Nant Bourbon Cask

Nose: Malt, vanilla, a little honey, Danish pastry, baked banana, caramel, roasted nuts, light spice notes and some discreet oak. Fresh fruits appear as it rests - particularly honeydew melon and there is a note of white grape juice and sauternes. It's an entrancing nose that draws you back for repeated sniffs. [The dry-glass aroma is honey and malt]. Palate: An interesting and unusual arrival where the cask leads the entry. Oak is immediately apparent, both as a woody character and as tannins, but it's by no means astringent. The progression is very defined with distinct dark dry fruits (dates, figs), vanilla, malt, cereal, citrus, honey and mint notes appearing almost as if arranged in sequence. The texture is full, but not heavy, with a mouth-coating quality. Finish: Medium. The central malt and dark fruit character fades into a lightly spiced toffee and orange zest aftertaste. There is a lingering minty note. The nose is full, rich and very satisfying. It reminded me of some non-sherried Scottish whiskies, particularly bourbon-matured Glencadam. It is an interesting malt and unusual in structure. At first pour it may seem simple and two-dimensional, although of high quality, however over time this profile develops a more complex and well-balanced presentation. It has a seductive quality and there is something very pleasant about its particular combination of deep malty aromas and flavours, honeyed-citrus, and sparkling cinnamon-oak spice. Water uncovers some light floral tones, but does not particularly enhance the palate. I'd recommend taking this neat, particularly as it is so soothing and easy to drink. Tasted from a 30ml sample. The standard price for this whisky is US$110 for a 500ml bottle, which makes it quite expensive. However in this case I would say the expense is justified (just barely). This is a nice whisky that falls slightly short of 4 stars. "Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

One of a flight of 6 whiskies tried tonight at my worlds favorite bar in ChCh. This beauty is from Tasmania in Australia...its a simple dram vanilla and malt and decent power for it's lower abv. One of the better ones on the night.