Tastes

Nose: Oily, rich, mineral-tinged peat smoke. Dried apples and pears reconstituted in whisky and barbecued over coals. Root vegetables baked in a hāngi [earth oven]. An old greasy coal-fired traction engine. Oak casks and a concoction of herbs and spices (anise? arnica?) and balsamic pine-resins. Adding water releases lighter fruity notes, a definite hint of coconut, and melds the nose into a gentler and more musky/fruity personality. Palate: The entry is big, but not aggressive, and shows pine-tar, charcoal and oak tannin but there is no heat or astringency at all. The character is fundamentally sweet, fruity and malty and on each sip it takes a moment for the peat-smoke notes to appear. When they do they are lightly spiced and oily. There are black-tea and licorice notes in the later palate. The neat texture is oily and rich. With the addition of water luscious stewed fruit notes emerge and the texture becomes irresistibly creamy and velvety. Finish: Medium/long. Oily herbal/smoky flavours with a bouquet of baking spices. A gentle smoke-tinged resinous flavour is the lingering aftertaste. This whisky does not have a strongly peated profile and not surprisingly it is like the Bakery Hill 46% peated expression but with a more intense and defined character. The thing to realize is that although this is at cask-strength, it has a very gentle style. On first nosing, lovers of peated Scottish whisky may question if it is peated at all. The smokiness is unusual as it does not have any of the frequently encountered medicinal, maritime or bonfire notes. The smoke component is not at all bombastic but instead provides a concentration of subtle aromas and tastes. I actually thought the 46% expression had more noticeable smoke, and indeed if you add a few drops of water to this it does amplify the smoke a touch. This whisky made me imagine what I think an industrial or construction site would have smelled like in the 1800s - all oil, earth, wood and smoke. The closest Scottish single malt I can think of as a comparison is Ben Nevis. Like that distillate, this is fundamentally an earthy whisky with just a little smoke. At around 60% abv (batches vary) this is exceptionally approachable. You can quaff this neat like water and it is just soothing and warming. Supurb craftsmanship. If only it was not so ruinously expensive this would be a fixture in my collection. Together with the unpeated cask-strength expression, this is the shining star of Bakery Hill's range. Tasted from a 50ml distillery-filled miniature. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars) --------------------------------- Addendum: This was the last of 5 distillery-bottled miniatures in a tasting set I bought recently. Until I had tasted these my experience with Bakery Hill was limited to the standard Classic Malt expression and a range of 6 experimental caskings I tasted at an event a while ago. I was not particularly impressed with what I had tried before and I was hoping that the samples of their core range would provide a better picture and maybe change my opinion, and that is what happened. In my opinion Bakery Hill is at its very best at cask strength, whether it is the Classic Malt or the Peated Malt. Their whisky is crafted to be easy to approach but that can result in an expression that seems a little too laid back at lower strength. At high abv the story is quite different with more concentrated aromas and flavours being displayed, but the alcohol presence is still very easy and gentle. If you can find either of the Cask Strength expressions for a reasonable price I would recommend a taste.

