Tastes

Limeburners was the revelation of last week’s Whisky Live NY for me. This Western Australian whisky isn’t available in the US yet, but founder Cameron Syme was at the show to pour three bottles: a sherry cask, a peated whisky and a cask strength “port cask.” Each was a knockout: richly flavored, well integrated, and very smooth. Here’s what I can remember from my conversation with Syme: the peat is local to the distillery and one reason why he chose its location; the “port” casks are actually barrels from an Australian fortified wine; er, that’s it. I don’t know the age of these and nor can I be sure that my mental five stars for each one wasn’t unduly influenced by an excess of fun and fine whisky. I do know that you should try them if you get the chance, either by snapping up samples still available from Master of Malt or persuading the Astor Spirits buyer who was tasting alongside me that it’s only fair dinkum to get some in this arvo. Good onya, Cameron.

Tasted at Whisky Live NY 2018

The Cadenheads scattered around Whisky Live NY on Wednesday were some of the highlights of the show for me and this bottle was probably the pick of the bunch. Royal Lochnagar is apparently the main component of Johnnie Walker Blue, so if you're familiar with that you'll have a sense of how smooth and luxurious this tasted. The high proof was just on the edge of my comfort zone but it went down easy -- deliciously rich, honeyed and thick. A memorable experience.

Had a couple of pours of this at WhiskyLiveNY on Wednesday and I'm happy to leave it at that given my disinterest in bourbon and high-proof whiskies in general. Amazingly the bottle on offer was only half empty after a couple of hours, so maybe people didn't spot it in their clamour for more mainstream stuff. Hard to write a fair assessment on the basis of a stand-up shot in a noisy room, as appreciating this clearly takes time and contemplation, so don't put too much stock in my rating. Instead, just take my advice to keep your eyes peeled at whisky festivals for bottles tucked slightly out of sight.

A brace of Octomores — 8.1 and 8.3 — to wrap up my unreliable tasting notes from the recent WhiskyLive event in New York. Both were smoky, of course, but also deliciously sweet in a rich, mouth-coating way. Neither the smoke nor the proof made these challenging to drink: the explosion of jammy flavors was too delicious to resist. I marked these both down as five stars as I drank them, and even though I wonder whether my generous ratings for the night were driven more by my intoxicated euphoria than my critical faculties I do think they are both outstanding. The 8.1 had the slight edge, with the bourbon wood providing a more balanced finish than the sweeter barrels of the 8.3.

See 08.1 note

St George has been my white whale for some time so I was excited to finally get some into my glass. It did not disappoint. This is a beautifully balanced malt, a serious, confident whisky that is leagues ahead of its American brethren. The influence of the fortified wine barrels introduces itself through aromas of stewed fruits and bananas. There’s a rush of cream on the first sip that swells into a rich crescendo of honey and a long throat-coating finish that leaves the dark sweet notes in your mouth for an age. There’s a hint of smoke too on the back end, courtesy of some unroasted barley that is smoked over beech and alder wood. To put in another way, think of a Midwinter Night’s Dram spliced with Talisker and Old Pulteney DNA and you’re in the right ballpark. I had a smaller sample of Lot 15 too, which was very different: a fresh spicy nose with hints of raspberry tea and a classic malty body. I’d rate that a notch below the 17, though I didn’t really have enough to get to know it well. Regardless, consider me slayed by St George.

The arrival of some WIP 6 samples reminded me that I never posted a review of this one when I tasted it last year. My scattershot notes reference a beautiful nose, Christmas pudding, rum and raisin, brûlée and a dry finish. That sounds like four stars in my book, though I did note that the mouthfeel was a little watery. Looking forward to going back in time to number 6.