Tastes
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Peychaud's Bitters
Non-Potable Bitters — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed December 3, 2021 (edited August 10, 2022)Appearance: A disturbingly artificial red colour – reminiscent of red cough mixture. Aroma: Fennel leaves, anise, cumin, coriander, caraway seed and hints of cherry and orange. Flavour & Texture: Bittersweet, with fennel, anise, mint, seed spices and citrus zest being the main flavours. First off, if you have tried several brands of bitters and found most to be similar to Angostura then prepare yourself for a surprise because Paychaud’s is not at all the same. The aroma and flavour are softer, more gently fragrant and focused on fennel and anise. It has a striking resemblance to absinthe in both aroma and taste so it is no wonder that it is a critical ingredient for the Sazarac. You simply can’t substitute anything else. A fabulous cocktail ingredient that has an affinity for cola, ginger ale, brandy and whisk(e)y of all types. No bar is complete without it. Rating this is pretty pointless – it’s like trying to rate salt. “Unique” : 94/100 (5 stars)27.0 AUD per Bottle -
The Remnant Whisky Company "The Scoundrel"
Single Malt — Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed December 2, 2021 (edited August 23, 2022)Nose: Primarily a cereal and fruit nose, light and crisp with the cereal notes clearly articulated. Tropical and stone fruits (pineapple and peach) and dried figs. After a first taste some mild spice aromas are discerned and the sherry casks can be noticed after it has rested in the glass for a while. A touch of obvious alcohol is the only fault with the nose but this is banished with a dash of water. Palate: Well balanced, measured arrival. It’s slightly on the sweet side with fruit (peaches, pears, coconut) and gentle spices (cinnamon and ginger). The spicy aspect grows in the development but it is balanced by the sweet, jammy fortified wine cask influence and some vanilla from bourbon casks. Adding a half teaspoon of water does no damage at all – the palate remains essentially the same but is a little more subtle. The texture is very good – velvety and luxurious. Finish: Medium. Sweet spices and a little gingery heat fading into caramel. A delightful whisky that bears a resemblance to a cereal-forward highland malt – it’s not a million miles away from Glencadam in character. There is an interesting story to this whisky. Back in the early 2000s a distillery called Nant was founded in Tasmania. The owner, whether by design or bad management, ended up swindling a host of investors, tradespeople, creditors etc. and the distillery eventually collapsed into bankruptcy. He disappeared leaving a lot of unpaid bills and angry peopel in his wake, plus a few hundred casks of whisky (where there was supposed to be thousands). The distillery was bought out and the new owners assessed the remaining casks but decided they were of little value. The original investors were resigned to heavy losses but then Peter Bignell of Belgrove Distillery stepped in. He put together a consortium called Remnant (Rem-Nant, get it?) to buy the old stock at good prices with a view to further maturation, re-casking and blending. This expression “The Scoundrel” (in honour of the original owner) was the first single malt to be released by Remnant. They have since released “Black Spot”, “Fly by Night” and others. There is nothing in particular to fault about this whisky and Peter has done an excellent job of blending several “difficult” casks to produce something that is more than the sum of its parts. However that said, while it is a good whisky it is not a great one – just good. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)149.0 AUD per Bottle -
Sullivans Cove Double Cask
Single Malt — Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed November 9, 2021 (edited August 23, 2022)Nose: Mild orchard fruit, mild cereal, mild vanilla, a hint of mild citrus. Mild … mild … mild … Palate: Soft, smooth clean entry. Dried fruit compote (apricots, figs, pears) reconstituted with honey-water. Chestnut and hazelnut butter with a little spice (sweet cinnamon, clove, mild ginger). Some soft cereals and tannins. The mouthfeel is velvety and agreeable but the whisky lacks density and presence. The structure is fragile and it falls apart very easily with dilution. Finish: Medium. Semi-sweet fruity but well balanced aftertaste. This tasting was from batch DC076, distilled in 2001 (under Bill Lark’s watch) at the old Sullivans Cove distillery and bottled in 2014 at 40%. The casking was 40% French oak ex-port casks and 60% ex-bourbon. The bottle was gifted to me by a friend who is not a whisky drinker but had received it from his brother-in-law some years ago. It's a clean and highly approachable whisky with a profile that is similar to several mid-shelf highland and Speyside scotch single malts, in particular it bears a resemblance to Balvenie. