Cape Byron Viognier Cask

Nose: Stewed apple and mustard (!), grilled peaches, pineapple, menthol and white grape vinegar. With time there are buttery aromas of warm bread and vanilla, but there is a lot of blanketing white wine present. Over time it does relax and become more mellow. A dash of water makes the nose softer and more expansive. Palate: Sweet cereal with a little ginger and chili in the arrival. Croissants, black coffee and grapefruit in the development. The texture is good, but not outstanding, and the mouthfeel is spritzy with a drying quality. Water improves the palate by tempering the spices and elevating sweetness to give balance, and it also makes the texture creamy. Finish: Medium. Spicy cereals fading to tart grapes and gooseberries, with a hint of sweetness in the aftertaste. As with the nose and palate, the finish is softened and much improved by reduction. The nose on this is better than it sounds, but it does tend more towards the interesting side of things than the enticing, and much the same is true for the palate. I thought it was brittle and almost acetic when neat but a dash of water removed that and improved the whisky in many ways. Definitely water this one. I like the core range Original expression from Cape Byron a lot … I think it’s a genuine over-achiever and quiet hero in our local whisky scene, and the Chardonnay Cask expression they released a while back was even better. This expression does not impress me quite as much as it feels like the buttery tropical fruit character that is Cape Byron’s trademark profile has been overpowered by the ex-viognier casks. Viognier is a dry white and these particular casks imparted a flinty, hard edge to the distillate that is almost fizzy and sour at times. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)