Tastes
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Appearance: Dark brown, almost black. Opaque, even against a strong light. Aroma: Menthol, mint, various woody herbal and root extracts. It smells similar to herbal cough mixture. Flavour and Texture: The initial taste at the front of the tongue is mildly minty and herbal with a sweet character but no obvious added sugar. As you move it around the mouth, earthy and woody flavours appear. As it moves into the aftertaste a metallic note suddenly rises that is uncannily like licking rusty metal or tasting blood. The texture is full but not heavy. The nose on this is a little like a tame version of Fernet Branca, with less bright menthol and more earthy aromas. There is no sign of citrus nor any soft herbal flavours. A “china” (pronounced kee-na) is a subclass of amari that is distinguished by a high proportion of Cinchona calisaya bark extract, which contains bitter quinine and other alcaloids. Chinas are related to the quinquina family of drinks which includes Dubonnet and Cocchi Americano. Ferro-chinas are an even further sub-category that also contain ammonium iron citrate and were originally created specifically as blood tonics. It might sound like snake-oil nowadays but there is something to this. Anaemia was a common complaint in the 19th century and tonics such as Bisleri were sold as non-prescription medicine. Today we take iron supplement tablets for the same purpose. This is a difficult drink to rate as it is very much an acquired taste, although not an unpleasant one. Taken neat it requires a glass or two to come to grips with the palate. It can also be taken as a long drink with soda water and a slice of citrus, which makes it much easier but it is still reminiscent of drinking water from an old rusty tap. Have you ever been to Bath in England and “taken the waters”? It tastes exactly like that. It has a mildly drying and astringent quality neat, but this is much reduced in dilution. It’s not as refreshing as an aperitivo but it does have a pleasing lack of sugar. Many amari claim to be digestifs but they sometimes make me feel full and can cause indigestion. This one actually does work as a soothing after-dinner drink. Also I’m not entirely certain whether this is still available. According to Difford’s it ceased production in 2015 but I have seen several online sites here that have it listed. I found a bottle in a suburban Italian liquor/grocery store today but whether it is just old stock, I can’t say. “Above Average (but unusual and not for all tastes)” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)37.0 AUD per Bottle
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Chase Sloe & Mulberry Gin
Sloe Gin & Variants — England
Reviewed December 14, 2020 (edited July 23, 2022)Appearance: Dark crimson/brick red, like cranberry juice. Aroma: The initial impression is of juniper-prominent gin. After a few moments and several inhalations the fruit-note starts to come through. It is mild at first but gradually gains intensity and eventually shows an intense red berry character. The gin botanicals are never swamped, however, and the nose has excellent balance. Flavour and Texture: Also excellent but the opposite of the nose – it’s sweet and slightly tart on entry with fruit to the fore then the gin botanicals emerge as it rests on the palate. There is considerable complexity but an excellent balance is maintained. The texture is rich and lightly syrupy and the finish medium-long, herbal, juicy and just slightly tinged with oak. A very pleasant and finely balanced sloe gin. Sometimes berry-infused gin can be cloying but while this is warming and comforting it still retains a gentle balance that sets it above other examples. It avoids the clinging, jammy-like sweetness that is too-often encountered in sloe gin. Sugar must be added, both to open the fruit to maceration and to balance the natural tart flavour. However it’s a common mistake to go too far and make it into a liqueur when it should be a flavoured spirit. This particular sloe gin also includes mulberries which contribute both an individual flavour and also sweetness from fructose to balance the sloes, which means the white sugar component can be reduced. The maceration is then aged in ex-red wine casks for a year to give additive berry notes and meld the components. I’ve tasted many sloe-gins and in my experience they express themselves best in different ways. Most are good neat as a liqueur, but tonic may suit some, giving a result not unlike an aperitivo spritz. Some team best with lemonade rather in the manner of Pimms, while others might be best with dry companions like soda water and a squeeze of lime. This particular example is quite versatile and also excellent on its own as a liqueur. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars)59.0 AUD per Bottle -
Del Maguey San Jose Rio Minas Mezcal
Mezcal Joven — Oaxaca, Mexico
