Nose: Pear, green apple, coconut flakes, barley wort, a green herbal note and a trace of mango. Palate: The arrival is semi-sweet malt with a pleasantly dry spice quality and then the mid-palate turns curiously spritzy, almost effervescent, which is very unusual. As this tingling sensation fades some fruit notes, treacle and cereal mash emerge and the late development is like a fruit beer. The texture is agreeable with a very light creamy/oily mouth-feel. Finish: Medium/short. All on cereal and mild fruit notes, fading to a bitter ale-like taste. The curious tingling sensation on the palate persists into the aftertaste. Pokeno Origin is one of the inaugural releases from Pokeno Distillery, and is a core-range expression normally bottled at 43%. This bottling was a limited release for The Whisky Club at 46%, however based on Stephanie Moreno’s official notes for the standard version this juice sounds practically identical. The nose is very pleasant and much more typical of a Scottish malt than anything I’ve previously tried from New Zealand. It promises fruit, cereal and a little honey and is not unlike entry level Glen Grant whisky. The aromatic profile is solidly all about malt without any wine or smoke overtones. In contrast the palate is more, umm, “individual” and I can’t say I’m enormously impressed. It is exceedingly spritzy, to a point I’ve never tasted previously in a malted barley whisky. It’s not just the taste of young whisky, nor of a cut that was too wide, but likewise it is not just the presence of barrel spice. It's almost like it contains a pinch of sodium bicarbonate (yes, seriously!). Dilution broadens the nose and relaxes the palate a little, but the profile remains very much the same. I think Stephanie’s notes are right on target that this is one to try out of curiosity, but I would not spend either time or money in tracking it down. I'll be taking this with Coke or dry ginger ale, thanks very much. “Average” : 78/100 (2.75 stars) ---------------------------------- Update - 27 April 2023 The bottle has been open for a couple of weeks now and it has improved over that time. The contents (which I ceased to cover with argon gas a week ago) and the sample I initially separated are now close in profile. I've been using both of them neat, over ice, with soda, and with Coke. Whether it is the whisky opening up and oxidising or just my palate becoming used to it I don't know - probably a bit of both. Based on the whisky as it is now I'm raising the original rating a quarter point but I won't be buying a replacement bottle. "Above Average" : 80/100 (3 stars)