This liquid is from a single cask release produced from an ex-McWilliams Apera (Aussie Sherry) puncheon. 369 bottles were made available from the distillery door or direct from Amber Lane… and by way of subsampling by the overly generous @cascode N: Rich and thick with chocolate, dark honey, raisin, cinnamon, and a very waxy orange peel. No notion of the monster proof that hides within. P: Chocolate covered toffee, candied ginger, brown sugar, and crisp orchard fruit lead the charge. The palate evolves into something quite textural and reminiscent of grainy cracked, dry leather. A fruiter and brighter presence is buried in here also but I’m struggling to tease it out. F: Long. A big spice builds up with cinnamon and maybe nutmeg. An oppressive heat from that spice is held off buy more juicy raisins and, a late entry from a fresh mango (what the heck, am I imagining that?!) A few drops o water, a swirl, and several minutes later… the nose is slightly lifted and lightened but I lose the orange presence and a slight vomity sourness comes in. The palate, softer and less textural and whilst a lovely creamy chocolate texture takes over I also lose the bright fruits. Finish goes away almost completely. A curious whisky that I don’t quite no what to make of. There are some lovely heavyweight power punches in here and a few lighter deftly applied jabs. But a few of the flavours that do pop in and out, whilst pleasant enough, are a little juxtaposed and jarring to me. Also, water spoiled the experience for me. I don’t know if I am off tonight or not, but this just didn’t mesh well with me it seems. My only other Amber Lane was a Sherry Cask. And I am going to copy and paste my closing notes from that here, they apply exactly: “Amber Lane claim to be simple, down to earth and focused on flavour. I can agree with them, that they have achieved that here. [Liquid Amber] [Sherry Lane] is a simple, bold and punchy young spirit that delivers few flavours very well. They have a pot still designed to maximise copper contact in order to produce a more complex flavour chain. I must disagree there. The local barely is all but lost to the powerful choice of casking and relatively long contact time with the wood. Whilst enjoyable, I would have liked more from the underlying spirit rather than hiding behind a wall of sherry cask.” Distiller whisky taste #230 [Pictured here with a rock from Port Macquarrie about three hours north of the Yarramalong Valley on the east coast of Australia where Amber Lane is distilling. This rock is a blue schist, a high pressure metamorphic rock, that records an ancient subduction zone on the Eastern margin of Gondwana] Amber lane running scores: Liquid Amber Australian Malt: 3.25/5 No. 1 Sherry Lane Special Release Single Cask: 3.25/5