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it – in fact it is a very nice whisky, however it is absurdly over-hyped and ferociously overpriced. This is the “affordable” Sullivans Cove whisky (at around AUD$400-600). Their contemporary core-range American Oak expression is around AUD$800-1,000 and the French Oak AUD$1,200 or more. In my opinion nothing they produce is worth the prices they charge. I could buy 5 bottles of Balvenie 12 (or anything in that price range) for the cost of one bottle of this and I'd be getting whisky that was at least equivalent if not better. Sullivan’s Cove is a complex whisky to review – more so than you might think. Since its founding in 1994 the distillery has gone through three distinct changes of ownership, declared bankruptcy twice, and moved its physical location (in 2004). Each change has seen an almost complete overhaul in distillery staff and the “recipe” for the core range products has completely changed several times. When all this happens at a small artisanal distillery that has only existed for 27 years it is inevitable that the product will be extremely batch-variable, and so is the case here. There should really be a different entry for every batch of Double-Cask – I’ve tasted many and they vary greatly – almost shockingly. It should also be noted that the whisky is steadily getting better overall and is more consistent nowadays under the very capable management of Heather Tillott. The whisky sold by the original owners was utterly dreadful and Sullivan's Cove did not shake off its poor local reputation until the early 2000s, when the "2nd Generation" distillery's spirit (designed by Bill Lark) started to hit the market. This is the stuff that won all the medals and was highly rated by Jim Murray. For better or worse that put Sullivan's Cove and Tasmanian whisky in general on the map but the result was the same as for many Japanese distilleries - huge demand and little stock. BTW - the official Distiller scope notes for this listing are incorrect in a couple of details. Double-Cask was 40% abv up until 2017 at which point it increased to 45% or 47.5% which greatly improved the expression. The distillery only has one still (not "stills") which is used for both wash and spirit runs. She's called “Myrtle”. Double Cask is always a combination of French oak ex-port and American oak ex-bourbon, but the proportion varies for each batch. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars) -
Charles Oates Pommeau
Other Brandy — Huon Valley, Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed November 9, 2021 (edited July 15, 2022)Appearance: Transparent dark russet. Aroma: Apple Danish, caramel sauce, mild baking spices. Flavour: Apple jelly, cider, mead, mild tannins. Fresh and crisp with a very good balance between sweet orchard fruit, acids and drying tannins. Pommeau is a mistelle, which is a combination of fruit eau-de-vie or brandy with fresh must from the same fruit, the two ingredients being blended and then aged. It has been made in the apple-growing areas of northern France for generations, but this is the first Australian version of which I’m aware. This is made by Charles Oates Distilling which is part of Willie Smiths Apple Shed cidery in Tasmania. The distillery uses a Charentais alembic still, the same type that is used in Normandy to produce Calvados Pays d'Auge. This is one of their three core-range products, along with apple eau-de-vie and an apple brandy (which is aged in ex-fortified wine barrels for 18 months). A very pleasant aperitif, it goes well with melon, blue cheese, or biscotti and is enjoyable chilled or at room temperature. In comparison to genuine Pay d'Auge pommeau this stands up pretty well. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)60.0 AUD per Bottle -
Cappelletti Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro
Amaro — Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Reviewed November 9, 2021 (edited December 31, 2022)Appearance: Umber brown with gold edges. Cloudy and opaque with a slightly chalky look, but the particulate matter is very fine and does not adversely affect the texture. Aroma: Earth, damp aged wood and root-extracts. Sarsparilla, cedar planks, latakia tobacco. There is an immediate smoky aroma but it is nothing like peat-reek or a campfire. It’s more like lightly charred barbecued vegetables. Flavour: Sweet smoky rhubarb, like the plant has been grilled with a sweet marinade over mesquite wood. Liquorice root, herbal tisane, bitter citrus peel. The sweetness diminishes through the development but it does not turn overly bitter or sour and settles on a balanced dryness in the finish with a smoky herbal aftertaste. Sweet, but less so than other rabarbaro I’ve tried (Zucca, for example, is a lot more syrupy). There is a pleasant dryness and strength to the smoky flavour in this amaro that sets it a little apart from other examples in this category. Pleasant as a digestif, in which role it does seem to aid digestion. If the bitterness is too much try adding a slice of orange. I’ve not tried this in any mixed drinks but I think a half teaspoon could be an interesting addition to almost any drink that uses sweet vermouth as an ingredient, as it would add an agreeable background texture and balancing dryness. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)60.0 AUD per Bottle -