Reviewed December 10, 2020 (edited August 7, 2022)My bottle from batch RIO-141 Nose: An intriguing vegetative aroma with tropical fruit and floral highlights, like a platter of baked fruits sprinkled with salt and spices - in fact, just like chinicuil salt. Soft jasmine, frangipani and orange blossom and there is a tiny trace of smoke but it is not dominant and it has a rounded, rich character. It’s more like something smoked than smoke itself. Maybe smoked ham or smoked salmon? It is reminiscent of very lightly peated Islay whisky. Palate: The palate is as fruity as the nose, and arrives with a fresh salt/caramel note, or maybe crystalised violets with sea salt. Tropical fruit melange shows through later and there is a light herbal flavour reminiscent of rosemary or eucalyptus. There is an echo of smoke but again it is an infusion rather than a dominant feature - as though every part of the palate has been very lightly smoked. The texture is good, but not outstanding. Finish: Long. Lightly smoked fruits fading into a mild peppery herbal aftertaste with a clean, bracing brine finale. A very clean, relaxed and elegant mezcal. The nose is fragrant and very fine but the body is a little less impressive and dominated by brine. Still, I'd rate this as one of the best I have tried. I bought this bottle about three years ago and it is the last unopened bottle of mezcal I had. I think mezcal is a little more volatile and fragile than other spirits, and it seems to be best when consumed as “fresh” as possible, however this one was very enjoyable and if there was any deterioration over time it was not dramatic or particularly damaging. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)125.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Crisp, fresh grassy and herbaceous aromas. A sprightly and refreshing nose. A light sweet floral tone that is dainty and delightful – like jasmine noticed on a warm breeze. Ahhh. Faint incense tones of patchouli and sandalwood – this is exquisite. A little baked banana and vanilla in the background. Palate: Soft, slightly dry but with a silky mouth-feel. Fine sugar (like powdered cake frosting sugar), slightly herbal, but not overpoweringly so. Mineral notes and a touch of spicy dill seed and white pepper. The texture is seductive. Finish: Short. A smooth, mineral and sugar taste that fades out to the faintest possible grassy aftertaste. This is the first chacaça I’ve tasted and I feel like I’ve been missing out on something. I also feel like I'm lazing on a beach recliner in warm tropical shade and imbibing the aromas of flowering plants while sipping something light, cool and characterful. This is very pleasant. Chacaça is a Brazilian spirit that could be described *very* loosely as Brazilian rhum agricole. It shares a number of aroma and taste facets with both white rum and blanc agricole, but it’s not quite like either. There is none of the heavy sugar-laden bulk you get with almost all white rum and I’m pretty sure there is either no after-distillation sweetening going on, or if there is then it is has been done with a light touch. It has that fresh grassy quality of blanc rhums agricole, but the hogo is very restrained – almost undetectable. This is certainly not the hair-raising experience that Haitian clairin can be! A pleasant, soft, clean and versatile spirit this is as cheap as chips. A bottle of this is less expensive here than Johnnie Walker Black. I’m sold and I now understand why this took the world by storm a couple of decades ago and the caipirinha became such a popular drink (it’s similar to Ti'Punch). This is one of only two brands of chacaça I’ve been able to find locally and I'm enjoying it a lot. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)50.0 AUD per Bottle
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Archie Rose Single Malt Whisky (Batch 1)
Single Malt — Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed December 8, 2020 (edited July 14, 2022)Nose: Malt extract, golden syrup, fig biscuits, dried stone-fruit. There are spicy notes more usually associated with rye whisky and an aroma like yeast extract (oh no, Vegemite whisky!). A drop of water mutes the nose a bit and lets more subtle floral notes through but it remains self-consciously "big". It's busy, but not complex. Palate: Sweet malty arrival with a touch of light ashy smoke. The development has a big malted cereal presence and flavours reminiscent of ale, stout and porter. There are chocolate, mocha and light fruit notes together with a syrupy treacle or golden syrup quality, but malt extract dominates everything else. Finish: Medium/short: Chocolate, malt and dates. This was a much anticipated release, being the first single-malt produced in Sydney for well over a century, and the first single-malt ever from Archie Rose. The distillery was founded 6 years ago and the spirit for this whisky probably ran 2-3 years ago. I thought this was a successful first whisky for the distillery but it did give me the impression of being young and gauche. The nose is rich but the palate seemed a bit one-note and both are dominated by malt. It certainly doesn’t taste like just another Speyside clone and is very much it’s own thing, which is good, but it's only a competent whisky. They used an almost ridiculously complex mash formula with six different strains of malt that were kilned to different intensities ranging from lightly-kilned pale La Trobe malt through to chocolate-roasted Westminster and peated Chariot. Fermentation was with both distiller's and brewer's yeasts and the fermentation time was a whopping 156 hours (the wash must have tasted like a fruity stout!). Distillation was in their old (now retired) small pot stills equipped with tube condensers. The distillate was matured in ex-apera barrels, mostly heavily charred, and ranging from 100-300 litres in size. Maturation took place in their Sydney warehouse with temperature