Tastes
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Black Gate BG095 Australian Peated Single Malt
Single Malt — Mendooran, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed April 30, 2023 (edited May 22, 2023)Nose (neat): At first all I noticed were gentle, demure cereal aromas – grist, oatmeal porridge, and barley sugar. Then later there was a hint of vanilla, subtle oak and a suggestion of peat smoke. This is a spirit-driven nose and it’s extremely tight when neat. However, allowing the dram to sit in the glass for a while works magic and the longer you leave it the larger it becomes. Over time it gains considerable presence as the initial aromas blossom and are joined by emerging mint, sweeter barley sugar, anise and an aromatic texture of rich, pillowy fullness. Nose (watered): Adding water mellows and softens the nose while also unleashing peat smoke. The smoke never gains anything like the force or intensity of, say, Ardbeg but then it’s not trying to be a peat monster. This is more like the sort of peating you expect from Longrow, Glengyle or Benromach. The dry-glass aroma is distant bushfire smoke. Palate (neat): Sweet, muscular, with an intense malty and cereal arrival and slowly building peat smoke. Burnt grass, digestive biscuits, coffee and dried dates in the development. It’s firm and nearly astringent on the palate as tannins, grapefruit zest, green apple skins and dark almost-burnt Anzac biscuits smeared with golden syrup appear in the late development. This whisky has progression and the texture is creamy and satisfying. Palate (watered): The palate gains more body and sweetness, with peat smoke and menthol expanding and playing off against dark cherry preserve, rhubarb tart, sour ginger pickle and lemon zest. The smoke presence is more evident now. Finish (neat): Long. Spicy malt and well contained tannins dance into the sunset to the accompaniment of moderate peat smoke. When watered the finish becomes more spritzy with lingering ginger, bright tannins and peppermint. It loses no length in the process (I thought it actually gained length with dilution) and the aftertaste has a hint of ashy chimney smoke. Many minutes after finishing the dram the last echo of flavour is sweet, mild peat smoke. Black Gate is one of the world’s smallest whisky distilleries. It was founded by husband and wife team Brian and Genise Hollingworth in 2009 in a region of country NSW that experiences extreme temperature variations, from below freezing to 40 degrees Celsius in the summer. They produce about 4,000 litres of spirit annually from their two small direct-fired pot stills. This particular bottling was distilled in April 2018, matured in an ex-bourbon cask (distillery cask BG095) and bottled in June 2021. Only 355 bottles were produced of which mine is number 239. The peated malt for the expression was sourced from either Bairds or Smiths in Scotland. This is a big peated single-cask, cask-strength single malt but it also has a lighter and more delicate side to its personality. Occasionally the nose seems almost candy-like and on initial nosing it reminded me of the Ardnamurchan AD/09:22 cask strength I recently reviewed, with which it shares a quality of subtle, uncomplicated purity. There is heat from the relatively high alcohol strength but it is contained and pleasant – in fact heat is more obvious with dilution as spices show through. Adding a second dilution reduces the whisky to a purring but slightly cantankerous kitten – I eventually took it down to around 25% abv and it was still forceful. How Brian manages to create a whisky of such power but retain a graceful profile while maturing it in small casks in extreme temperatures for just on 2-4 years is beyond my comprehension. Initially Black Gate produced rum and unpeated single malt whisky but since 2016 their focus has been on heavily peated single malt, although unpeated runs are occasionally still done. Originally Brian always used sherry, port and rum casks for maturation but of late he has been using bourbon barrels which allow the distillate character to show through more clearly. I’m in two minds as to which I prefer – the enormous cask-driven flavor of his apera (sherry) expressions or the more focused and clear profile of this one. Regardless of the casking, every issue from Black Gate shares the trait of being a true one-off batch release, unchillfiltered, uncoloured and usually at cask strength from a single-cask. There is a consistent distillery signature of cereal texture, depth and richness, however there is also great variation between batches and every expression should be listed separately. Black Gate is without question one of my top 5 Australian whisky distilleries. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)219.0 AUD per Bottle -
Black Gate BG068 Australian Peated Single Malt
