From the Distillery Website: “The seventh release under our Trials and Exceptions label, and the first in a two-part series, this exceptional whisky represents a milestone in both our history and our quest to source all our seven malts from within NSW. With only 2,005 bottles in existence Red Gum Smoked Single Malt Whisky uses native NSW red gum to smoke the NSW grown and malted barley from our friends at Voyager Craft Malt. It pays tribute to one of Australia’s most majestic eucalypt trees and offers. Born from a long-held commitment to craft a quintessential smoked whisky, Australian in both technique and flavour, fulfilling a goal to replace Scottish peated malt with Australian wood smoked malt, it is crafted from a five-malt mash bill, including a local malt infused with native red gum wood smoke, and aged for two years in Australian Apera casks.” From my amateur thumbs: I’ve been hesitant to open this. 2,005 bottles only. Do I open it, do I save it? I took a risk and opened it. I think it was the right call. N: jasmine tea, soft and damp wood smoke, thick with meaty savouriness, given time in the glass there is an orchard fruitiness that comes forward. P: pungent smoke prickles up front with charred meat, salty bacon (think Talisker), more jasmine tea. In a strange way the palate has a sensation almost like popping candy. A dash of water brightens things up and let’s the herbal and vegetal flavours of the smoke come out. If you’ve ever seasoned your campfire bbq plate with rosemary then you’ll get the idea here. F: medium-short, all herbal smoke and mineral salts. I don’t get much here. Ok. This is a powerful smack on the nose and palate and I’m not sure the five different mash bill components are discernible. I haven’t tried the regular single malt of the same mash bill to compare this to but whatever complexity there is I fear has been masked by the power of this smoking. What is here is unique. It truly is an Australian campfire, the embers in the morning steaming after a rain storm. Emerging from your tent and restocking the fire to cook a bush breakfast. Eucalypts all around. Vegetal herbal smoke and damp wood swirl together with charred meat and salty breakfast bacon. It’s straightforward and delivers itself with a smack that you can’t ignore. Maybe I’m not experienced enough to tackle this beast, but i think it IS simple. It isn’t bad though, what it delivers; it delivers well. Im left wondering: is this the best Australian whisky? no, it isn’t. Is it the most Australian whisky? I think it just might be. Distiller whisky taste #64