fluctuations that would have exercised those casks quite a bit. Batch 1 was highly desirable among local enthusiasts and collectors so a lottery was held for a chance to buy some bottles (1 per customer) back in October this year. I missed out on that but the distillery then put the rest of the batch up for online sale two weeks later. They sold out in 9 minutes, but that time I managed to get a bottle. In summary, an OK but far from outstanding whisky which is nonetheless a laudable achievement. The main criticisms I have are that it is obviously too young and simultaneously over-complex to the point it is almost a caricature. It smells and tastes like they threw everything except the kitchen sink into it to make the profile as big and spectacular as possible. It would be nice if in future the distillery turned down the volume of, well, just about everything. There is a potentially great whisky here that is being smothered by over-engineered intensity. “Above Average” : 80/100 (3 stars)115.0 AUD per Bottle -
Springbank 25 Year 2019 Edition
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed December 8, 2020 (edited April 29, 2021)Nose: Gentle but confident peat smoke on the immediate nose, but it diminishes as the dram opens, morphing into a fragrant leathery aroma. Malt, treacle toffee, tropical fruit and moist, rich earth. Over time the sherry contribution becomes more obvious with a dark fruit and rancio quality, but this never outpaces the full-bodied maltiness of the distillate and the heavy molasses/treacle notes. Adding water (just a drop or two!) brings out dusky floral and spice incense aromas – damask rose, sandalwood and turmeric. Palate: Good arrival, soft for a fraction of a second then gaining heft, heat and tannic astringency. Chocolate and molasses in the initial development, more tropical fruit and some orange liqueur later, this time spiced with barrel char. Adding water makes the whisky burst with sweetness at first – honey, orange concentrate, mango pulp, and the caramelised sugars of dark rum – but subsequent sips are spicy and vibrant with simmering cinnamon and unsweetened chocolate. The texture is excellent and becomes creamier over time and with a drop of water. Finish: Long. Malty, earthy and herbal, a touch of spicy brine that eventually drifts into a sweet malty fruit taste in the aftertaste. A very good Springbank, most satisfying and with excellent progression, but different to some other 25 year olds I’ve tasted previously. I guess this is due to the rum-cask component of this batch. It’s certainly not a difficult whisky – in fact it’s one of the friendliest I’ve come across, and that sense of “age” is there. There’s nothing at all I can criticise, really, except for the price. Right now I’m tasting this whisky in parallel with Longrow 11 Pinot Noir (which was just over ¼ the price), and Hazelburn 10 (which was about 1/8). Both are wonderful whiskies in their own brackets and it’s hard to justify the expense of the 25. However if money is not a consideration, go for it. This is lovely stuff. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)820.0 AUD per Bottle -
Collingwood Blended Canadian Whisky
Canadian — Ontario, Canada
Reviewed December 6, 2020 (edited December 30, 2020)Nose: Vanilla, caramel, oatmeal cracker, cinnamon, a brittle, spirity aroma behind a faint oak note. It gets a little better as it rests and yes, maple sugar does appear. Interestingly, a drop of water opens the nose both dispelling the spirity quality and uncovering a distinctly perfumed note rather like faint musk. Palate: Prickly and hard, bitter pine resin. Faint suggestions of marzipan and liquorice. The texture is thin and sharp and simultaneously limp and lifeless. That takes some doing. Adding water helps and over time with dilution some caramel can be noticed, but this is just not a great sipping whisky. Finish: Short. Bitter and sour. With water it’s just a little less bitter. Periodically I try a new Canadian whisky and every time I’m disappointed. Maybe I’m being too cheap and only buying the dross but it would be so nice to occasionally taste one that is at least average. This is thin and what aromas and flavours do show through are not engaging. I can’t believe that this is the best Canada can offer at this price point. For the same money I can buy Cutty Sark Prohibition, Glen Grant 12, Tamnavulin Double Cask, Teeling Small Batch, Glenfiddich 12, Jim Beam Bonded and even our own home-grown Starward Twofold ... the list goes on and on and every alternative can simply thrash this poor devil of a whisky into the ground. The only value I can see in this whisky is as a mixer, and it’s not so great in that role either. You can’t cook with bad ingredients, so why mix with inferior spirits? The official review notes are on target for this one but the score is too generous. I get the distinct feeling this whisky may have been better a few years ago. “Inferior” : 67/100 (1.5 stars)61.0 AUD per Bottle -
Green Tree Distillery "Green Fairy" Absinthe
Absinthe — Czech Republic
