“Smoked with Western Australian peat for an extended period, Darkest Winter was made to warm your soul through the darkest days and longest nights. When Master Distiller Cameron Syme formed his vision of Darkest Winter, he wanted to create a whisky that showcased Western Australian peat. Taking the gentle peat located near the depths of the Valley of the Giants in Walpole, premium Great Southern barley has been smoked for an extended period to intensify the characteristics of this rare and unique peat source. Matured in ex-bourbon American oak barrels. Darkest Winter is intended to be sipped in celebration of every great occasion or for moments of reverence. Each year Limeburners choose to celebrate the famous Darkest Winter expression on the night of the Winter Solstice Barrelled at absolute cask strength, this is peated whisky as it sits in the cask, and Darkest Winter is bottled as individually numbered cask expressions. Each barrel will exhibit its own unique characteristics, creating slight variation from batch to batch” I bought bottle 53/182 from barrel M484 at the flagship Albany Limburners last month, the night of the winter solstice, but sadly just didn’t get to open it. Having previously sampled an unknown barrel at the Giniversity location back in March it is about time to crack this beauty… N: Powerful presence that I can literally smell from across the room. There are wafts of a damp forrest; herbaceous and just delicately smoky. A warming maple sweetness and perhaps a little sticky pear. A few drops of water brings the smoke to the front and maybe the slightest orchard fruit slips through, i’m not sure, but I’ll happily sit and keep smelling this! P: an initial peppery warmth gives way to gentle sweetness from apples and dried apricots, the malt and barley are underneath but not subdued, they hold their own. Everything is wrapped in a blanket of warming subtly earthy and nutty smoke. The drops of water subtract from the palate in my mind, the lovely sweet notes melt away and the smoke and pepper ramp up. Don’t add water. F: long. Warmth and depth unravel in the smoke to a velvety dark caramel and tropical fruit, possibly even a banana note similar to dried banana chips? As for the palate, water subtracts, peppery warmth and vibrant smoke dominate. I repeat, don’t add water. Cask strength was intended and should be honoured. Oh darkest winter indeed. This has taken me back to childhood cold winter nights in the UK, trudging through mud and wet leaves in the moss covered woods of my home town. This is a whisky to savour, to reflect on, to take stock with. I feel superiorly spoiled between some of the Arrans I sampled last night, and now this. Darkest winter, to me at least, is a marvel. I am to no surprise that Jim Murray dubbed it the best whisky in the southern hemisphere (2018) nor that it has won a slew of other accolades. It’s expensive, yes But the memories this whisky brings to the fore, the delicacy with which it is put together and the sheer power with which it has captivated me easily renders it as worth it. (Pictured with some beautifully folded Albany garnet gneiss, true whisky on the rocks). Distiller whisky taste #44