Update – August 28th 2024, a re-tasting based on Batch #7 All the comments and praise I have previously given can be reaffirmed, but in addition this batch I’m tasting has more classic rye notes (caraway and other seeds, black bread, etc.). The distillery has, however, retained the softness of the earlier batches and built upon that foundation to take the whisky up a step. Well done. I’m not the biggest fan of Archie Rose. I think their current cheaper range of spirits smells of marketing rather than dedication to quality, particularly since they opened the new distillery, however to give them their due they sometimes hit the ball right out of the park, and they have certainly done that here. Please note – this re-taste is based on a Batch #7 bottle (bottle 1254/1973 to be exact) that I bought in 2021 but have just opened. The mash bill is stated on it as simply “rye malt” whereas earlier batches stated “rye malt/pale malt” indicating barley presence. I have no idea what batch they are up to now and what the current mashbill comprises. This batch was also distilled at the old distillery. Oh, and the current price is the same as it was 3 years ago, so yeah - good job lads! Rating unchanged: "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars) -------------------------------------------------- Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 2), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 17 January 2020, Whisky #2 Nose: Sweet and light initially with perfumed herbal and honeyed apricot notes. It quickly gains depth and fresh oak, banana bread, very light vanilla/caramel and mild caraway and anise aromas develop. The dry glass is extremely faint, with just a ghost of toffee remaining. This is more like a good sherried Speyside nose than a rye. Palate: Soft and sweet with mild baking spice in the arrival. Cinnamon and ginger but not the hot varieties. There is no heat intensity at all, but a faintly spritzty quality, as of very mild bright spice or near-sherbety citrus as it develops. Vanilla, caramel, mixed dried fruit with citrus peel and cherries. The texture is like a soft cosy blanket. This is an excellent palate. Finish: Medium. Caraway and dill seed, a hint of brine that fades into a semi-sweet aftertaste. I've made a new "generic" listing for this whisky as although Archie Rose is releasing it in small batches it is a core product and all the batches are effectively the same (I've tasted the 1st batch previously and now the 4th this evening and there is no identifiable difference). However what certainly is different is the nature of this very interesting whisky. I recall being shocked when I first tasted it and it had the same effect tonight. Unless you have access to some very unusual whiskies I can guarantee that this is unlike any rye you have tasted before. It is like a mix of 3/4 crisp, clean, sherried scotch and 1/4 soft bourbon, with just a hint of rye. It has virtually no prickle, sharpness or spice but it is far from bland. It's a sweetly elegant rye with no bombast and it is bottled at moderate abv. The mashbill is a secret but the creamy, honeyed tones it displays are not due to minimal rye content, but rather the fact that they use malted rye instead of an unmalted rye mash. This is effectively a single malt whisky made with a mixture of Australian La Trobe barley and lightly kilned German rye, and it's absolutely delicious. I'd go so far as to say it is one of the best Aussie whiskies I've tasted and considering the reasonable price I'd highly recommend it. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)