Manly Spirits "Coastal Stone" Nor'easter

Manly Spirits in Sydney are yet another young Australian spirit maker with a somewhat dizzying range of offerings. Perhaps more restrained than the likes of Archie Rose, and certainly less bonkers than Starward. I have tried one of their early releases before and been underwhelmed but saw promise; I think that is the general consensus. Now a slightly less fussy offering is hitting the shelves in the mid tier categories. Here comes the marketing waffle “Nor’easter is a label inspired by the prevailing Summer breeze along Sydney's coast which creates an optimal climate for the maturation of Coastal Stone's whiskies. Nor'easter is considered one of the distillery's more robust expressions, finished in charred Australian red wine barrels (both French and American oak)” It’s sounding a little like a Starward recipe, but going in with an open mind and palate. Also, thanks to @cascode for yet another shared dram. N: Powerful, a little acetone but lots of ripe juicy nectarines and apricots, crisp apple and a strange semblance of middle eastern earthy spices. On reflection, and with time the acetone I thought was there turned out to be a herbal, earthy, oak. There is a mustiness to some undertones of the red wine casks.

P: Creamy despite a medium-thin body. Subdued fruitiness of pears and apple pie with custard. Spiced vanilla and milk chocolate. I really don’t find much else here. F: This was over quickly… milk chocolate and a sweet fruit juice. Too its credit though, there are some lovely perfumed and floral oak tannins on the exit that are the highlight of the whole dram for me. On solid advice a dash of water makes the nose less chaotic, softening everything, subduing it somewhat; but importantly, pulling it together into a single cohesive profile. The red wine cask is much more apparent and adds a slightly sour red fruit presence. The finish is but a flash after water and adds a sweet mulch-leafiness, a bit odd. Normally priced at AUD $99 for a 500 ml bottle, this is still quite expensive. At AUD $87 on offer for 500 ml things get a little more competitive. However, I just found a 700 ml release for AUD$94.99, not a bad price at all for a home grown Australia whisky. I wouldn’t put it on my shelf though, the high point is the death throes of the finish, and they are over too quickly to make it a purchase for me. Distiller whisky taste #240 [Pictured here with a lump of Hawkesbury Sandstone. The same stuff that forms the stopper on all of Manly Spirits Coastal Stone bottles. This rock underlies much of Sydney and is used extensively int he cities architecture. The sandstone is 247 million years old and formed from riverine erosion of much older rocks to the south.]

Nose: Eucalyptus, straw, stone fruits, daisies, briny cereal, tumeric, cumin and resinous cask. It’s an unusual nose with a slightly maritime quality. A dash of water mutes the brighter herbal and oak notes and lets the dusky, almost sandalwood-scented red wine casks speak more clearly. Palate: Pears, cereal (corn flakes? wheat flakes?), a hint of red wine, sour cherries, raisins, bitter orange peel. The texture is creamy initially but it loses density and eventually seems thin when taken neat, but once again a dash of water improves the dram by re-establishing the creamy texture and providing integration. Finish: Short. Leafy, walnut skins, pine resin fading to a bitter oak note when neat, sweeter and more balanced with water. This is a somewhat odd whisky that the local whisky press are praising, but just a bit too much I think. When tasting it for the first time I noticed occasional similarities to both Limeburners and Auchentoshan and I’m not the biggest fan of either distillery, however over time it has grown on me, particularly as a whisky for mixing. In my opinion it is also significantly better with a dash of water and a short time in the glass to rest. I’ve been following Manly Spirits since they first opened their doors and there is a lot of passion and talent at the distillery. Their gins, flavoured vodkas and liqueurs are very good indeed, but David’s dream is single malt. They produced several initial expressions at the end of 2021, all of which were interesting but none really grabbed me, and then more recently this Nor’easter appeared. For me it is a step in the right direction, and although there is still a way to go I would not be at all surprised if they suddenly brought out something very good in 3-5 years time. Worth a taste, but beware the dreaded Australian 500ml bottle size. Grrr. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)