Whisky Tasting : The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 14 January 2021. Whisky #1 Nose: Initially there are sweet malty aromas with hints of syrup and sandalwood. A little pepper and cinnamon (like the smell of cinnamon candy) and yeasty spices become apparent next and there is a quality vaguely reminiscent of rye whiskey. As you dig deeper, crisp lime zest and sourdough bread show through and there is a light floral note. No smoke, maybe some barrel char, but the oak influence is very light here – this is highly distillate driven. With water it loses its crisp quality and the rye notes appear more as musty cereal. Palate: Firm arrival with spicy ginger verging on hot cinnamon but with a counterpoint of sweet rich malt. Slightly salty with grassy herbal notes in the development together with pepper and clove. These herbal flavours gain complexity over repeated sips with bay leaf, olive, sage and a hint of cardamom appearing. There is also a quiet red-wine cask influence in the background. It provides a suggestion of tart red berries but is more obviously noticed through a toasty tannic influence. The texture is oily but drying. Finish: Medium. Lemon-tinged cereal and a little bit of grippy tannin. Grassy and herbal in the aftertaste. A fine, well textured and enjoyable malt, although maybe just a fraction too young. Its youthfulness does not show up as a fault per se but I had the impression that with another 2-4 years of maturation under its belt this could be something quite special. Compared to some of the earlier Islay Barley expressions that derived from single farm crops (for example the 2006 Dunlossit and 2007 Rockside Farm) this has a similar aroma and flavour profile but somehow seems less “fresh”. That’s a vague descriptor, I know, but I’m not sure how else to express it. Tasting those earlier single-terroir whiskies evoked memories of standing near the sea on Islay in a fresh, chill breeze. This whisky, although good, does not have that magic. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)