Tastes

N: Malty cereals are delivered with young green apple and straw notes. P: Stewed pear is a weak entry with some creamy chocolate and bitter chocolate in equal measure. There are some oaky spices and perfumes, but everything is short and a little bland. F: Medium. Pepper, cinnamon, and bitterness of cocoa powder. Mostly though, this is just all about heat. Nose and pallate are very similar to many other lowland malts. And thats not a fault, but it does make this offering unremarkable. This is clearly intended as an entry level whisky to showcase lowland whisky. Its well made. Clean. Crisp. Tasty. But its entirely unremarkable and lacks any standout character or flavours of interest. I expected more to be honest. This is simply put: fine. Distiller whisky taste #77

Another generous share from the neighbour. Contemplating the finer things in life, like a warm afternoon on the deck drinking whisky. This time a seemingly complex rye mix of of a 2-year-old rye (95% rye and 5% barley) and a 16-year-old with a more conventional mash bill of 53% rye, 37% corn and 10% barley. (Although it would seem that’s not longer the case?). I’ve had some good Australian rye lately (Archie Rose, The Gospel). So let’s see how Utah rye stacks up… N: Pleasantly clean and juicy, is moist a smell? This smells moist. Like dew on the grass. Freshly muddled mint, anise, cardamon and softening wafts of vanilla. P: Cinnamon (like cinnamon grahams cereal), toothpaste (that’s odd) and herbaceous initially. Juicy citrus grapefruit and orange juice are carried in next with a backing of bitter chocolate, toffee and vanilla (bourbon) notes. F: At first I thought short with a clean, juicy tropical fruit, and clove spice. But, it was deceptively long as lingering chilli warmth creeps in to stay. Overall not bad at all. However, it was as if drinking two seperate whiskies at once, punchy old high rye content seems at odds with the more corn heavy liquid. Consequently the flavours fight for a lasting impression with me and stops anything being overly exciting or pronounced. Intriguing stuff though and worth a taste. Distiller whisky taste #76

A neighbour that shares samplers on a Thursday afternoon in the sun is a neighbour worth having. N: oak tannins strong here, cardamon and anise are an unexpected almost rye like character that seems to muddle with berries and something a little dry and musty. I’m ok with this nose, it’s quite delicate. P: clone of the nose but with a Buttery thick sweetness not unlike a strawberry jam. Do I find charred and toasty malt running through everything, I think so? As I drink more I think I find the oak to be overpowering and tannic with bitterness and a slight drying astringency F: lingering oaky bitterness. Some dark fruit and rye like spice. Is it rye spice or is it a lingering malt funk? I find this interesting, and certainly the casking is bold and ambitious so credit due; but, I find the oak too strongly overpowering and one dimensional. Cowra are pretty new and I suspect there is something good to come from them as they refine their craft. {Cost is for a 500 ml bottle} Distiller whisky taste #75

Aside from being a huge fan of Talisker 10, I figured I had to own a bottle of the 2021 Special Release T8 if only for the most metal bottle art in existence. Talisker is undeniably a spirit of the unrelenting ocean but they doubled down with the sea fury art work. It doesn’t disappoint, the sea fury in all its leviathan glory tells you exactly what you are in for when you pour a dram of this. N: Powerful yet soft. Sitting in the glass there is a looming presence that holds your attention. Drawing in closer there is gentle sweetness from vanilla ice cream that melts away into juicy pear and a little ocean spray. Smoke is wafted along as a faint suggestion of a bonfire far down the beach. I have no notion of the almost 60% ABV held within. As I sip this briny oysters and white wine aromas come out. Incredible. P: This lulls you in, initially salted and vegetal with delicate honey and stone fruit you feel safe and somewhat underwhelmed before a wave of pepper and brine and light smoke torrent to the front of the pallet and drag you into the depths. The Sea Fury has indeed taken hold and wants to see how you measure up. What depths there are. If you regain composure under the crashing waves; candied bacon, baking chocolate, and an earthy mineral quality are there to be found. This is a liquid crafted from the elements, there is no doubt of that. F: Here is a long finish that changes from chilli and pepper into soft bonfire smoke, toffee and maltiness as the tempest’s fury is calmed ready for the next approach. Comparing to the T10 the nose is similar but gentler, refined and initially calmer. I think though that may sound less appealing to those who love T10 but there is a captivating element here that holds the attention as if something dark and foreboding lingers under a darkening ocean. The Sea Fury lies in wait. The palette is remarkable, layered and complex with new notes emerging that elevate the spirit to a new level of both intensity and nuance. This was expertly crafted. The crispness is as enjoyable as stepping onto a thick blanket of freshly laid snow. Crunch. The cleanliness of delivery, masterful. The power is that of the ocean. At just shy of 60% this beast can take some water, everything becomes lighter, brighter but without any sense of diminishment. Coming from the shores of, what was ~60 million years ago a violent and massive volcanic eruption, the basaltic lavas that comprise much of central and northern Skye, and indeed the ground upon which Talisker sits, are a constant reminder of the violence and aggression of nature; just like the ocean that flows into the Loch and laps the coast. This special release is the embodiment of natures fury but tempered by expert craftspeople into something that is tameable, approachable, and fundamentally enjoyable. Distiller whisky taste #74