Nose: Pears, apples, mild peat smoke with a heathery floral quality. It's fresh and "windswept" in character with almost a briny note, which is bizarre considering the distillery's location is in outer metropolitan Melbourne 40km from the coast. Adding water contributes a soft musky tone to the fruity and floral aromas. Palate: Soft and sweet on the arrival with well-balanced cereal flavours. Smoke is not immediately apparent but shows up after a moment as the palate starts to develop, however it is certainly no peat monster. Lightly sweetened orchard fruits on the developed palate with a pleasant hint of leather and tobacco. The texture is creamy and silken with just a soupçon of caramel and vanilla. Finish: Short. The fundamental pleasant cereal quality fades quite quickly with a little puff of smoke on the aftertaste and a miniscule briny note. Another relaxed Sunday afternoon, another relaxed Aussie whisky. This is the second peated expression I've had from Bakery Hill (the other being their more pungent "Sovereign Smoke") but this is much more laid-back in style. I gather that this is precisely what the distillery was aiming to achieve. The nose seemed at once familiar and it didn't take long to equate it with Kilchoman Machir Bay. There is the same fresh, breezy quality but this whisky has more sweetness to the nose. Machir bay is also more complex whereas this has simple cereal profile but is very friendly and approachable. The palate is focused on crisp, sweet cereal flavours rather than rich maltiness. This is a "breakfast" palate, not one for dessert. I did note the absence of any rubbery, plastic sulphurous notes. The distillate is clean and in my humble opinion Bakery Hill could teach several Scottish distilleries a lesson in how to run a still. This is a very gentle style of whisky and it certainly does not require any water to make it approachable. One common characteristic I notice in almost every Australian whisky (and also in American single malts) is a lack of harshness and alcohol heat. This expression is 46% abv but the ethanol is hardly noticed. Adding water softens the profile to the point that it becomes dangerously easy to drink, but I preferred it neat. The criticism I have of this whisky is that it is too simple and demure, but it would be a good whisky to give a novice. It lacks the depth required of a really interesting whisky and the finish, while pleasant, is quite short. If it was just a little broader in all respects I'd happily rate this at 4 stars. It is certainly pleasant and easily the best of the core-range 46% Bakery Hill expressions. It's interesting that instead of using local Australian barley this is produced with 100% peated Scottish malt (I believe it's imported from Bairds in Inverness, but I don't know the barley variety). There is also, as with all Australian whisky, the very high price to take into consideration. At AUS$160 for a 500ml bottle of NAS whisky this simply cannot compete against imported peated whiskies, most of the 10 or 12 year old Scottish expressions being literally half the cost. Tasted from a 50ml distillery-bottled sample. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Nose: Apricot juice, prune juice, malt, honeydew melon. There are a lot of sweet fruity and syrupy aromas here and it has a plush, full quality. There are some leathery, spicy notes as well but they are subdued to start with, gaining prominence over time. Palate: Sweet but somewhat flinty arrival that is malty at its core, but surrounded by grippy, almost hard tastes. After the unapologetically sweet and fruity nose the initial palate is a little surprising, but then you remember this has French oak influence and it makes sense. There is not a lot of development but definitely some intense marmalade and golden syrup notes, which become dominant (over-dominating, actually). The texture is good. Finish: Medium/short. Golden syrup and malt are the final memories. There is a little metallic bitterness in the aftertaste. The nose fools you into thinking this will be a sweet whisky but it's actually drier than expected, but not at all unpleasant. The finish is a little short. I tasted this immediately after the Cask Strength version of their "Classic Malt" and it suffered in comparison. I'd be interested to know what the "French oak casks" actually were - maybe they are refill ex-apera casks? They don't taste like virgin casks. I'm swiftly coming to the conclusion that Bakery Hill needs to be at considerable strength to tell its story properly, and I can't help but wonder what this expression would be like with 10-12% more abv. At lower strength (and we're still talking 46%) everything I've tasted from them has seemed lacking in presence. The nose was, for me, absolutely the best part of the experience and although the palate was good the golden syrup note is too prominent and gave it a one-note character. I'd equate this to their standard Classic Malt, and it is really just a variation on that theme. Neither of them approaches the Cask Strength expression, which is not simply more intense, it has a lot more complexity. "Average" : 79/100 (2.75 stars)

Nose: Crisp, cereal-led but with fruity and floral notes gradually appearing. Spirity on first pour, but this quickly blows away. As the nose settles it gains a firm toasty-cereal and sweet malt profile. There's a touch of fennel or anise and a trace of vanilla. Some farmyard aromas begin to show up after a few minutes, and there is the sign of some very nice oak casks. There is a tiny hint of peat, but it's not what you would ever describe as a smoky whisky. The peat just carries the farmyard aromas and a leathery quality more than smoke. Palate: Rich, oily, creamy, very malty, full-flavoured and mouth-watering arrival. There is a distinct transition to the development where a big wave of malt extract floods the palate and some pleasant baking spice flavours emerge together with dried fruit, chewing tobacco and leather. Yummy. The texture is oily, creamy and enveloping. Finish: Medium/long. Semi-sweet malt that lingers in the aftertaste. Well, this is my first tasting of the cask-strength version of Bakery Hill's NAS "Classic Malt" and I can strongly advise you to completely ignore the standard strength bottling and run straight to this expression. This is as excellent as the ordinary one is ... well, ordinary. It takes water well and a small dash does no harm, merely giving you a different aspect of the profile. It becomes a touch dustier and sweeter. However this is so very approachable neat I'd recommend taking it that way. Even at 60.5% there is hardly a trace of ethanol on the palate and no raw heat at all, and the concentration of malty flavours is very enjoyable. This is well made spirit and I'm beginning to see why Bakery Hill has the reputation it does among local whisky enthusiasts. If you are looking to try some Australian whisky and you can find this it is worth the expense - but yes it is *very* expensive. You'll pay around US160 a bottle for this, and it's only a 500ml bottle at that. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

