Tastes
-
Nose: Sharp barrel spice. Tannin, cinnamon and hard treacle toffee with a leathery quality. There is a hint of dark cherry but together with a slight liquorice note it seems more akin to cough mixture than fresh fruit or jam. The nose is dominated by charred wood but over time this gains sweetness and vanilla peeks through. Palate: Firm, almost hard spicy arrival that moves towards a woody development. A bitter oak note appears quickly after the entry and resolves into a leathery tobacco character with layers of spice derived from rye and tannin. Hot ginger, unsweetened cocoa and an almost-burnt, overcooked caramel taste. There is a vegetal, cabbage-water flavour in the later palate and the texture is neutral-thin. Finish: Medium. Woody caramel, oak and grassy spice turning dry in the aftertaste. There is little I can say about this that has not been stated already somewhere in the over 9,000 existing reviews. This is basically an older, more tannic and spicier Buffalo Trace, which does not endear it to me. It is well-made and if you prefer a firm, spicy bourbon this will fit the bill, but it is not the sort of profile I particularly enjoy. Bear in mind also that this costs the equivalent US$80 in Australia, and for that money there are many other whiskies I’d rather buy. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)105.0 AUD per Bottle
-
Appearance: Transparent dark ruby red, closer to brick red than burgundy. Aroma: Blackberry, dark cherry, plum with a red wine background. Reminiscent of port, oloroso sherry or marsala. There is a faint herbal quality as well. Flavour and Texture: Sweet fortified wine flavours (raisins, red berries) with a soft bittersweet note like tart cherries, marmalade or chinotto orange. Spicy complexity with cinnamon notes and a wisp of cloves makes it almost like mulled wine. The texture is neutral and although there is sweetness throughout it is not syrupy. A well balanced aromatised wine product that has qualities in common with sweet vermouth, Lillet rouge and some of the wine-based amari. It can be taken in a variety of ways, including neat or neat on the rocks with a slice of lemon. Dubonnet & gin is a classic from the 1930s that is the tipple of choice for many to this day. Its reputation was cemented in the UK by the Queen Mother’s love of it, a taste she passed on to the current monarch. Not as sweet and citrus-fruit forward as most Italian aparitivi, but sweeter than Lillet rouge (although a little more "fusty" tasting). In a way it’s rather like a grown-up Pimms #1 cup. The quinine presence gives this aperitif more poise and interest than others, although the level has sadly been decreased over the years. I believe that the version available in the US was different to the one in Europe and Commonwealth countries until a few years ago, when it was revamped, but it is still reputedly sweeter. A great standby and the basis for a handful of classic mixed drinks. Personally I prefer Carpano Antica when I’m after something along these lines, but Dubonnet is way less than half the price, which is hard to resist. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)28.0 AUD per Bottle
-
Raymond Ragnaud Selection Cognac
Cognac — Grande Champagne , France
Reviewed March 2, 2021 (edited July 15, 2022)Nose: A quiet, lightly fruity, almost dainty opening aroma of oolong tea, distant jasmine blossoms and sultanas gives way to deeper apricot and dried fig notes as it opens. Sauternes, poached pear, peaches, honey, a soupçon of marzipan and wood aromas appear over time. It’s a delightful nose that continues to evolve gaining depth and richness but never losing its clean, supple character. Palate: Sweet, light arrival showcasing stone fruits (nectarine, apricot, peach) with just a hint of white pepper and tannin spice at the sides of the tongue. Very clean and crisp, there is a touch of vanilla and wood. A floral, nectar-like thread of honey permeates the palate and the texture, whilst light, is satisfying and enticing. Finish: Medium. Demi-sec fruity notes leading into the mildest of oak aftertaste with faint bitter orange. This is a sprightly and alluring young cognac. Matured for 4 years (and so a VS) it is the antithesis of dark and all too frequently over-aged examples of the spirit. The profile leans towards sweetness but is held in check by crisp acidity from start to finish. There is much about this that is comparable to a reisling. It’s satisfying as a sipping cognac and works well in cocktails, but it is easily overpowered in the company of less delicate flavours, so reserve it for use in subtle mixed drinks. There is a light honey presence and soft fruitiness throughout that surprisingly brings Highland Park to mind. It is blended exclusively from Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie derived from the 47 hectare Ragnaud family vineyards and is aged initially in new Limousin oak before being re-racked to older casks. There are few better demonstrations of the fact that a young cognac has nothing for which to apologize. This is a good cognac and it is reasonably priced. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)99.0 AUD per Bottle -
