North Star Series 15 and 16 tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 9 March 2022. Whisky #4 Nose: Fusty and dank but not in an interesting “funky” manner, just dank like a badly ventilated cheap hotel room. Tannin, sweat, ethanol, gravel and fine dust. After a while it develops an aroma like a cotton shirt scorched by a hot iron. Palate: Sweet malty arrival with caramel. Treacle, raisins, dates and stewed apple show up as it develops. The mouth-feel is OK but not noteworthy. Finish: Short. Malty fudge and milk chocolate. After starting off with two average malts the tasting picked up with whisky number 3 (a most agreeable 14 year old Dailuaine) but then all that headway was lost in the trainwreck of this dram. The nose is dreadful but although the palate is better the two aspects of aroma and taste seem to be constantly at odds. Water does little to fix the nose while simultaneously spoiling the palate. It does start to improve a little after a long time when water is added but it never climbs as high as average. This was a special bottling commissioned by The Oak Barrel but I’m at a loss to understand why. It’s not a good whisky - simultaneously the worst North Star and the worst Bunnahabhain I can remember tasting, and it's way overpriced. I wouldn’t buy this if you gave me the money. "Inferior” : 68/100 (1.75 stars)