Single Malt — Mendooran, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed April 30, 2023 (edited May 1, 2023)This review was originally posted here in a general listing for Black Gate whisky on 19 January 2020. I’ve moved it to this listing for the specific expression for reasons that will be obvious. Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 1), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 16 January 2020, Whisky #6 Nose: Highly phenolic peat smoke, lemon oil, bacon fat and a faint hint of fruity caramel in the background. Palate: Sweet smoke, red berries and stone fruit (golden peach and apricot) on the arrival. The development veers more towards sweet citrus (tangerine and lemon) and the smoke evolves into a meaty barbecue quality. The texture is oily and full. Finish: Medium/long. The fruit flavours subside and the aftertaste is lingering sweet smoke. This is a robust, heavily peated, single-cask, cask-strength single malt of great character. There is no heat at all from the high alcohol content and it is delicious neat. It can, however, take as much water as you wish to throw into it and suffers no ill effects, simply expanding and softening as it dilutes. Black Gate is one of the world’s smallest whisky distilleries. Founded by husband and wife team Brian and Genise Hollingworth in 2009 in a region of country NSW that experiences extreme temperature variations, from below freezing to 40 degrees Celsius in the summer. They produce about 4,000 litres of spirit annually from their two small direct-fired pot stills. Initially the distillery produced rum and unpeated single malt whisky but since 2016 the focus has been on heavily peated single malt. This particular bottling was distilled in April 2017, matured in a re-coopered ex-port cask (distillery cask BG068) bottled in December 2019. The peated malt for the expression was sourced from Smiths in Scotland. Every bottling from Black Gate is a batch expression, usually from a single-cask, and there is a constant distillery signature of heavily textured depth and richness. However there is also great variation between batches depending on the type of cask used, and every expression really should be listed separately. Highly recommended, and probably the best heavily peated Australian single malt I’ve tasted. It has a profile that lies somewhere between Laphroaig Lore and Glendronach 18 year old, but it is really its own thing. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)175.0 AUD per Bottle -
Ledaig 2008 12 Year Old Hermitage Cask Finish-Connoisseurs Choice
Single Malt — Isle of Mull, Scotland
Reviewed April 29, 2023 (edited May 14, 2023)Nose: Sweet peat smoke with malt, red wine and sherry notes showing through. Some orchard fruit and coal smoke as it opens together with crisp, light herbal aromas. There is a subtle and elegant presence of oak cask. Nicely balanced. Palate: Soft, sweet entry with foundation peat smoke. Juicy red berries and grapes on the mid palate set against a mild base of soft tannins, just a pinch of white pepper, a few drops of sea water and a twist of sweet lemon zest. The texture is fairly neutral. Finish: Medium. Soft and relaxed smoke and red fruit notes. A very pleasant and easily approachable whisky, if not an earth-shatteringly impressive one. It shows the signature profile characteristics of the distillery’s contemporary style and is clean, well composed and well casked. This whisky is part of Gordon & MacPhail’s “Wood Finished Connoisseurs Choice” range and it is the least expensive expression in that range. In fact it is only a little more expensive than the whiskies in the G&M entry-level Discovery range, which makes it good value for money. It was distilled in 2008 and bottled on the 8th of October 2020 in a release of 4440 bottles. Maturation was initially in refill sherry hogsheads for 9 years, followed by 3 years of finishing in northern Rhone hermitage casks (which most likely contained red shiraz varietal wine). The strength of 45% abv was well chosen and gives just enough presence to the whisky. The wine cask finish does tend to obscure the distillate character just a bit, and you lose some of the porridge, bread and grassy notes of the Tobermory new-make, but the casks also provide a very agreeable complimentary component of juicy red-berries and grapes, so no complaints from me. The profile is relatively straightforward but that is not a problem when all the elements are pleasant and in balance, as here. The only criticism I would make is that the palate lacks a little in density. My initial nosing of this whisky gave me a very good impression and I started thinking “hmm, 4.25 stars?”. However when I tasted it I automatically knocked off a half point. It’s not the proof that is at issue here or any problem with balance or character – that’s all fine – it is a slight lack of weight and structure. If this was just a little more oily or creamy on the palate it would be a very good whisky rather than just a good one. However as I said that’s not a fault as such, it just positions it in a different niche where it is less a whisky to pour for discerning whisky mates and more a cosy dram to relax with as a nightcap or companion to an old late-night movie. The less you analyse this one and the more you just relax and enjoy it the better it gets, and it’s one of the few whiskies that I much prefer without any dilution. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)170.0 AUD per Bottle -
