Tastes
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Nose: Refined and poised - juniper is squarely in focus but supported by a plethora of light spice and herbal fragrances including lavender and rosewater. The summary impression is of smelling flowers, but it's not sickly-floral - more austere and lifted. A really good example of a gin nose done with restraint and panache. The banality of alcohol is nowhere to be seen. Palate: A very pleasant arrival that begins lightly with herbal notes, then quickly moves into sweet territory before expanding into a warm development. The palate throughout has excellent balance and cohesion, with the individual botanicals acting their part but never upstaging the company as a whole. The texture is just right. Finish: Medium. The sweetness of the late palate fades into warmth as the spicy notes reassert in the aftertaste, and there is no trace of bitterness. This is a very good gin. It has a classic gin profile but it is executed in a subtle yet expressive manner with a light touch. Everything fits together with the precision of a jigsaw puzzle and the palate shows distinct development both in the mouth and in the glass. It's a delicious gin to sip neat. I can recommend this as the base for a subtle G&T using Fever Tree Naturally Light and no citrus, or even with soda water and a couple of drops of orange bitters. This gin is a delicate and shy performer and you must allow her the entire stage. I love big hefty juniper monsters like Never-Never Juniper Freak and summer-lightningbolt gins like Cotswolds. I also love the softness of Aviation, the funky earth of Herno and the herbal explosion of Monkey 47 - but this gin is something else again. It's light, subtle, passionate and demure - a ballet of nuance and refinement. The official comments here are on target. This is a very good gin but I would recommend it for neat drinking over a chip of ice or in a very simple drink, such as a light G&T. It would drown instantly in a heavy cocktail. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars)75.0 AUD per Bottle
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Brookie's Byron Dry Gin
Modern Gin — New South Wales, Australia
Reviewed November 21, 2019 (edited July 22, 2022)Nose: Warm, fragrant and expansive but a little hard. The aromas are very much melded into a balanced whole that has aspects of juniper, citrus and herbs (spearmint, thyme and anise). There is an earthy quality and a sort of creamy coziness to the nose that is very pleasant. Even a deep nosing does not show a trace of ethanol but there is a brisk and almost metallic note in the background. Palate: Unexpectedly, given the round and comforting warmth of the nose, the arrival is immediately quite sharp and hot, but it's over a rich and creamy base. It gives an impression almost like chili pepper. The heat expands but never becomes unpleasant, and then gently subsides into the finish. There is lots of bright juniper and a nutty quality as well. The texture is good but again there is that hard note, which extends into the finish. Finish: Medium. The palate subsides into a spicy finish with a touch of sweetness. Alcohol is never apparent but that metallic, industrial presence haunts this gin. Cape Byron distillery is located on the north coast of NSW, not far south of the Queensland border, in a warm temperate rainforest area. The distillery particularly prides itself on the use of local botanicals and maintains it's own privately managed rainforest reserve where ingredients are gathered. The full recipe for this dry gin is not revealed, but it definitely contains finger limes, kumquat, aniseed myrtle, lilly pilly, macadamia nut, river mint and native ginger. The heat on the palate comes mainly from cinnamon myrtle and Dorrigo pepperberry. It's mostly a successful gin of the "modern dry" style. Assertive and quite intense, but the intensity is balanced by a creamy mouthfeel. However it stands out as bright and hot on first neat taste, and even using it in a G&T the raw hard background element pushes through. This is not a subtle gin, and that's its main fault. The distillery has fixated on assertive aromas and flavours to the point that it is something of a bludgeon. Taste this, then taste Whitley & Neill, The Botanist or any other more subtle gin and you'll instantly get what I mean. "Average" : 78/100 (2.75 stars)75.0 AUD per Bottle -
Bombay Sapphire Gin (40%)
London Dry Gin — England
Reviewed November 21, 2019 (edited February 27, 2023)Nose: Juniper, earthy spices (coriander, pepper, tumeric) and a little citrus note. The nose is balanced and mild to the point of shyness and some vanilla-tinged ethanol shows up in the background. Palate: A sweet juniper arrival with evolving spicy and herbal tones. Very much a classic gin profile with good balance but little of note. The texture is unremarkable but certainly not bad. Finish: Short. Sweet with very light herbal and spice notes. 