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Hobart Whisky Botrytis Cask Finish
Single Malt — Tasmania, Australia
Reviewed
January 16, 2020 (edited July 1, 2020)
Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 1), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 16 January 2020, Whisky #4
Nose: Fresh and full sweet aromas of cereal, vanilla shortbread, plums, baking spices and lightly fragrant fortified wine. There is no indication of high abv at all and no off notes. A rich but crisp nose.
Palate: Sweet honeyed arrival with the botrytis cask finish being obvious. Toasted marshmallow, oatmeal cookies, creme caramel, and a touch of butterscotch supported by supple aged oak. Weighty, but delicate - firm, but elegant. The texture is creamy and excellent.
Finish: Medium/long. Delicately sweet throughout.
Hobart Whisky is produced by Devil's Distillery in Moonah, and inner-northern suburb of Hobart. Established in 2015 they hit the ground running and have already accumulated an impressive array of domestic and international awards, and have been well reviewed by some high-profile critics.
More importantly, the local whisky community has enthusiastically embraced their releases. Maturation is typically in ex-bourbon casks, often with a short finishing in ex-fortified wine, pinot, tokaji, stout, rum and even maple syrup casks. This particular expression was a special limited release for The Oak Barrel's Sydney Whisky Fair in 2019 and was matured in ex-bourbon then finished in a re-coopered Tasmanian sauvignon blanc botrytis wine cask.
The personality of this sweet dessert wine shows through in every aspect of the whisky but with a light-handed touch. It never becomes cloying or overbearing but rather it supports the rich malty character of the unadorned spirit and its sweetness completely masks the high proof (109.6).
The addition of water brings out a little bitter spice on the palate and a floral but slightly soapy fragrance on the nose. I'd recommend taking this very easy to drink spirit neat.
Like almost all Australian whisky this is expensive - $220 for a 500ml bottle - but it's one of the first I've tasted that I would actually consider buying at that price.
"Good" : 84/100 (3.75 stars)
220.0
AUD
per
Bottle
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@PBMichiganWolverine Yes, a good deal. They have mostly burnt themselves out or reduced to spot fires or bushfires in isolated national park areas. We have had torrential rain over the east coast for the last couple of days which has been a godsend, but the fallout is going to haunt the economy and society for a long time. There is still a smell of smoke in the air in Sydney, and I believe the smoke pall has now circled the globe and returned to us. The devestation of wildlife, agricultural areas and whole towns has been immense and we will feel the effects for years.
@cascode totally unrelated note—-I’ve not kept up with the AUS fires, with all the planes being shot down by erroneous missiles, drones sharp shooting generals, tariffs, PR earthquakes, and other calamities...how things holding out there in AUS? Have the fires subsided any?
A badge of honor! 🤓
@PBMichiganWolverine An epithet I shall wear with pride. Distiller should add "Nerd of the Year" to the awards 😄
@geologyjane @cascode i think we three have officially crossed over the line to spirits nerdom 🤓
Thanks @cascode! @PBMichiganWolverine , I suppose I should have said I haven’t had any non-Sauternes botyrtis cask finishes but apparently that was more effort than I could manage last night. 😅
@PBMichiganWolverine You got it 👍
@cascode aaah...so botyris is any part of the world, but Sauternes is France only ? Like champagne is only champagne if it’s from the Champagne region, otherwise it’s “bubbly”
@PBMichiganWolverine Correct, but it's like the situation with cognac. All cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac. Sauternes is an AOC and sweet dessert wines produced by the action of Botrytis cinerea in other parts of the world should be sold either under a brand name (eg De Bortoli's Noble One) or a varietal name such as "Wolff Blass semillon botrytis wine".
@cascode @geologyjane isnt botyris simply just Sauternes ? It’s the white grapes that’s been infected with “royal rot” virus which makes the sweet Sauternes
@geologyjane Actually probably not that much. In relation to the rest of the production costs it’s probably no more than any other finish, and way less than a genuine PX cask.
Botrytis cask finish - I can’t say I’ve ever tried one of those. Very cool! I‘d wager it adds a substantial chunk to the cost too?