Following on from the entry into Tasmanian Furneaux Distillery and the Flinders Island Peated American Oak ex-Bourbon we move swiftly into a special ‘work in progress’ release. It has no official information or bottle as it is not yet ready for market. What I do know though is that its the same 100% Flinders Peated Tasmanian Pilsner Malt but this time around has seen maturation in both Bourbon and Sherry casks. Beyond that I am going in blind. Oh, one other thing, its a whopping 61.1% ABV. I am disappointed that despite there being a virtual tasting with the distiller for this set of Furneaux whiskies, the details on this dram were not provided even though for all other bottling there is plenty of detail available. Anyway… N: Rich and dark this has a powerful presence without being alcohol forward. Thick with dark jammy figs and red berries the sherry influence is hitting hard. Syrupy with a molasses type sweetness you have to work hard to dig below the sherry storm. There is a faint bitter mocha and perhaps a suggestion of mulchy vegetation and a nutty oiliness. After initial sips there is a mustiness that emerges. P: Heavy and slightly astringent. Initially dark and leathery syrup characteristics, a touch of crisp apple and then lashings of clove and nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon, mulled wintery fruits and a spritz of orange. Salinity and minerality are like a fading dream, but a glimmer of what they could be, I suspect that is the peat smoke. F: Medium. A slightly toasty honey, maybe? A little burnt bacon bits, oily lemon rind, embers and tar with final fading bitter dark chocolate. Crikey. Whilst not blowing my palate out with the high ABV or being aggressive for a young (3.5 years?) cask strength, this is an overwhelmingly powerful punch that is, to me at least, tight and dense. I have saved a paltry 10 ml and added a few drops of water. The nose does lighten slightly and reveal a little sawdusty wood and maybe a toasted coconut element, odd. I also think a non distinct perfume like characteristic is emerging, and it’s quite lovely. The palate is vastly improved by water and moves swiftly into Talisker territory again, or perhaps something Islay? Lemon rind, bbq, damp ashy smoke, and plenty of salt. The density drops off, syrup fades and more of the vanillin characteristics of the bourbon cask come through in toffee and caramel. The finish loses complexity and stays int he realms of toasty malt and bitter chocolate. This was more work than I was hoping for. I suspect there is a little tinkering to be done for the final release of this absolute monster. It needs to relax, it needs to be tamed and I am not deft of palate enough to get out of this what is seemingly intended. There is nothing abrasive or off-putting (other than the density and weight), but I don’t believe it is ready, or maybe more inwardly; maybe I’m not ready. Distiller whisky taste #276 [Pictured here with a Tasmanian classic, crocoite. This orange beauty is a rare lead-chromate mineral formed as a secondary replacement of ultramafic rocks. From the famous Adelaide Mine in Dundas, Tasmania and with a genesis dating back around 485-444 million years.] Furneaux Distillery Running Scores Flinders Island Peated American Oak Ex-Bourbon: 3.5/5 Flinders Island Peated Double Cask: 3.25/5