30 years ago this was a standout gin that was part of the vanguard of "new gins" that ushered in the current gin craze. It's remarkable how far we've come so quickly, with gins available today that would have been little short of shocking to the palate a generation ago. It has not changed in profile but nowadays, when compared to many contemporary gins, it seems to be just on the better side of average, but that's all. I guess that's faint praise but to give it its due it is a dependable and pleasant all-round old-school gin that can be used in just about any context. You can sip it neat, but there's no great thrill involved in the process. The main downside to this gin is finding it at a reasonable price. The standard price is around $54 for 70cl however I've seen it priced anywhere from $44-66. At the expensive end it's up against seriously better competition and simply not worth it, but if you can find it on special it's worth buying. If nothing else it is a prime example of a well-made middle-of-the-road gin and it works very well as the first gin in a tasting flight. "Average" : 75/100 (2.5 stars)54.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Oak sideboards polished with beeswax, herbal pomander, diesel fuel, rotting apples, baked pears, kerosene, freshly scraped vanilla pods, chinchona bark, turpentine, fresh thyme, malt extract, treacle and brass polish. After resting in the glass for a while an array of baking spice aromas is revealed. By all the gods, that's what I call a nose! Astonishingly, the dry-glass aroma is very similar to some bourbon but there is a top-note of herbal honey. Palate: Rich, thick and engulfing - very sweet but also spicy on the arrival with more warm baking spices and herbal oaky tones. Some liquorice, anise and clove appear as it develops, along with a medley of herbal pot-pourri. An expansive and earthy palate that never becomes cloying - the sweetness is perfectly balanced by woody and earthy herbal tones. Finish: Medium/short. Sweet, herbal and grassy. Very satisfying with lingering woody notes. The nose and palate of this aged corenwijn are quite distinct, but not at odds. They're like a set of twins - each with its own personality but unmistakably very similar. The nose is momentous and not at all like gin, it more closely resembles some scotch whiskies (there is a similarity to Auchentoshan). The palate is entrancing with each sip. It starts out sweet and benign then suddenly turns herbal, grassy and piney, but almost immediately subsides into a warm malty blanket. It takes me by surprise every time. Imagine green Chartreuse, Auchentoshan 12 and Buffalo Trace colliding head-on at full speed. I'd encourage every serious spirits enthusiast to try this at least once, and if you do please taste it neat and give it time to reveal itself. This is absolutely not something to waste on shots or as a mixer. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)89.99 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Fragrant (almost floral) top notes of juniper and pine over a darker caramel-cereal base. Oak casks and malt spirit. This has a sweet, lightly spiced and seductive nose with hints of wheat-grain whisky and corn new-make, but it is composed and elegant with no raw notes. The dry glass has fascinating aromas of salt flats and low tide estuaries - I can almost hear the curlews wailing! Palate: A rich, sweet, oily and malty arrival. In the development there are treacle notes, a tinge of liquorice and botanical complexity. A faint suggestion of maritime salt appears, but there is no smoke at all. The texture is chewy but the sensation of a robust but crisp gin is never far away, although juniper itself is not obvious at all. Finish: Medium. Slightly salty and earthy. Malt and cereal fade into a sweet aftertaste that is evocative of sunset over peaceful seaside landscapes. Oude genever is more suited to neat sipping than jonge genever - the malt component is higher and it is uncannily more like tasting young whisky than gin. The official Distiller tasting notes summarize this as "Rich" and I think that's a very apt descriptor. It makes me think of brocaded drawing rooms with heavy velvet drapes and figures in old portraits peering from beneath layers of sfumato as courtiers sip herbal liqueurs. It's dense, fragrant and elegant. If whisky did not exist this would be my spirit of choice. The official notes here are right on target. This is a smooth, soft and comfortable spirit that is best thought of as a spiced cereal new-make that has had a little barrel conditioning. It is excellent as a neat sipping spirit but also works as a delicious mixer, however oude genever is less interchangable with London dry gin than jonge genever, and mixing it seems like wasting a spirit that deserves neat appreciation. I've just ordered another two bottles. At the current price it is a steal. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)64.99 AUD per Bottle