Nose: Mild herbal/spicy. Quite pretty and floral (violets) with some green apple peel and beeswax. Palate: Spicy/sweet and a little hot on the arrival with fruity notes underneath (that green apple again). Honey and vanilla as it develops with the floral notes once more noticed. The texture is OK but nothing special. Finish: Medium/short. A little tannic on the aftertaste. A unusual mineral-like spice note lingers. The nose is more candied and soft than most ryes I've tried (although I admit my experience in this area is limited). The palate is acceptable but a little lacking in complexity and it has an almost effervescent quality on the finish that reminds me of baking soda (!) Just barely adequate for sipping, but honestly I'd never reach for this by choice. More than acceptable for mixing and reasonable value. Not much more to say. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)

Nose: Spiced orange (not unlike an orange pomander ball), espresso coffee, pleasantly deep oak notes reminiscent of polished wooden dressers. Over time in the glass it gains body and as the bottle level drops and the whisky oxidizes the nose gains further woody notes and a definite sherry presence. There is an aromatic almost incense or perfume-like note that took me ages to pin down. It's freshly grated nutmeg. Adding water emphasizes the orange and nutmeg notes considerably. [Weirdly, on the dry glass I smell oil-paint. That smell of linseed oil you get when walking into a gallery that is showing recently finished artworks. There is an accompanying note of coffee, like the cold dregs of a cappuccino]. Palate: Spicy dark fruits, espresso and ginger lead the way on the arrival. The development sees a definite dark chocolate note emerge together with some cinnamon, and cocoa persists through into the aftertaste. There are also grassy and herbal flavours - mint, licorice and mustard - and the profile is woody and grassy throughout. The texture is good, with a light creaminess. There is a sweet foundation to the palate that is hidden on first tasting, but with each subsequent sip you sense it more. Adding water softens the overall presentation, but does not markedly change the character. Finish: Medium. Ginger, a hint of vanilla, unsweetened cocoa, and mild oak tannin. The aftertaste is dry with little waves of mocha and oak. A pleasant nose that only fails for me in that it seems somehow "over-polished". I prefer my whisky to be a little less engineered, but this is still very good. The palate has complexity and an interesting balance between spicy/sweet and bitter/dry. It is equal to the nose but again seems calculated and does not hold my attention or excite me. I certainly don't hate this whisky, on the contrary it is good, but I did feel a bit underwhelmed by it on first tasting and time has not changed that impression. I can't gather the enthusiasm to describe it as "very good" and the official rating here seems a little inflated to me. In the final analysis this is a good, but overpriced and over-hyped highland whisky. I paid AUS$180 for this a few years ago but now it is up to $240, and even at the original price I can think of many expressions I would prefer to buy. I won't be replacing this bottle when it is finished. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

Nose: Vanilla langue du chat with a little orange essence. A retiring, musky cereal note. Palate: Semi-sweet watery cereal arrival. Nearly devoid of flavour apart from a suggestion of citrus and a memory of salt. The texture is soft but weak. Finish: There is no finish. This is the most anaemic whisky I've tasted for a good while. I thought the "Pure Scot" from Bladnoch that I tasted not long ago was bad, but this ... There is virtually nothing on the nose. A shy grainy vanilla presence and a sweet, vaguely musky overtone, and that's it. The palate is equally deserted. There is a bland cereal arrival, but no discernable development at all. Then suddenly it just stops dead in its tracks and is gone. The only significant aftertaste I get is the sweetness of grain spirit. I'm dumbfounded that this claims to be 5 years old - I've tasted new-make that has WAY more flavour. This is like neutral column-distilled spirit that has been matured in steel drums with a couple of old oak-staves thrown in for flavour. This bottle was just opened and I'm only on the second dram from the neck, so I'll give it a day or so and score it then, in case by some chance it evolves. -------------------------------- UPDATED WITH RATING After 48 hours this has changed its profile a little, but in both good and bad ways. To begin with it was bland but inoffensive as there was hardly anything to give offense. As it has oxidised, however, it has gained distinct notes on both nose and palate. Lightly buttery, creamy cereal, vanilla - a standard generic Irish blend profile. The problem is that along with the improvement there is a hard, bitter almost sour note in the finish. This is noticed even when it is mixed with Coke. I'm giving it the same rating I gave The Dubliner as it's very much in that ballpark, and like The Dubliner it is also overpriced. "Inferior" : 69/100 (1.75 stars)