Reviewed December 6, 2020 (edited August 5, 2022)Appearance: Intense transparent turquoise. As fake as paste jewellery. Aroma: Grassy spearmint, eau-de Cologne. Flavour and Texture: Neat there is an artificial mint flavour, a suggestion of fennel and grain alcohol with a bittersweet industrial quality. Diluted it is the same but harsher as if the high abv had been keeping all the badness in check and it is suddenly unleashed. This tastes nothing - I repeat NOTHING - like real absinthe. Horrific. Vile. Noisome. An offence to all deities. This concoction is about as far away from real absinthe as it is possible to get. It is almost literally undrinkable and certainly provides no pleasure to the imbiber whatsoever. It’s like a spearmint liqueur created from the cheapest artificial ingredients. I could not detect any wormwood and that should be the defining ingredient. Neither was there the slightest sign of green anise, fennel, hyssop, gentian, lemon balm, star anise or any of the possible herbal components expected in real absinthe. This is obviously not a distilled botanical product and I doubt it was even compounded from a mixture of essential oils. I'm convinced this is nothing more than numbered synthetic additives dissolved in ethanol - the most beggarly form of flavoured vodka imaginable by the frenzied mind of Satan himself. More than anything it reminded me of Listerine – the appearance, the aroma and the taste. The only difference being that Listerine is infinitely more pleasant to drink. Most shocking of all, it does not louche! What is the point of absinthe that does not louch? All that happens with ice-water is … nothing. It looks precisely the same. This is typical for all the gross, cheap eastern European so-called "absinthe" products and is the explicit reason why the demented "ritual" of setting a spirit-soaked sugar cube on fire was invented. It was the only thing that you could do with this muck - burn it. Sadly this is the most common "absinthe" available in Australia (but fortunately if you look around you can find much better brands). It is available under numerous names including “Green Tree”, "Green Fairy” (the most common label), and even just “Absinthe” and at strengths varying from 40-70%abv. Tasted from a 40ml sample. I would not buy a whole bottle of this if you paid me. In fact I would gladly join a campaign to have it outright banned from sale. For just $30 more you can find Pernod Absinthe in most good liquor shops and, as basic as it is, it sets the baseline for the spirit and exists in another dimension to this foetid, venomous swill. “Disgustingly Bad and Almost Literally Undrinkable” : 10/100 (0.00 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle -
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky
Flavored Whiskey — Canada
Reviewed December 4, 2020 (edited March 28, 2022)Appearance: Transparent yellow. Aroma: Candied, dusty cinnamon. Flavour and Texture: Sweet, syrupy arrival. Much less intense than I had imagined. A little cinnamon heat builds as it sits on the palate, but there is no development or anything like that. All you taste is very tame sweet/hot cinnamon ... and then that fades away. Boring, to be honest. I was prepared for disgust, outrage or maybe even life-changing enjoyment, but no, it’s really pretty dull. Is this supposed to be impressive or shocking? LOL - come with me and let me introduce you to my friends, Baijiu and Clairin. There is no stretch of any definition or imagination that could let you call this whisky. It is a quirky lolly-like liqueur built on a generic spirit base, which just happens to be grain spirit. I'll give it this - the producers have very skillfully balanced hot cinnamon against sweet syrup to create something with a buzz that is highly drinkable. Hey - if you want to have fun, laughs and good times with this stuff, go for it – don’t let me rain on the parade. It’s completely harmless and a bit of a giggle, but hard to rate. As whisky it's worth virtually nothing, but as a silly liqueur it's worth maybe 3 stars. “Frivolous but ultimately Inferior” : 65/100 (1.5 stars)54.0 AUD per Bottle -
Château du Breuil Fine
Calvados — Calvados Pays d'Auge, France
Reviewed December 4, 2020 (edited July 15, 2022)Nose: Crisp apple cider underpinned with notes of oak cask. There is also a fresh grassy aroma and a hint of something stronger than cider - as if a half teaspoon of good young cognac has been added to the nosing glass. Palate: Soft, creamy arrival - a very gentle entry with semi-sweet notes of apple, grassy herbs, raisins and thinned honey. The faintest possible amount of warm cinnamon and white pepper arises in the development. The texture is soft and but not thick. Finish: Medium/short. The apple note is there until the very end and the aftertaste is bittersweet (but with the emphasis on the sweet note). A pleasant and very easy to drink spirit with very little alcohol heat. This is the baby of the Château du Breuil range but that does not equate with cheap or immature. It's fresh, crisp and perfectly acceptable, but be aware that the older and more expensive expressions are better, and that Château du Breuil itself, while a good producer, is not the top of the totem pole. Delicious neat, on ice, with a dash of soda water or in a hot toddy. I wouldn't use calvados as a mixer in most cases as its character is subtle and best allowed to stand alone. It is also a fantastic cooking ingredient that combines excellently with almonds and goes very well in a chicken casserole or in a sauce for roast pork. In whisky terms I'd equate this to a good quality mid-range blended scotch - something like Dewars 12 or Johnnie Walker Black. "Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars)58.0 AUD per Bottle
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