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Nose: Malty, like the aroma of ale, with added botanical and spice notes including citrus, clove and juniper but the intensity is much lower and more rounded than in London dry gin and the overall impression is earthy rather than floral. There is also a big oily cereal distillate aroma. Palate: Earthy and cereal on the arrival, like black rye bread with pine-forest overtones, nutmeg, walnuts and faint juniper. The texture is waxy, oily and a little thick. Some hay-like and malty flavours become apparent over time and a little mild pepper and licorice shows up towards the end. Finish: Medium. Malty, cereal and lightly spicy with some warm bitterness in the tail. Almost a hopped beer aftertaste. A typical jonge genever that shows all the aspects that exemplify this style of spirit. The nose and palate are distinctive and on first acquaintance it may seem like an unusual pairing of characteristics. If you’ve ever tasted barrel-aged gin then imagine that profile amplified so that the cask influence almost covers the botanicals. It’s also very similar to white-dog or new-make scotch whisky with the addition of a slightly hopped kind of spice and just a trace of the fragrances typical in gin. The closest dry-style gin to this that I’ve tasted is the St George Dry Rye (which I'm sure was inspired by genever). Jonge genever does not have the rich malt-spirit character of oude genever, but that does not mean it is only for mixing. I enjoy this neat at room temperature, but many prefer it kept in the freezer and taken as chilled as possible. The Dutch employ it as a “kopstoot” which translates as “head-butt” (I love that), which is beer with a genever chaser. It responds well to dilution (with up to equal parts water) and is an excellent alternative to gin in cocktails, particularly the negroni and Collins, as it is similar but with less aromatics and a denser, creamier palate. I’ve read several cautions about using it in a G&T but I couldn’t disagree more – it makes a great pairing with tonic, particularly if you add a couple of ice cubes and a generous slice of citrus. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)59.99 AUD per Bottle
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Jim Beam Signature Craft 12 Year Bourbon
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 17, 2019 (edited July 12, 2022)Nose: Chloroform (or some other sort of sweet smelling solvent), plywood, pencil shavings, vanilla, mango cream, grilled pineapple, orange syrup, honey and a light hint of smoke. Over time the nose is dominated by orange blossom honey and vanilla. Palate: Sweet and creamy arrival with caramel fudge and light corn syrup flavours. The development brings out a little very mild rye spice, vanilla, honey and oak. The texture is good, but not outstanding and it can occasionally seem a little spirity. Finish: Medium. Honey, crème brûlée and a slightly bitter mocha coffee note. Just after the finish seems to have ended there is an aftertaste of sweet oak. A very soft, well balanced and easy to sip bourbon. The sweet and spice characteristics are finely matched throughout with fruity and cereal notes in support. The nose is fragrant and alluring and the finish lasts a good deal longer than expected. There is a vanilla presence in both the nose and palate that borders on being too dominant, and the longer you taste it the more obvious it becomes, but it never gets to the point of being cloying. Overall I'd describe this as "genteel" in profile. It's very much the Jim Beam house profile done just the right way at low proof and it wouldn't be inaccurate to describe this as a more refined Jim Beam White Label. It lacks the verve and punch of Jim Beam Bonded (which is THE value buy from Beam), and it has nothing like the commanding personality of the more expensive whiskies from this distillery. Nevertheless I'm enjoying this highly approachable liquor and it works equally well as a neat sipper, over ice, with a little water and even as a long drink in cola - although in this last form it does become a little too sweet and creamy. I am, however, at a complete loss regarding the official rating here, particularly in light of the official notes, which do not seem to be in agreement. 95 is an absurd score for this whiskey - maybe it was a typo and supposed to be 85? That would be far more believable. "Above Average" : 82/100 (3.25 stars)80.0 AUD per Bottle -
Nose: Light but balanced. Juniper is present (which it must be) but it is complimented, and almost overpowered, by citrus and floral notes and a little vanilla. There is also a slight intrusion of ethanol - this could almost be mistaken for a good botanical vodka were it not for the occasional waft of juniper. Palate: A sweet arrival with subdued spices. It has some peppery notes but it's not hot at all and there is an excellent creamy texture. As is the case with the nose there is only a restrained juniper character and ethanol is again obviously present, however it's top-quality grain spirit and the profile is well balanced and agreeable. Finish: Short. Citrus and mild spicy/herbal/woody tones. This has an unusually mild juniper presence for a gin. The nose gains more citrus as you get used to it with a distinct lemon zest aroma coming to dominate. It's also a gin that I enjoyed both neat and as a mixer. The profile is so balanced, creamy and relaxed that it is wonderful straight. I poured an ounce of this into a glencairn (which is how I taste all spirits) and without even realizing it I polished it off before I'd finished the review - dangerously drinkable! On reflection, and once I had worked my way through most of a bottle, I came to think that this has some characteristics that are reminiscent of genever. It does not have the malty white-dog aromas but it has the slick, oily, almost slippery texture. I can't believe this is by accident - the distiller who formulated this gin must have had genever in the back of his mind. I've not tried it in a martini yet, but this weekend I'm meeting up with a mate who is the master of that drink, so I'll report back on what he makes of it. I have a feeling it will make an exceptionally friendly and approachable cocktail. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)79.99 AUD per Bottle