Giniversity London Dry
London Dry Gin — Margaret River, Australia
Reviewed March 1, 2021 (edited July 20, 2022)Nose: Bright crisp juniper and fresh coriander. Some minor supporting aromas to flesh out the nose, mainly sweet citrus and mint. A classic, textbook, style of gin nose. Palate: Citrus on the arrival, fresh and sweet, with a little supporting liquorice. A less juniper-influenced palate than the nose would lead you to expect, but not lacking. The texture is good with orris root apparent and the overall palate has a sweet character (but certainly not to “Old Tom” levels of sweetness) with a balancing mild pepper note. Finish: Short. Citrus with an herbal/spice background. No metallic or hot notes. It's approachable and refreshing, and very much conforms to the benchmark profile for a classic gin. There is absolutely nothing unexpected here, so neither is there anything to particularly excite your interest nor to stand out as unpleasant or obtrusive. You can certainly buy it with complete confidence that it will work in any context. This gin gave me the impression that the distillers did a lot of research and experimentation specifically with the intention of creating the very best middle-path, inoffensive, universally appealing gin they could, and they succeeded admirably. It is agreeable neat and works well in a G&T. I did not try it in a martini but I can’t imagine it would be less than successful. However, at the price it is barely reasonable value because although only AUD$56 it is a 500ml bottle, so in real terms instead of competing against Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire and Hendricks this is actually competing against Cotswolds, Herno, and Aviation and in that company it is far outclassed. Tasted from a 30 ml sample. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)56.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nant Port Cask 63% Single Cask Single Malt
Single Malt — Tasmania , Australia
Reviewed February 21, 2021 (edited February 22, 2021)Nose: (neat) Raisins, prunes, heavy fortified wine, a dusky floral tone (old rose?), sandalwood, oak cask. Very reminiscent of armagnac. Nose: (diluted) An explosion of syrup, herbal notes, floral aromas and deep, musky wood tones. The intense neat profile is considerably softened but not weakened at all. The ethanol presence is completely removed and the nose can be more deeply explored. Over time, as it rests and recovers from the shock of watering, the nose asserts a beautifully balanced fortified wine character. Palate: (neat) An hot, spicy arrival but balanced by almost overdone sweetness. Like the nose, the palate is similar to cognac or armagnac and here it is mixed with madeira. A huge oak presence comes forward on the development and the texture is rich and creamy. All the flavours are clustered around plum-pudding and dark Christmas cake. Palate: (diluted) The heat is markedly decreased and the palate gains overall balance and cohesion. A warm, soothing dark fruit and port wine presence blankets the palate and sweet notes are more present with red berries and plum jam evident. Finish: Very long. The dark wine-soaked fruit flavours fade into the horizon. When watered the finish loses nothing of its length, but is more relaxed and soothing and there is greater red-berry presence. The nose is very good and brings you back for repeated inhalations and the palate on this oaky, rich, fruit-pudding of a whisky is so expansive and dense it is impossible to dislike. It is the after-dinner or dessert whisky par excellance and would be a wonderful nightcap - it’s big but easy to drink and very satisfying. It is the only single-cask 63% Nant whisky I’ve had and I have to say it was a definite step up from the 43% expressions I’ve tried. However as luscious and decadent as this whisky may be it does leave me pondering - is it still actually whisky or has the spirit just become a vehicle to carry an intense, winey cask influence? Meh, who cares what it’s called or how you define it – it’s very pleasant to drink and could rival most Speyside sherry monsters. If you are a fan of Dalmore or Aberlour and interested in looking further afield I would recommend a taste of this (but if possible do have a taste before buying a bottle because at AUD$200 for a 500ml bottle it’s just barely reasonable value). Tasted from a 30ml sampler. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)200.0 AUD per Bottle -
Caol Ila 15 Year Unpeated Style (2014 Special Release)