Ardnamurchan AD/09.22 Cask Strength
Single Malt — Scotland
Reviewed April 24, 2023 (edited November 7, 2023)Nose (neat): Initially there is almost nothing other than distant notes of oatmeal but after a time there are discernable wisps of peat smoke and a faint buttery, citric and woody aroma reminiscent of an oaky chardonnay. After 5 minutes the nose begins to open and it continues to do so for a long time, displaying maritime minerals and subtle fruit notes, particularly a hint of sweet apple. Don’t even think of hurrying your tasting of this. Nose (watered): Softer and considerably more revealing. The whisky seems to relax almost immediately when water is added and over time it evolves into a richer, denser form with gentle smoke and baked apples on display. A little caramel and vanilla are apparent after a good time to rest in the glass. Palate (neat): The arrival has grippy tannins (but it is not astringent) and focuses on dry maritime peat smoke with background orchard fruits and lemon zest. Mild pepper and paprika spices emerge in the later development and the texture is drying but with a neutral density – it’s certainly not thin. Palate (watered): Considerably sweeter and with greater weight. The peat smoke and tannins meld into a satisfying leathery tobacco note with spicy overtones and the texture becomes silky and creamy. Given time the watered form sees the smoke component of the profile increase. Finish: Medium/long. The peppery qualities of the late palate continue into the aftertaste and the ashy smoke seems to build slightly until it and a crisp briny taste are the last presence. Water sweetens the finish a good deal but allows the final briny presence to survive. This is a subtle and understated whisky that is reminiscent of the annual cask strength Talisker Special Releases. It has a singularly elegant presentation with a purity that borders on austerity when neat, but which changes to a more sweetly enticing form with dilution. It is not complex but very revealing of the raw ingredients and you must give it time to evolve in the glass - otherwise you are just wasting the whisky and your own time. Most critically, it is only when watered that this whisky shows its true form and I cannot recommend adding water strongly enough. To a 1oz/30ml dram add half a teaspoon and wait 5-10 minutes. If there is no haze showing by then add another half teaspoon and wait again, and so on until the mist rises. That’s when it is perfect. Without water this is a cerebrally interesting whisky for sure, but it is only with dilution that it becomes delicious and really compelling. Although this is a young spirit it is a very good one, and I imagine a few more years in the cask will evolve it into something really excellent. This is a whisky enthusiasts’ whisky where the malty heart is the star of the show, as it should be. It’s not blanketed by a wine finish and the smoke presence is subtle and provides foundation while not shouting its presence. Bravo. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars) -------------------------------------------------------- Update 13 May 2023 - Bottle half consumed. I'm very impressed with how this has opened, given a little time and oxygen. Everything is more intense and "full" than initially experienced, and the neat pour has lost a lot of its former tension. It has become buttery, way more smoky and full-flavoured. I'm increasing my rating by a full half point here. This is an excellent single malt whisky, particularly given its comparative youth. Marvellous. Ardnamurchan is doing wonderful things. “Very Good” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)140.0 AUD per Bottle -
Moonshiner Lennox Street Nocino Walnut Gin
Flavored Gin — Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed April 22, 2023 (edited May 1, 2023)Appearance: Dark sienna. When viewed against a strong light it is almost opaque. The meniscus shows a slight haze indicating suspended particulates. Aroma: Coffee, chocolate, vanilla, dried dates, a hint of aromatic spices and citrus. Flavour & Texture: Sweet arrival with toffee and vanilla. The later palate has dried fruit, chocolate and warming spices. The texture has weight but it’s not syrupy. The alcohol content is most apparent in the finish and aftertaste as a warm glow, but it is very well contained. A bitter tinge develops as it opens on the palate but again this is well contained. Moonshiner Co. is a micro distillery located in a small two-room shop on a busy road between the Sydney suburbs of Newtown and Marrickville. The front room houses a neat little tasting area, a bottle display and sales/bar counter while the back room is the distillery. It’s charming, down-to-earth and I loved it immediately. We tasted a flight of four