cloak of rancio. A showpiece of muscular single malt whisky aromas. With the addition of water the nose is initially subdued but over time it returns in a gentler and arguably even better integrated form, but I did miss the sublime presence of the neat nose. Over extended time a sweet honeyed aroma comes through. 9/10 Palate: A sweet, heavy, unctuous arrival that explodes into a sumptuous array of oloroso-cask influences. This intense sherry presence builds and builds over time, extending into the final echoes of the aftertaste but never taking control or masking the panoply of complex flavor facets. The sherry is half of the experience but it shares the stage with many other fine actors. Tobacco, leather, nuts, chocolate, coffee and old, old oak. Water lowers the intensity of the palate but adds integration and evolves a touch of spice (ginger, cinnamon) which is very pleasant. Water does not harm the palate but neither is it preferable – just different. Personally I preferred it neat. The texture is what angels dream about. 10/10. Finish: Stewed fruits, sherry and oak trailing into an exquisitely long and increasingly dry aftertaste. It's captivating and has incredible persistence. I was still tasting this whisky an hour after finishing the dram and it was continuing to unfurl on the palate. Water has little effect on the finish apart from bringing out further dry, briny notes that are very pleasant. 9/10. A magnificent single malt whisky, and a privilege to taste. Hidden Spirits simply hit this one right out of the park. It's a wonderful experience from start to finish with the trademark Ben Nevis gritty, bold, west highland distillate character expertly illuminated by sherry maturation. This is far removed from the usual suspect sweet sherry monsters of Speyside or the eastern highlands. It is a magisterial whisky that was 100% matured in a very fine ex-oloroso cask (#BN9819) and while the sherry influence is right in your face for the entirety of the experience it never seems intrusive. It’s a masterpiece and I only wish I could find another bottle. I ended up nursing this dram for almost 2 hours, enjoying it first neat and then watered to about 45%. The one comfort I have is that the core-range Ben Nevis 10 year old still gets you a long way towards the rapture of this whisky at an affordable price. Ben Nevis has always been one of my favourite distilleries and this whisky reinforces my long-held conviction that the west coast of the Scottish highlands (together with the neighbouring Hebridean islands and the Kintyre peninsula) is where all the best whisky comes from. “Outstanding” : 91/100 (5 stars)

Waterford Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, November 27th 2023, Whisky #6 Nose: A strong, clear aroma of almost greasy, oily peat smoke. Chocolate, roasted nuts, coffee and underneath it all (instead of being in the forefront as usual with Waterford) there is the signature fragrant white-bread and gristy cereal distillate. Palate: Big, oily and mouth-coating smoky arrival. Espresso, chicory, chocolate, herbs, and a touch of brine show up in the later palate. Finish: Long. Smoked cereal, fruit and berry flavours that slowly fade into a distant echo. A satisfying and very well integrated peated whisky. At 74ppm this is the most heavily peated whisky that Waterford has yet released, and the character of the peating is more like an Islay whisky than anything they have done before. In fact, this is somewhat reminiscent of Port Charlotte Heavily Peated. Distilled in 2019 and bottled in mid 2023, this is technically 3 years old. Maturation was approximately 1/3 virgin US and French oak, 1/3 first-fill ex-bourbon barrel and 1/3 vin doux naturel cask so this shows more cask-influence than is typical for Waterford, with sweet vanilla and berry notes being contributed. The fact that this is barely noticeable is testament to the excellent integration with the peat smoke. As with the Peated Fenniscourt I tasted prior to this expression, there were no rubbery, sulphurous aromas or off-notes on the palate whatsoever, either neat or when watered. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)

Waterford Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, November 27th 2023, Whisky #5 Nose: Crisp, fresh barley grist, warm herb bread, goat’s cheese, feta, a light cloak of herbal, earthy peat (since writing this I’ve looked at other reviews and many mention rubber notes, but I did not get any hint at all of thiols or sulphides. In fact, I particularly noted their absence). Palate: Sweet and cereal in the arrival with excellent oiliness. Berries and orchard fruits in the background of the later palate and an overall mild, dry smoke presence. It’s an elegant, restrained and relaxed style of peating that I did not expect from a nominal 38ppm level. Finish: Medium/long. Fresh bread, a dusting of pepper. The peat smoke eases gradually into the aftertaste with a gentle return to sweetness. Totally unlike any Islay peated whisky, and not very similar to peated whisky from any other part of Scotland either, but neither is this like any peated Irish whiskey I’ve had. It’s very much its own thing and the more you explore it the more it reveals its Waterford distillate foundation with clean, perfectly produced malted barley distillate at the heart of proceedings. This was part of the Arcadian Series, distilled in 2018 and bottled in 2022 but technically just 3 years of age. Maturation was in virgin American and French oak, with a smaller component aged in vin doux naturel casks. In many ways, this whisky is a peated expression of Waterford’s Knockroe Edition 1.1. A very impressive whisky that exemplifies how delightful young peated whisky can be, and how dull and lifeless many products from the major distilleries have become regardless of (and maybe even because of) greater age. I loved it and bought a bottle on the night. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)