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed February 21, 2021 (edited March 12, 2021)Nose: Very spirity to start with but after resting for 15 minutes you can start to make out the aromas behind the ethanol. Cereal, bready, waxy and herbal notes. Some hints of baked banana, honey, orchard fruit and vanilla. Over considerable time the nose mellows and gains a creamy butterscotch aroma. Palate: Blisteringly hot arrival. Intensely spicy (hot cinnamon, black pepper and hot ginger) and also heat from the high ethanol presence. It's like chewing a handful of nails. The development is mainly on unripe fruits and peanut brittle. The texture is OK but not notable. There is an unfortunate sour note that develops in the late palate and persists into the finish. Finish: Long. Hot spiced fruit that lingers on a sour note and a hint of salt. There’s an almost mescal quality to the aftertaste. A hot and totally uncompromising style of whisky. It is on the edge of being so challenging that it is unpleasant. I found this too unfriendly to take neat and had to add quite a lot of water. Dropping it down to around 40% made it easier to taste but the profile remained the same – hot, hot, hot and hard. Tasted from a 30ml sample I’ve had laying around for a while. I would not buy a bottle of this, particularly given the price. While it is very well made, clean and crisp the character is not at all to my taste and to be honest I thought it was a bit of a mess. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)185.0 AUD per Bottle -
Demoiselle Verte Originale Absinthe
Absinthe — Panuara, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed February 20, 2021 (edited August 5, 2022)Appearance: (neat) Olive-oil, peridot. (louched) Dense milky olive-green with yellow tinges. The louche starts quickly, well before 1:1 dilution, and by 1:1 it is fully formed. It holds opacity up to around 1:3 and then starts to lose density. Aroma: (neat) Wormwood, fennel, anise. Instantly identifiable as absinthe but there is also an unusual woody, twiggy aroma that I can’t quite place. It is earthy, has the slightest hint of smokiness and reminded me a little of rooibos tea or melaleuca (tea-tree). It’s enough to set the nose slightly apart from any French or Swiss absinthe I’ve tried. It's not unpleasant but it is a little too dominant. There is also a lack of strong mint or citrus aromas which suggests there is not much melissa (lemon balm) in this recipe. Flavour and Texture: Sweet, minty herbal entry with a focus on wormwood and fennel. There is very little astringency and not much of a numbing effect on the tongue. The anise component seems to be quite low and the background bitterness is mild. The same woody, almost smoky note that was on the nose is found in the palate as well and again it's a little intrusive. The texture is good – creamy and satisfying, but there is a slightly soapy taste in the finish. This is a mild absinthe and I'd recommend a louche of no more than 1:4. Experienced absintheurs might even want to keep it to just under 1:3, and as it is also somewhat sweet some people may prefer not to add sugar. I miss the usual citrus note you get from lemon balm here, although it says on their site that that particular ingredient is included. The woody, herbal quality is interesting at first but too prominent. I could easily imagine there is smoked tea in the maceration, but it's probably a by-product of the specific strains of herbs being used or the herb drying process. Demoiselle Distillery is located near the town of Orange, about 250 km west of Sydney in the central New South Wales tablelands. Darren Baker, the owner and distiller, started work on the distillery in 2008 and it was fully functioning by 2012. He makes the base neutral spirit in a 1200 litre column still and the absinthe is distilled in a 600 litre pot still in small batches. Darren grows his own herbs for the product and the verte expression is coloured with a maceration of petit wormwood. It's an OK absinthe that I rate on the high side of average but the unusual profile is both a feature and an issue. Individuality and creativity are good things in a spirit, but this one starts to cross the line and by the time I'm half way through a glass I'm over it and wanting to louche a glass of something more standard. The price puts it squarely up against Pernod, Absinthe Bourgeois and La Fee, all of which are superior. “Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars)139.0 AUD per Bottle -
Sortilège Original Canadian Whisky & Maple Syrup Liqueur
Other Liqueurs — Quebec, Canada