gins and were given a free pour of this nocino walnut gin, and we enjoyed it enough to buy a 100ml sample bottle to try again later. We also bought a large bottle each of their Aussie Native and Signature gins (reviews incoming soon). Moonshiner is a collaboration between four gin lovers who started out making compounded gin and have now scaled things up to distilled gin. The still is custom designed and the distillery is largely self-built, which is great to see. On their website they suggest using this nocino gin with tonic, but I did not think that was particularly successful. Although it is not overly sweet this seems to me as much a liqueur as a flavoured gin, and my favourite way to enjoy it is as a digestif with a cup of black coffee. The profile has more in common with coffee liqueurs than any gin I can think of. The price given below is for a 500ml bottle, but the 100ml sample we bought was $15.00 “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)65.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Ethanol, rice spirit, sweet pickle brine, water from reconstituting dried mushrooms, steamed vegetables and sesame oil. The profile is built around a strong umami presence. Palate: Sweet and somewhat oily arrival. Neutral cereal and earthy vegetal flavours (boiled rice, buckwheat, steamed yams, rehydrated black fungus). The texture is full and arguably the most pleasant aspect of the palate. Finish: Medium. Strong brine and cereal flavours turning just a fraction sour, and a very mild, earthy and almost citric aftertaste. This is the first of three reviews I’ll be doing of baijiu. I’ve already tasted each of the bottles in question and I’m starting with the one I liked least. Red Star is one of the most famous and best selling examples of "ergoutou", a name which translates as “head of the second pot” and relates to the distillation process. To be honest I don’t completely understand this but I don’t think it simply means the same as “double distilled” in the context of western distilling culture. It is hugely popular in Beijing and northern China where a bottle costs just a few dollars, and it is a good example of the “light aroma” style, which is one of the four main aroma types of baijiu. You may have read or heard a description of baijiu as “Chinese vodka” but that is generally incorrect and misleading. However in the specific case of light aroma style baijiu you could describe it as being akin to a flavoured vodka where the flavouring is earthy, funky and coming from the fermentation, and not just the result of adding flavouring agents to neutral spirit. In fact rather than vodka I’d say “Chinese gin” is closer to the mark, if you can imagine a gin where the critical flavouring ingredient is dried mushrooms rather than juniper. The instant I nosed this for the first time the words “Victory Gin” flashed into my mind (in George Orwell’s book "1984" Victory Gin was the only alcohol product available to outer party workers and it is described as having “a sickly, oily smell, as of Chinese rice-spirit”). Baijiu is typically consumed in shots, often in a group setting or at a meal. I found it much easier to take if I followed a shot with a drink of water, which sort of gels with it being something to accompany food. The comments you will probably come across describing this as awful smelling and tasting are exaggerated, and although it is not a spirit that is at all to my taste it is undoubtedly well made. This was by far the least impressive of the three baijiu I will be reviewing (the other two are both "strong" aroma style) and in the final analysis you drink this primarily just to get drunk. Victory Gin, indeed. “Adequate” : 70/100 (2 stars)49.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Sweet malt, caramel, butterscotch. Palate: Sweet arrival on red apples, barley sugar, malt and cereal. It’s a straightforward palate but very pleasant and extremely easy to drink. The texture is good and has a pleasant creaminess. Finish: Medium/short. Floral/fruity and sweet trailing into a micro-dash of ginger syrup and a faint sheen of ash. Bonailie is a blended malt created by Bladnoch distillery. The component malts are not identified but I’d hazard a guess that there is some Bladnoch in here and maybe also something from the recently opened Glasgow Distillery. There’s also something about the profile that reminds me of Johnnie Walker so it would not surprise me if there is some foundation malt in here sourced from a Diageo workhorse distillery like Blair Athol, Benrinnes or Dailuaine. Hmm, maybe it's Cardhu - that would certainly mesh with other sweet malts. This is obviously being positioned against Naked Grouse and Monkey Shoulder, and to be honest I think it is the best of the three. However, some may find it too sweet and prefer the more neutral maltiness of Monkey Shoulder – fair enough. Perfectly acceptable as a daily sipper or in mixed drinks. It can take to ice without losing too much presence and it’s benign enough to take as a breakfast dram (although I prefer a smoky scotch in my morning black coffee). At the price it is good value, and a recommended buy in its niche. I'm surprised that this is the first review for it here as it has been out for a few months - maybe it is not distributed in North America? “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)57.