N: Caramel laden, thick and syrupy. Citrus spray, candied ginger and cracked pepper. P: The thickness carried over from the nose nicely, allspice, pepper, ginger, bitter marmalade, peanuts and vanilla develop over time. There is a lot going on here with sharp, punchy attitude. F: Medium. Oily, hot bitter orange marmalade. Aggressive and cuts off everything that came before. Trying this I had little to no expectations. It’s a buffalo trace product so I figured quality would be good. A high corn content, I was expecting a strong bourbon influence. Overall, I enjoyed the nose and palate, strong flavours and a rich profile. That said, the finish was aggressive and I think detracts from the experience. There are attempts at balance between the spice of the rye and the softness of the corn/bourbon profile but the heat is what wins out, and that drags the overall offering down from where I think it should be. Distiller whisky taste #73

Dan Murphy’s Australian Whisky tasting night. This was the fourth of six blind tastings. N: Put some old stewed fruits sparingly into the bottom of an old biscuit tin. You probably won’t be far off. P: Peppery marzipan, bitter and dry chocolate, malt biscuit. Somewhat bland and insipid. F: Short. Pepper and clove. 78 degrees were known to me for gin not whisky, so I was glad to get the chance to branch out and taste something from somewhere completely new. But, what a let down. I found very little within this pour that didn’t take a whole lot of work to uncover. A grainy mouthfeel and almost slight acrid acetone note made this whole liquid feel dirty and poor quality; very off putting. I rate this a big, fat, meh. Distiller whisky taste #72

Dan Murphy’s Australian Whisky tasting. Another blind pour of a well received offering. Starward recently cleaned up at the San Francisco spirits competition, eight double golds and most awarded distillery of the year. As of yet though, I haven’t been wowed by what I’ve tried. They’ve been good, but nothing to write home about yet. N: artificial strawberry (think strawberry sweets), winey, milk chocolate (I think, caramel, and a slight ethanol presence. P: jams, slight oaky tannin, sugary dried fruit sweetness, buttery toffee. Surprisingly gentle at 50%. F: long finish. Really long. vanilla lingers and lingers, toasty and slight berry. Fairly non distinctive and blends into the masses of sherried speysides, which are better, more nuanced and generally cheaper. Although inoffensive and well made it is sadly another ultimately forgettable whisky. But, to be fair to it; also completely enjoyable whilst in the moment. Final verdict, just another OK Starward. I’m a little let down I think. I wanted it to impress me, especially after the SFSC 8 double gold hype. Distiller whisky taste #71

Dan Murphy’s Australian Whisky tasting night. Of the six offerings this one was a standout for the evening which was a little bit of an erratic mix. N: thick stewed plum, allspice, toffee apple. Delicious stuff, clings to the nose and oozes flavour. P: cardamom, slight anise, caramel, muddled mint from the bottom of a mojito glass, dark rye bread and an overall feeling of a Christmas card with a fire in the hearth and mince pies fresh from the oven. F: brown sugar, orange oil?, perfumed and fragrant with some grainy flavours and silky softness. Is that a curry flavour?! All the tastings tonight were blind and at first I thought I was drinking Archie Rose Rye Malt. The cardamon and anise like flavour with christmassy undertones were standouts, the same things I love in AR. This gospel packs a punch. Well developed and flavoursome but probably not something i would call refined. For forty dollars more I’d rather have the AR, but this is another cracking Australian Rye none the less. Australia and rye, who knew?! Distiller whisky taste #70

Another Dan Murphy’s whisky tasting night, six pours, some of which I’ve had before and commented about on here. But this one was a welcome dram. I have been keen to try more of the Tassie offerings. N: The nose was feint and took me some effort to get into. Berry fruits were a deep hide but brown sugar sweetness and a musty flavour were the most apparent things for me. To be honest, I didn’t much appreciate the nose. A little messy. P: This was mouth coating and syrupy thick. Heavy jammy flavours with warm nutmeg and a slightly bitter cocoa. Definitely over delivered from the nose. F: Short-medium finish. Not much to write home about, some peppers and a vanilla caramel. Delicate and shy to come forth with what are nuanced and quirky flavours, but not necessarily good flavours. enjoyable enough, as an experience of itself but takes some focus. Ultimately it was a forgettable experience that I really can’t remember two hours later as I write this up. Distiller whisky taste #69

Tasted at a Dan Murphys whisky event, managed to get a generous 50 ml pour but in quite a distracting environment, but some notes here that give an idea of whats in this bottle. A Tasmanian powerhouse of late that have burst onto the scene with lots of offerings, tasting flight packs and different blends and collaborations. Dark Lark is a 2022 special release, black opaque bottle hiding deep golden liquid. This stuff was matured exclusively in ex-Muscst barrels. I was excited to try this. N: Ohhh this runs deep, thick and indulgent. Richness of soft christmassy fruits like orange and fig and raisin. Sticky sweetness balanced by some bitter cocoa and coffee. I’d like this more if the coffee and cocoa were a little more prominent. P: Peach, soft dark caramel, crisp apple, vanilla, chocolate. Deep, velvety and an oily full bodied mouthfeel. Wonderfuly soothing and comforting palate, like a really good heavy jumper, only in your mouth, and not a jumper, but whisky. Ha! I was a little sad there wasn’t a balancing effect from the bitter notes I found on the nose, they would have been a perfecting compliment for me here. F: Boiled sweets, tobacco and leather, gently spiced oak. This really was indulgent and delightful. It’s very good…. I am very happy I got to try it, and very happy I had my fill of it for free…. …but, It’s also around AUD$250 for 500 ml! Whilst that doesn’t affect my rating, cripes! 250, 500 ml, Are you freaking kidding me?! It’s not that good. My suggestion? Spend 100 or less and get yourself an Arran Port Cask. Its better than this. If you want to spend 250 get an Arran 18, It’s also better. Indulgence needn’t cost 250 (for just “good”), nor should it come in a ridiculous near two-dimensional bottle. Distiller whisky taste #68