Nose: Cherry Danish, plum conserve, rhubarb tart, mild baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg), milk chocolate and fresh oak cask. There is a constant note of red wine but it’s not intrusive – just fundamental to the profile. Palate: Red berries, red grapes, malted cereal. A pleasant mouthfeel with medium density and silky oiliness. Some spicy notes emerge in the development together with a little coconut and milk chocolate. Finish: Medium. Fruity, spicy and refined with elegant spice on the aftertaste. There is often a point during a vertical tasting session where you feel that you have “arrived”. It’s the impression you get when tasting Glenfarclas 25 after the 10 year old, or Laphroaig Lore after Laphroaig Select. For me that moment happened with the Roborel de Climens whiskies when we tasted this third dram. Although the first two expressions were enjoyable I would not want to buy a whole bottle of either. However this whisky is a considerable step up, showing more weight, complexity, presence, balance and overall character. I remember saying “ah, c'est ça” out loud when I tasted it (at which the French brand ambassador smiled good naturedly), and it reminded me immediately of Bruichladdich Classic Laddie. This was the first of this producer’s whiskies to present a noticeable malted barley quality and even though it was quite sweet, and the wine finish relatively intense, it has balance. Roborel de Climens is a recently formed company based in Bordeaux. The owner, Aymeric Roborel de Climens, is an experienced winemaker who has turned his attention to whisky production. The company is not a distillery but rather an independent producer that sources new-make spirit and matures it in selected, top quality French oak casks. The maturation process involves two phases. First, new-make spirit (sourced from Distillerie Artisanale HEPP in Uberach, Alsace) is matured in a combination of new and refill French oak casks (about 80% are refill casks and also come from the HEPP distillery). This phase lasts 3-4 years and provides structure and body to the whisky. The whisky is then finished for 6-12 months in ex-wine casks, each expression being matured in a specific type of cask. This expression was finished in ex-merlot casks from Château Guadet, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé. The initial maturation was for 4 years (rather than 3 as was the case with the first two expressions I tasted) and it is bottled at 43% rather than 40% which I thought made a significant difference. Tasted at the Sydney Whisky Show, 15 May 2021, my tasting #18 from bottle 353/700. The registered retail price is $142 but I’ve seen this available from $120-155. At around $120 it represents value and is worth buying. I picked up a bottle myself on the day. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75)