Manly Spirits Inaugural Release Virtual Tasting, October 6th 2021, Sample #3 Nose: Malt extract, apple cider and oak notes with a hint of vanilla and a little hay-like grassiness. The dry-glass aroma is grassy malt. Palate: Sweet and slightly spicy (ginger), orchard fruit and citrus arrival, turning to a deeper malty character in the development. Apple Danish with lemon icing. The progression is fast and the texture is as good as the other Coastal Stone whiskies, but maybe a little lighter. Finish: Medium. The fruity notes turn slightly spicy/sour and a little tannin is noticeable right at the end. Matured in 200 litre 1st fill ex-Heaven Hill bourbon casks for 4 years, this was the first of three work-in-progress whiskies we tasted on the night. It is not available for sale yet but is due for release later in 2021, probably in time for Christmas. I enjoyed this more than the sherry-cask expression. I think maturation entirely in larger casks suits the Manly Spirits new-make and bourbon-wood seems more sympathetic to the distillery character. Like the previous whisky it also seemed a trifle young to my palate, but it was less apparent than the youth on the sherry cask whisky. Personally I’d give this maybe a year or two more in the casks before release, but what do I know? The apple note from the new-make spirit is enhanced here, particularly with a drop of water, which I thought improved the dram slightly. This one is at a slightly higher abv than the sherry-cask whisky and you could taste it – dropping it just a percent or two softened it quite a lot. This was my favourite of the whiskies we sampled at the tasting, but as much as I’d love to support Manly Spirits with a purchase I’m not inclined to spend $200 for a half-litre bottle of whisky I'm only rating at 3 stars. “Above Average” : 81/100 (3 stars)