Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 2), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 17 January 2020, Whisky #4 Nose: Fresh oak, red fruits, butterscotch, raisin. Palate: Malty and dark red fruit arrival with a little honey and caramel. In the sweet development there are dark cherries, strawberries, and a chewy, malty plum-pudding with light brandy butter sauce. The texture is rich and enveloping and supported by good oak with just a hint of spicness. The high alcohol content is barely noticed. Finish: Medium. Fortified wine notes and some nutty tannins in the aftertaste. A well-balanced port-bomb, but with a definite leaning towards sweetness. Maturation was in 5 very small French oak ex-port casks that yielded a total of just 125 cask-strength bottles. The whisky is named after Rheban farm which is located south of the distillery and overlooks Rheban Beach. Note that "The Rheban" is the distillery name for all its cask-strength expressions. Port wood is the main maturation method but bottlings also exist that were matured in sherry and bourbon casks, although those are rare. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)