Manly Spirits "Coastal Stone" New Make Spirit

Manly Spirits Inaugural Release Virtual Tasting, October 6th 2021, Sample #1 Nose: Very cidery, malty, faintly floral and a little biscuity. Full and rich but also delicate with no negative aromas at all. Clean and alluring. The malt and floral notes are highlighted in the dry glass. Palate: Sweet, malty arrival. Hardly any development but that’s typical for new-make. The texture is excellent with a silky but robust mouthfeel and the presentation is very easy, gentle and clean. There is no heat and you would never guess this is over 60% abv. It is remarkably approachable and satisfying for new make spirit. Finish: Medium. Sweet/sour fruity and malt notes. It’s extremely unlikely that you will ever get to taste this as it is not normally bottled. A sample was provided along with four aged expressions for this virtual tasting of Manly Spirit’s first public whisky release. I’m reviewing it here because I will be reviewing the “Coastal Stone” brand release as well and as you will see later an understanding of the character of the new-make is critical to understanding the current state of play with their matured whisky. If you visit the distillery when a spirit run is in progress and you are lucky enough to meet David or Reg you may be able to nose a sample of warm spirit from the still, but don’t count on it. I was lucky enough to try it in this manner a few years ago not long after the distillery had first opened and I was very impressed. The fermentation time is long at around 120 hours and this drives the wort into secondary fermentation where the yeast has died off and lacto-bacillus activity takes over. The distillery uses both brewer’s and distiller’s yeast which typically results in a richer, more estery profile (the use of brewer’s yeast is common in Australian distilleries). They also do not save and re-distill the spirit foreshots, which is the common practice, preferring instead to discard them to achieve a sweeter, cleaner spirit. I’ve tasted new-make at many distilleries and this is one of the best I’ve sampled. It’s very clean, sweet and full-bodied but there is also a delicacy and lightness to it. This gentle, approachable but powerful character is very pleasant and the new make is a delight to nose and taste just by itself (and according to Reg Papps, the head distiller, it is a treat mixed with ginger ale). “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)