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Wild Turkey Bourbon 101
Bourbon — Kentucky, USA
Reviewed November 13, 2019 (edited December 14, 2019)Nose: Wood aromas floating on a raft of ethanol. Vanilla pods, butterscotch sauce, sweet freshly-mown hay, lemon zest, licorice, ginger pieces in syrup, treacle. Over time the nose melds into a powerful and cohesive hard toffee presence dressed with rye spice. The oaky, almost cedar-like wood note never disappears. Water considerably softens the nose (see notes below). Palate: A forceful sweet and woody arrival, quickly unfolding into spicy vanilla and tannin. Some stone fruit and molasses on the development with ginger, licorice, the bitter sweetness of Dundee marmalade, astringent black tea and burnt white marshmallows. There's also an undertone of barely constrained hot seedy spices - caraway, clove, nutmeg, cardamom and fenugreek - simmering in tobacco juice. It's like some sort of potion you'd normally use to tan leather! The texture is creamy but with a grippy edge. Again, water works magic on the palate. Finish: Medium/long. There is a slightly sour cherry, tannin and charcoal aftertaste when neat, but a much sweeter character when diluted. The neat nose is pungently powerful on this whiskey to begin with and frankly a little rough. However it's not an alcohol burn - more like the sharpness of solvent ether or acetone. I guess it's the combination of rye, tannin and relatively high abv acting together. Approach it recklessly and you'll get a smack in the face you'll not soon forget, but give it some time and the suave side is apparent. The palate is definitely clustered around the rye component and there is a dry spicy quality right through the profile. This is not a sweet, plump, fruity and easy sipping type of bourbon with big raisin and brown sugar flavours. Taste it with that knowledge firmly in mind and it will make a better impression. Dilution is strongly recommended for this bourbon. It takes the edge off the ethanol spike and unleashes some delightful floral notes on the nose. The palate becomes sweeter and more controlled but the spice note is still clearly present - it just seems more in balance. The prickly heat of the neat palate becomes more like bittersweet cocoa and even a little sweet orange tone is detected. The texture is not diminished and the finish becomes rounder and more satisfying. Overall the whiskey now presents approachable warmth rather than fire. A nice bourbon - not an immediately easy drop, but one well worth tasting. It's also a good mixer, retaining its character in any cocktail or long drink. I wouldn't call WT101 my favourite bourbon, and to be honest I think I prefer the lower strength Wild Turkey. "Above Average" : 81/100 (3 stars)70.0 AUD per Bottle -
Octomore Masterclass 08.4/170 Virgin Oak
Single Malt — Islay, Scotland
Reviewed November 6, 2019 (edited August 26, 2020)Nose: Immersive, rich enfolding peat-reek. Very sweet in character with camp-fire spit-roast pig. There's also a malted note and warm baking spices. With dilution soft honeyed notes emerge to flirt with a floral fragrance. Formidable! Palate: An explosively sweet and leathery arrival that segues into honeyed oak, leather and coconut. Very intense and confrontational. The texture is oddly neutral - not oily, not creamy, not thin, just sort of "right there". A clove and herbal-heathery note arises in the late development and some sea-spray brine and iodine notes show up towards the finish, together with some sweetness. With dilution everything takes a holiday in honey-town. Finish: Long. Peated fruity notes dangle into a slow sweet aftertaste that has hints of spices, licorice and coconut. What a big whisky! Larger than I was expecting. Smoke and caramel candy loom large in this profile, and it's a fun-fair ride! Just when you think you have its measure, something else comes along to command the centre stage. There is a somewhat intrusive vinyl-plastic note that interrupts the palate, but it's fairly ignorable as long as you can cope with what is a particularly ballsy whisky. It's not my favourite Octomore (but then, even my least favourite rates 84/100). Now, MARK MY WORDS - this whisky is as tight as a fish's arse and you can't fully appreciate it neat. Have a neat sip first but then for the love of all that is holy and good in the universe ADD SOME WATER. Take it down to around the mid 40% mark and suddenly it will all come into focus and expand in every dimension. The nose, the palate - everything instantly makes sense and you will fall in love with it and become an Octomore fan. A cracking good whisky, a cracking good Octomore. "Very Good" : 87/100 (4.25 stars)269.0 AUD per Bottle
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