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Tropical fruit, citrus, mint, buttery caramel. Palate: Sweet arrival with tropical fruits and a green vegetable background. The texture is creamy and silky but crisp. Finish: Medium. Fruity and mildly smoky with lingering sweet notes. A quick snapshot review – I tasted this at a local liquor shop pop-up stall. This is one of two core-range mescals from Burrito Fiestro, and is labelled as their “Cenizo” expression as it is made from 100% wild Agave Durangensis (cenizo) that is gathered at an age of 12 years. Very pleasant. It’s less spicy and more sweetly floral than the stablemate “Ensamble” expression and like that one it is also a good mescal and fair value, but not in the top echelon. The two expressions have different profiles but are equally enjoyable. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)99.0 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Sweet green capsicum, a little smoke, some mild spice (paprika? white pepper?). Palate: Green vegetal flavours (green peppers, asparagus, artichoke), a waft of mint and some grilled tropical fruit. A spice note grows as it sits on the palate. The texture is good, being soft but a little flinty and mineralic. Finish: Medium. Fruity with a little lingering smoke and spice. A quick snapshot review – I tasted this at a local liquor shop pop-up stall. This is one of two core-range mescals from Burrito Fiestro, and is labelled as their “Ensamble” expression as it is made from two agave types, Agave Salmiana Cassispina (verde) and Agave Durangensis (cenizo), both of which are wild gathered at an age of 12 years. Very pleasant. It’s certainly a good mescal, if not one that sits on the very top shelf, and it’s fair value. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)99.0 AUD per Bottle
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Pōkeno Origin (The Whisky Club Edition)
Single Malt — Pōkeno, New Zealand
Reviewed April 15, 2023 (edited May 1, 2023)Nose: Pear, green apple, coconut flakes, barley wort, a green herbal note and a trace of mango. Palate: The arrival is semi-sweet malt with a pleasantly dry spice quality and then the mid-palate turns curiously spritzy, almost effervescent, which is very unusual. As this tingling sensation fades some fruit notes, treacle and cereal mash emerge and the late development is like a fruit beer. The texture is agreeable with a very light creamy/oily mouth-feel. Finish: Medium/short. All on cereal and mild fruit notes, fading to a bitter ale-like taste. The curious tingling sensation on the palate persists into the aftertaste. Pokeno Origin is one of the inaugural releases from Pokeno Distillery, and is a core-range expression normally bottled at 43%. This bottling was a limited release for The Whisky Club at 46%, however based on Stephanie Moreno’s official notes for the standard version this juice sounds practically identical. The nose is very pleasant and much more typical of a Scottish malt than anything I’ve previously tried from New Zealand. It promises fruit, cereal and a little honey and is not unlike entry level Glen Grant whisky. The aromatic profile is solidly all about malt without any wine or smoke overtones. In contrast the palate is more, umm, “individual” and I can’t say I’m enormously impressed. It is exceedingly spritzy, to a point I’ve never tasted previously in a malted barley whisky. It’s not just the taste of young whisky, nor of a cut that was too wide, but likewise it is not just the presence of barrel spice. It's almost like it contains a pinch of sodium bicarbonate (yes, seriously!). Dilution broadens the nose and relaxes the palate a little, but the profile remains very much the same. I think Stephanie’s notes are right on target that this is one to try out of curiosity, but I would not spend either time or money in tracking it down. I'll be taking this with Coke or dry ginger ale, thanks very much. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars) ---------------------------------- Update - 27 April 2023 The bottle has been open for a couple of weeks now and it has improved over that time. The contents (which I ceased to cover with argon gas a week ago) and the sample I initially separated are now close in profile. I've been using both of them neat, over ice, with soda, and with Coke. Whether it is the whisky opening up and oxidising or just my palate becoming used to it I don't know - probably a bit of both. Based on the whisky as it is now I'm raising the original rating a quarter point but I won't be buying a replacement bottle. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)110.0 AUD per Bottle
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