Reviews
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Karu Outcask
Aged Rum — Grose Vale, NSW, Australia
Reviewed January 17, 2026 (edited January 25, 2026)Nose: Dark sugars, apricot, stewed peach, tropical fruit juice, almond. Over time a sweet demerara sugar aroma comes forward. Palate: The arrival is nutty and sweet, but not at all heavy, and there is a sprightly green apple-skin agricole note that grows as the palate develops. This gives a dry quality to the rum and although it is balanced by tropical fruit and dark honey the grassy agricole personality stays central. The texture becomes creamier as it progresses. Finish: Medium/Short. Grass, citrus, sultanas and brioche. Karu is a young distillery located in the foothills of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. They began by producing some excellent gin and a few years later brought their aged rum to market. Karu Outcask is produced from molasses with a fermentation time of 14 days. It is then distilled in a 600 litre pot still and aged in ex-whisky barrels for 2-4 years. Production uses a solera-inspired system in which selected aged barrels are first blended into marrying tuns, then when a batch is created half of the married rum is transferred to a flocking vat and reduced with rainwater. The marrying tuns are then topped-up. This system ensures complexity and consistency. The rum is non-chill filtered and may louche when diluted, which I always take as a good sign. This is a good rum and a great example of the style of modern rum that is coming out of Australia. Although almost all of our rum is produced from molasses there is a ubiquitous agricole personality to our modern rum (the older brands like Bundaberg and Beenleigh do not have this). Initially I was going to give this 4 stars but when I looked at my tasting journal that would have put it on the same shelf as Doorly’s 12 year old and I didn’t think it was quite that good, so I’m giving it 3.75 which equates it with Worthy Park Single Estate and Penny Blue, which sounds right to me. PS- My bottle was from batch number 2 and since then the label has changed. Also, I made an error in the listing as this rum is 46% abv, not 45%. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)123.0 AUD per Bottle -
Glenfarclas Oloroso Sherry Cask 2012 Vintage
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed January 17, 2026 (edited January 25, 2026)Nose: Dark fruit cake, mixed nuts, dark honey, tropical fruit, fresh croissants and a dusting of cinnamon. Over time as it develops in the glass the familiar Glenfarclas floral notes appear. Palate: Sweet and malty on the arrival with soft cinnamon and nutmeg. The rich fruitcake qualities typical of sherry-cask maturation (and all Glenfarclas) emerge in the developed palate along with dark chocolate and espresso. The texture is firm and full-bodied, but not dense. Finish: Medium/Long. Mild spice notes, chocolate and dark ale. This whisky was a limited edition bottled in 2022 for The Whisky Club in Australia, and it is a 10 year old that could be termed a “small batch” product. It differs from standard 10 year old Glenfarclas in being fully sherry-cask matured with all the casks used being filled in the same year (so not quite a vintage release). It is a cask-strength expression with the 51.7% abv content the result of blending two or three selected casks, at least one of which had probably lost a lot to the angels. Interestingly, there was another limited edition 2012/2022 10 year old they released for LMDW at the same time but it was at 60.9 abv, so I can’t help but wonder if the Whisky Club release was a “little sister” spin-off and LMDW got the very best casks. A very pleasant Glenfarclas, but then I seldom dislike anything they produce. This one stands somewhere between their core-range 10 and 15 year olds in character, and it’s most similar to the 15 (and quite distinct from the core 12 year old). Adding water lightens the nose and brings out some oak aromas, but it also makes the palate a little astringent, so I’d suggest taking this one neat. I don’t think this would be easy to find now but if you did see it on an auction site for a reasonable price it is worth obtaining. I paid AUD$135 in 2022. “Good” 84/100 (3.75 stars)135.0 AUD per Bottle -
Ettaler Kloster Liqueur Heidelbeer
Fruit Liqueurs — Bavaria, Germany