Reviewed February 15, 2021 (edited August 8, 2022)Appearance: Transparent amber gold. Aroma: Maple syrup, alcohol, spun white sugar (cotton candy), vanilla. Flavour and Texture: Sweet. Very, very sweet. Burnt sugar, maple syrup, wood. Not a lot more. The sweet syrupy notes gradually fade. The texture is thick and sugary. Well, it is what it says. Compared to many other whiskey liqueurs (I’m looking at you, all you Jim Beam and Jack Daniels awfulness) this is not too bad. It says it’s Canadian whisky with added maple syrup, and it delivers on that, so – OK. You do need a sweet tooth (which I have ) but it’s a bit too much for me. However Mrs Cascode liked it a lot and may even order a bottle. Merde! Mind you, I'd drench it over a stack of pancakes anyday. While it’s waaaaay better than any bourbon-based liqueur I’ve tasted (yes, I’m sure there are good ones, I just haven’t had them – please post in the comments 🙂) it’s not as good as Drambuie or Glayva, and light years behind Dunkeld Atholl Brose. If you want to taste a *real* whisky liqueur, that’s the one to go for. Tasted from a promotional 50ml sample. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars)60.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Malty, oaky, sherried. Waxy honey, green apple, vanilla, Danish pastry with dark cherry filling and Belgian chocolate. With time some oak notes appear, but it is not excessively woody. Eventually red berry notes stand out. Water brings out a lot of delightful dusky floral aromas. Palate: Spicy sweet arrival, flavoursome but a little dominated by ethanol. As it develops the alcohol falls away to reveal a tannic, cask-driven malt with black pepper notes and a great deal of dried fruit. The texture is heavy and oily and there is an interesting acidity. Water is of benefit to the palate as well as the nose, highlighting sweeter fruity flavours, particularly red berries. It does not particularly round off the peppery tannins, however. Finish: Medium/short. Grippy, veering into bitterness. Good whiskey but it seems a little grumpy and unfriendly to me. There is a bitter tannic intrusion on the palate and the progression gradually grows more and more woody. In comparison the 12 year, 12 year CS and 21 year are less austere and more ”luscious”. It’s not actually bad – in fact it’s a good whisky - but it’s not particularly well balanced and it is outclassed by the other Redbreasts. The nose is by far the best part of the story here being rich, soft, plush and enticing. The palate just does not follow through and I don’t think it’s quite worth the asking price. One of the first Midleton whiskies that has not been immediately compelling to me. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)200.0 AUD per Bottle
-
Giselle Pavlova Gin
Flavored Gin — Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Reviewed February 11, 2021 (edited July 23, 2022)Nose: Fruity overtones to a generic gin profile. Juniper is almost unnoticeable and the overriding aroma is like cotton candy. Strawberries, vanilla – yes, I guess this does smell like pavlova. Orange in the background and some trace cardamom and fenugreek. Palate: Sweet, candied, fruity arrival – very confectionery and very, very sweet. There is a little spice on the edges as it develops and a pleasant creamy vanilla presence. Strawberries, raspberries. Damn – this even tastes like pavlova. Finish: Medium. Sweet, spicy and fruity into the aftertaste. This must be one of the oddest gins I’ve tasted for a while. Pavlova, for those who do not know, is an iconic Australian/New Zealand dish. We argue about who invented it but no Aussie or Kiwi Christmas is complete without a "pav". It consists of a base of meringue, crispy on the bottom and gooey on top, topped with whipped cream and whatever selection of fruit is in season (typically strawberries, raspberries or sweet citrus, often with passionfruit). It's a delicious sugar-overdose dessert. Nosferatu Distillery in Melbourne started out in 2018 with a blood-orange flavoured gin, also called Nosferatu, and that gin is used as the base ingredient for this one. I believe the process uses re-distillation plus infusion with added flavourings post-distillation. It’s very difficult to rate. It’s not unpleasant but tasted neat it is so sweet and full-bodied it’s almost more like a liqueur. There must be a hefty dose of sugar added to this. In fact you could almost sell it as a liqueur except there is an undeniable gin background that might turn people off. It’s kind of like sloe-gin but flavoured with sugar candy instead of sloes. In a gin and tonic it works to an extent, but the quinine intrudes on the sweet character too much. It’s probably best just by itself or with fruit juice or in a cocktail where its qualities can be correctly balanced. I can’t hate this, it’s actually quite nice and almost compelling, but it’s absolutely not a “straight” gin and so it is hard to rate against other products. In terms of its use in a G&T or martini this is hopeless against a good London gin. Would I buy a bottle – no. At the asking price I can buy any number of supurb gins that are more versatile and simply better. Would I accept a free pour – in a heartbeat. There’s nothing at all wrong with it, it’s just quirky and certainly not merely an average gin. Tasted from a free 50ml promotional sample. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)85.0 AUD per Bottle
Results 491-500 of 1243 Reviews