Waterford Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, November 27th 2023, Whisky #3 Nose: Clean, crisp barley aromas with buttery weight. There is a slight fruity fragrance of pears and apples and the same bready, yeasty notes I get on all Waterford whiskies. As is typical for Waterford the cask influence is subtle and elegant to the point of being almost undetectable. Palate: The arrival is all about creamy barley flavours and these persist through the palate with just a hint of stone-fruits and orchard fruits appearing later. The texture is oily, unctious and satisfying. Like other Waterford whiskies there is a chalky, peppery quality, but it is very reserved and gentle. Finish: Medium/long. Creamy cereals, baked rolls. This single-farm expression was distilled in 2018 and bottled in 2023 as a special release for the distillery’s “Growers Gathering”, a celebration event held for their growers and suppliers. Maturation was in virgin American and French oak. Only 600 bottles were made and none was available for export. The tasting event I attended in Sydney on November 27th was hosted by Mark Reynier, the owner of Waterford, as part of an Australian visit so I assume a few bottles were shipped here specifically for the tastings, or were perhaps donated by local collectors. It’s a very good whisky that stands as a fine example of what Waterford is all about – purity, integrity of production and innovation. It was my second favourite dram of the evening, and I rated it one percentage point less than Knockroe Edition 1.1. I rated that one higher as I felt that it had just a fraction more complexity and interest from the wine cask contribution. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)

Waterford Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, November 27th 2023, Whisky #2 Nose: A full-bodied but crisp and clean expression of barley. Fragrant, but not simply fruity nor floral – it’s a cereal fragrance with just a tiny hint of stone-fruit. There is also a bready note as of baking white bread rolls and a savory, umami quality like sliced mushrooms in butter sauce. There is no sign of overt cask influence. Palate: The arrival is beautifully textured, being creamy and velvety, and this smooth, oily richness persists right through to the aftertaste. I noted freshly milled cereal and fresh but very reserved stone fruits (nectarines and apricots). There is a chalky flavour like goat’s cheese and some white pepper but again these are restrained aspects and they act as spice for the cereal rather than being big flavours that stand out. The mouthfeel is simply scrumptious. Finish: Medium/long. Creamy oatmeal, fresh bread with butter and a hint of lemon. The finish is better described as “slow” rather than long. It has persistence, but not because of intensity, it is instead easy, smooth and languid. This single-farm expression was distilled in 2016 and bottled in 2020 as an exclusive release for the South African market. Somehow a few bottles made their way to Australia, I think through club releases, and one bottle was opened for the tasting. Maturation was in virgin American and French oak (as is the case for all Waterford whiskies) but also vin doux natural wine casks. It’s a lovely whisky with exquisite integration and it's the best Waterford I’ve tasted so far. For me it stood above all the others on the night due to its exceptionally fine texture and the restrained hint of sweetness that was no doubt due to the sweet wine casks. I found it very appealing and would have bought a bottle in a heartbeat, but sadly none were available. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

Nose: Apples, pears, vanilla, honey, butter, diluted malt extract. Palate: Sweet arrival, again all on orchard fruits and honey. The development and later palate sees a lot of strong, hot flavours appearing. Initially white pepper, then chili, then finally hot ginger, and all these facets are sitting above a raw alcohol prickle. The texture is silky but there is also a harsh edge. Finish: Short. Barley sugar fading to … nothing. I bought this about 6 months ago but have only just opened it. The code is L2324DM003 so this is almost certainly a 2022 bottling. I have rarely tasted a Singleton whisky that I’ve liked, and I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a good whisky from the Dufftown Distillery. Their distillate is hard, industrial and rough – all characteristics showcased in this expression. It starts off very well on the nose, with a profile that is narrow and simple, but good. Orchard fruits, malted cereal and pleasant ex-bourbon barrel vanilla and butter. It’s a crisp summery sort of nose that draws you back for more. The palate begins in the same manner but then a good deal of hot tannic spice intrudes and derails the experience. The finish is very short, with barely any aftertaste at all apart from a little sourness. The bottle information says ex-PX sherry seasoned barrels were partly used for the maturation, and I’m guessing that is where some of the heat derives. They must have been either the lowest grade of seasoned casks or else old multi-refill because all they contributed was tannin. The best way to consume this is with lots of cola soft drink and ice, which highlights the ginger notes on the palate in a very positive way. I would not recommend it as a neat dram – there are affordable blends that are better than this. “Adequate” : 73/100 (2.25 stars)