The Gospel Solera Australian Rye Whisky
Rye — Victoria, Australia
Reviewed November 1, 2021 (edited August 23, 2022)Nose: Sweet, aromatic baking spices (caraway, cardamom). Clean, earthy cereal aromas, a little mint, caramel and rye bread. A hint of grape-flavoured candy cane and a whiff of good oak. Palate: Expansive, sweet, spicy arrival. Oak spices, apple, chocolate, caramel fudge, anise and cinnamon, a touch of orange zest. The texture is very pleasant and has good weight. It’s oily but silky with a fresh, crisp quality. There is noticeable progression on the palate as a second wave of spicy flavours emerges after the initial finish seems to have passed. Very satisfying. Finish: Long. Sweet initially but eventually turning dry as citrus zest and spice outlasts the toffee. This is a well-composed rye. Gospel Distillers are located in the inner-city suburb of Brunswick in Melbourne, Victoria. This spirit is produced from 100% unmalted Australian rye which is double-distilled then aged in a 5-tier solera system (this comprises a top criadera of virgin American oak barrels, intermediate criaderas of second-fill bourbon barrels, and a solera of ex-Australian red wine casks). This is aged for less than 2 years so it does not qualify as whisky under Australian law, hence the name being just "The Gospel Solera Rye". The listing title here is a little misleading, but as it qualifies as "whiskey" under U.S. law then does it matter? Hmm. Some young distilleries try a bit too hard, particularly with their initial releases. There can be a tendency to throw everything including the kitchen sink into the still in order to produce the most ostentatious spirit possible, and this can sometimes create a confused, ponderous whisky. Thankfully, The Gospel Distillers have avoided this temptation and instead have produced a crisp, clean spirit with a forceful profile and very good balance. It is pleasant sipped neat, but I enjoyed it more over a couple of rocks. However, it is in mixed drinks where this really shows its talent. I’m currently enjoying a Sazerac made with it and a rinse of Jade Esprit Edouard. The two spirits are equally matched with The Gospel in no way intimidated by the presence of the towering Jade absinthe. Bravo. It’s equally at home in a simpler mixed drink. A shot with a slice of orange, a rock and topped up with ginger ale is magic. One of the more enjoyable local whiskies I’ve tasted for a while, and I believe their Straight Rye is even better. Recommended. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)80.0 AUD per Bottle -
Michel Couvreur virtual tasting, 21 October 2021. Whisky #5 Nose: Peat smoke. Big bush-fire smoke, medicinal brine, citrus fruit, menthol, gunpowder, pipe tobacco, old leather. No sign at all of alcohol. An excellent nose. Palate: Sweet, big, full peaty arrival with the peat billowing above stewed fruits. Chocolate, baking spices, red fruits, walnuts and chewing tobacco. The texture is very good and you cannot taste the alcohol at all when neat. It swims very well and explodes with flavour from just a dash of water. Finish: Medium/long. Smoked dates and figs, fading to a sherried aftertaste. I have not investigated Michel Couvreur whiskies previously but a recent virtual tasting event based on 5 expressions piqued my interest. This was my equal favourite expression from the tasting, and in my opinion it was significantly superior to the rest (with one exception). This is a big peated sherry-finish whisky, but it also has clarity, nuance, balance and complexity. It is excellent neat and the high alcohol is exceptionally well contained, being not noticed at all. There is wonderful progression in the palate which goes through several waves of development. This expression was a limited edition single cask, cask-strength bottling by Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op. At the tasting session when the cask was being selected one of the Barrel & Batch partners commented that it was like the Candid expression’s big brother, and Jean Arnaud (the manager of Michel Couvreur) said “Yes! It is Candid’s grand frère!” - hence the name. The distillate for this expression was from “an unidentified Islay distillery”. The rumour is that it was Ardbeg and in my opinion it does smell and taste very much like Ardbeg - in fact it's not that dissimilar to Uigedail. This was the second of the Michel Couvreur whiskies I tasted that I would consider buying, but unfortunately it is no longer available. Like the Fleeting Q it was AUD$225 for a 500ml bottle when available and in my opinion worth every cent. Part of the purpose of the Barrel & Batch tasting was to poll the participants regarding the next special cask bottling from Michel Couvreur. The voting was split equally between “Fleeting Q” and “Grand Frère”. I voted for Fleeting Q but I’d be just as happy to see another whisky like this one available. Very Good : 86/100 (4 stars)225.0 AUD per Bottle