Reviewed December 24, 2025 (edited January 25, 2026)Colour: Bright red, like a light red wine. Aroma: Freshly mascerated berries. Flavour & Texture: Sweet but surprisingly hot considering the relatively low alcohol content. It’s moderately sweet but certainly not cloying. I thought this would have a more robust blueberry flavor but it seemed a little simplistic and thin. Maybe I just expected heavier sweetness but although it was enjoyable it lacked something. This was from a pack of 5 liqueur miniatures we bought from Ettal Benedictine monastery in Bavaria and this was the one that I thought was the least interesting. Its purity and lack of artifice makes it better than average, but only just. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)18.99 EUR per Bottle -
Ettaler Kloster Bitter
Bitter Liqueurs — Bavaria, Germany
Reviewed December 24, 2025 (edited January 25, 2026)Colour: Amber. Aroma: Cola nut, coal dust, root extracts (sarsaparilla, licorice), earth. Flavour & Texture: Bitter and earthy with baking spice and root extracts solidly in charge. The bitterness builds over time with tannin, cinchona bark and dandelion notable. There is no sweetness at all and the texture is hefty but not thick. Earthy bark-extract flavours linger on the palate. This reminded me strongly of some Italian ferro-china amari I’ve tasted in the past. It is certainly distinctive and would appeal to those who enjoy bitter digestifs, but these things are an acquired taste and this was a little too full-on for me. It might be interesting in some cocktails where it could balance sweetness, but I’m not inclined to experiment. This was from a pack of 5 liqueur miniatures we bought from Ettal Benedictine monastery in Bavaria. This is not the sort of thing I usually enjoy, but I can tell it is well made and a good example of a bitter. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)18.99 EUR per Bottle -
Ammergauer Heuliqueur (Ettaler Kloster)
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — Bavaria, Germany
Reviewed December 24, 2025 (edited January 25, 2026)Colour: Pale gold. Aroma: Meadow flowers, a barn filled with fragrant hay. Flavour & Texture: Sweet arrival with earthy spice and herb flavours. There is a little heat and a peppery note. The texture is full but not cloying and it has a very warming quality. The taste of hay lingers for a long time. I’ve never tasted a hay liqueur before but this certainly delivers positively on what you would expect. It smells and tastes grassy but not with a bright chlorophyll character. Instead it warm, cosy, earthy and genuinely makes you feel like you are resting on sweet-smelling hay bales in a barn. I thought it was delightful. Mrs Cascode thought at first it had a soapy aroma but once I told her this is mountain hay (and probably flowers) she got it at once. This was from a pack of 5 liqueur miniatures we bought from Ettal Benedictine monastery in Bavaria. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)18.99 EUR per Bottle -
Ettaler Kloster Liqueur Gelb
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — Bavaria, Germany
Reviewed December 24, 2025 (edited January 25, 2026)Colour: Pale straw. Aroma: Orange, lemon, subtle herbal notes. Flavour & Texture: Sweet and fully focused on citrus flavours. The texture is full. This is an unusual liqueur that is very much citrus in character but completely unlike triple sec or any orange liqueur you’ve ever tasted. There is a lot of herbal complexity behind it and in some ways it is reminiscent of limoncello. It is very sweet but not cloying. This has a slight similarity to the Ettaler Grun liqueur I previously reviewed here but it lacks the fresh, floral spearmint notes and instead amplifys the citrus qualities and more robust seed-spices. I’m giving it the same rating. This was from a pack of 5 liqueur miniatures we bought from Ettal Benedictine monastery in Bavaria. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)18.99 EUR per Bottle -
Ettaler Kloster Liqueur Grün
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — Bavaria, Germany
