Callington Mill El Sol

Sydney Whisky Show May 20th 2023. Whisky #13 Nose: Sherry, wood shavings, malt extract. Palate: Hard arrival, bordering on bitterness. Dark malt, bitter dark chocolate, some hot spice and tannin. The texture is moderate. Finish: Medium. Sherry, oak, cocoa. This is only a brief snapshot review as I did not spend much time at the Callington Mill stand and only tasted this one expression. The distillery, located in central Tasmania, is a large startup with considerable private financial backing from owner John Ibrahim. Construction commenced in 2020 and the distillery was brought online in 2021. The company's first offering under the Callington Mill label was a range of sourced whiskies from the Old Kempton and Shene distilleries called the “Leap of Faith” series, which was well received locally. However, they also have a second “prototype” distillery in Hobart that has been in operation since 2019 and I believe it is the spirit from that distillery that has been used for the inaugural release of their own expressions (El Sol, Invicta and Fusion). As I understand it the spirit from the big Oatlands distillery will not be ready for a year or two yet. This El Sol expression was matured in a combination of just about every type of ex-sherry barrel available and has won several awards at international competitions. I’m not sure why. “Adequate” : 70/100 (2 stars)