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Michel Couvreur virtual tasting, 21 October 2021. Whisky #4 Nose: Fruity, floral, fortified wine, red berries, strawberries, hazelnuts and orange liqueur. There is a well-defined but not dominating presence of oak. The high alcohol is not at all noticeable. Palate: Full, rich stewed fruits and berries. Sweet at first but an underlying dryness gradually grows in the development. The red fruit and wine notes gain complexity over time before giving way to orange marmalade. The texture is excellent – both drying and oily. There is a little heat from the alcohol, but it is barely noticed. Finish: Medium. Fruity and dry with an aftertaste that lingers into dark chocolate. I have not investigated Michel Couvreur whiskies previously but a recent virtual tasting event based on 5 expressions piqued my interest. This whisky was my equal favourite expression from the tasting, and in my opinion it was significantly superior to the rest (with one exception). It is very good neat and also takes water well, gaining a little softness and sweetness but retaining its complexity and balance. Distilled on the 13th November 2010 and bottled on the 3rd February 2021. This whisky was matured in two Colheita port pipes, producing 2000 bottles. Colheita port is a vintage tawny of at least 7 years, however many casks are considerably older. I don’t know the age of the pipes used for this maturation but given the excellent density and complexity of flavor they have imparted I’m certain they were not juveniles. This was the first Michel Couvreur whisky I tasted that I would consider buying, but sadly it is also one of the more expensive expressions at AUD$225 for a 500ml bottle. Very Good : 86/100 (4 stars)225.0 AUD per Bottle
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Michel Couvreur Candid
Single Malt — Highlands, France
Reviewed October 23, 2021 (edited August 23, 2022)Michel Couvreur virtual tasting, 21 October 2021. Whisky #3 Nose: Briny maritime peat, soot, seaweed, musty herbs, driftwood campfire on the beach. Over time there is a note of gunpowder. Palate: Sweet, oily, spicy arrival (ginger, white pepper). Candied orange peel and cocoa in the development with creamy vanilla, red grapes and an iodine note. Finish: Medium/short. Smoky, sweet with lingering spice. I have not investigated Michel Couvreur whiskies previously but a recent virtual tasting event based on 5 expressions piqued my interest. This is very reminiscent of Caol Ila – if that is not the origin of the spirit for this expression anyone could be forgiven for assuming so as it shows the particular maritime qualities of Caol Ila in spades. This very pleasant whisky was matured for 9 years in small PX sherry casks but the oak influence is well balanced and does not dominate the distillate. It is clear, crisp and sharp but not hard. I enjoyed it a lot but as with all the younger, low strength, Michel Couvreur whiskies I tasted at the event I could not imagine why I would buy a bottle when the same quality and style is available from half a dozen Scottish distilleries, and at considerably less cost. "Good" : 83/100 (3.5 stars )225.0 AUD per Bottle -
Michel Couvreur Overaged Peated Extra Strength
Single Malt — France
Reviewed October 22, 2021 (edited August 23, 2022)Michel Couvreur virtual tasting, 21 October 2021. Whisky #2 Nose: Sweet maritime peat, ash, light tropical fruit hints, brine. Palate: Sweet, soft arrival with an oily texture, light fruit notes and a honeyed tone. The fruit comes further into focus in the development and an ashy smoke quality is prominent and builds throughout the palate and into the finish. Finish: Medium/short. Smoky, sweet. I have not investigated Michel Couvreur whiskies previously but a recent virtual tasting event based on 5 expressions piqued my interest. This is highly reminiscent of a soft Islay peated malt. I don’t know what the distillate was but I’d bet on peated Bunnahabhain. There is a quality to it that is similar to Kilchoman as well, but Bunnahabhain is a more likely supplier of wholesale clearic. It’s an enjoyable peated whisky, gentle and easy to drink and there are certainly no off-notes but I couldn’t help feeling it was a bit generic. For all its declared 12 years of age it still comes across as a little young even though it is supposed to contain whiskies up to 20 years old, and there is not a lot of complexity. I like my single malts to have a little more bite than this, but I guess that's not the Couvreur philosophy of maturation. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars )185.0 AUD per Bottle
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