Reviewed December 24, 2025 (edited January 25, 2026)Colour: Very pale green, almost colourless. Aroma: Citrus, spearmint, a hint of oregano?, light floral aromas. Flavour & Texture: Sweet and herbal with a spearmint quality and there is a floral, citrus overtone. The texture is full. A very unusual and pleasant liqueur which is not quite like anything else I have tasted. It’s akin to green Chartreuse but much milder in strength and composition and it has a crisp freshness on both nose and palate. Mrs Cascode nosed it and said it reminded her of citrus or herbal scented dishwashing liquid which sounds awful but she’s dead right. Then she tasted it and said it reminded her of mild herbal toothpaste, and again I'd completely agree. Both those notes may sound negative that's not the case at all – it’s just reminiscent of those aromas and flavours in a positive manner. This was from a pack of 5 liqueur miniatures we bought from Ettal Benedictine monastery in Bavaria. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)18.95 EUR per Bottle -
Schrobbelèr
Herbal/Spice Liqueurs — Tilburg, Netherlands
Reviewed December 24, 2025 (edited January 25, 2026)Colour: Russet gold, like dark amber. Aroma: Honey, spices (clove, nutmeg, caraway), citrus peel (orange, lemon) and numerous herbal aromas (anise, sage, thyme). Flavour & Texture: Sweet in the arrival with the honey and fruit notes from the nose immediately apparent, and these are followed by mild spice flavours. The aftertaste is pleasant and the sweet arrival is gradually replaced by a very gentle citrus and herbal bitterness, which is a nice balance. The texture is light. The nose is complex and dominated by three things: honey, citrus peel and spices. The palate is the same and overall this liqueur reminds me of spiced mead or the spiced apple-wine you find at some European Christmas markets. The texture is light rather than syrupy and together with the relatively low alcohol content that also makes the liqueur seem more like a spiced fruit or honey wine. I'm enjoying the bottle I bought but I don't think I'd bother buying it again. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle -
Blankenheym & Nolet Oude Genever
Genever — Schiedam, Netherlands
Reviewed December 13, 2025 (edited January 25, 2026)Aroma: Light, sweet spice and herbal aromas. Juniper, citrus, cardamom, cumin, orris root. Blanketing all this is the expected malty new-make whisky fragrance typical of genever. Palate: Sweet and very mildly spicy arrival. A host of seed spices (fennel, caraway), soft anise and a touch of pepper. There is a gentle touch of supporting vanilla, caramel and malt extract flavours. The texture is excellently rich and full. Finish: Medium/Long. Caramel, spice, vanilla and malt. This is a delicious oude genever, one of the best I’ve tried. It does not have the pine-aroma you detect in some others (Bols, for example) but that’s neither good nor bad, just a difference. It also does not have the brine note some genever shows. Overall this makes the nose sweet and cosy. The palate is silky and oily, which is typical, and again it veers towards sweetness with a distinct caramel tinge. Genever is often described as the “ancestor of gin” (which is true), but it is also a vibrant, contemporary spirit with more complexity than dry gin. Over the years I’ve been turning to it more and more and I now almost always have a bottle open in the bar. It is traditionally taken as a shot, but you ignore its use in cocktails at your peril. Remember that all of the old cocktails from the late 19th and early 20th centuries were based on genever (or Hollands Gin, as it was called) and not London dry. Try making a negroni or any other classic gin cocktail with genever and it just might change your life. I frequently use it in a G&T instead of gin, but yes I know that this might be considered sacrilege by some! “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)84.95 AUD per Bottle -
Aroma: Fragrant juniper, citrus, coriander, rosemary, a floral note (maybe lavender?) and an earthy background aroma (licorice?). It’s a good gin nose. Taste & Texture: Pleasant arrival with lots of flavour and intensity. Juniper, rosemary and coriander are obvious and there is a more subtle supporting presence of licorice and floral notes. The distillation was well handled with excellent extraction of the botanicals. The texture is oily and full. This is a well-made and balanced gin with distinct presence, but it’s not a sledgehammer. There is complexity and enough weight for the profile to show through clearly in mixed drinks. It made a very good G&T and I think it would also make an interesting negroni. It apparently has a huge number of botanicals in the recipe, which seems to be a German thing. Recommend, but I don’t know if it is available outside Germany. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)35.0 EUR per Bottle
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