An unforgettable Tassie trip to taste the oldest ever Australian Whiskies [Tasted #700 - 701]

Recently I was one of a fortunate few invited by Sullivans Cove to visit the distillery for the launch of the oldest ever Australian whiskies - the new 25 Year Old single cask Sullivans Coves we announced recently. 

This not really being the sort of thing you say "no" to, I found myself on a Wednesday night heading down to Hobart (staying at the incredibly unique "story-telling" Macq01 hotel, appropriately situated next to Sullivans Cove - the Cove, not the distillery) ahead of the main event on Thursday evening - having just visited 2 weeks earlier on a personal trip, my first time in Tasmania since 2008!

Held at the stunningly renovated distillery in Cambridge, the event brought together makers, writers, whisky lovers and fans of craft and quality for an in-depth discussion into Australian whisky, Sullivans Cove, whisky production, flavour, ingredients, chemistry, the industry, and everything in-between. 

Kicking off with a welcome highball and canapés, guests chatted in the distillery's bar before heading into the private tasting room where our host for the evening was Distillery Manager Heather Tillot (who better than the person responsible for the spirit being produced today, nearing 10 years with the distillery?)

For the next few hours Heather covered all aspects of Sullivans Cove - it's history, future, production nuances, spirit character, and with guests including wine writers and chefs, the questions were varied, considered and prompted fascinating discussion, all with a trio of single cask Sullivans Coves in-hand (the 18yo French Oak from a refill cask, full maturating, was a particular highlight for me).

After a while though, it was time to grab a glass and head into the distillery for a tour, where the discussion continued over a walk through of the mashing, fermenting and distilling processes.

 

Back in our seats, it was time for the main reason we were all gathered - to taste the pair of 25 Year Olds. 

Thoughtfully prepared in two different glass types (a 1920s Blender's Glass for HH0010, alongside a Riedel Veritas for HH0056, with Glencairns on the side should we wish to compare), each dram was accompanied by details on each bottling, as follows:

• Cask HH0010 - 25 Year Old Refill American Oak (300L). 12/10/1999 - 6/5/2025. 47.8% ABV, 349 bottles, $4,500AUD (by ballot or via The Whisky Club.

• Cask HH0056 - 25 Year Old American Oak ex-Bourbon (200L). 16/11/1999 - 6/5/2025. 47.6% ABV. 134 bottles. $4,500AUD (by invitation only) 

Sullivans Cove 25 Year Old American Oak Ex-Bourbon (Cask HH0056) (47.6% ABV, Single Malt, 25yo, 1 of 134 bottles, Tasmania, Australia, $4,500AUD)
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Colour: Medium orange golden.

Nose: Citrus / orange oil, with an undertone of dunnage warehouse "funk" (in a good way). Maple syrup, coconut oak, and vanilla milk chocolate.

Palate: Initially, big funky warehouse notes. I'm immediately reminded of the Aussie whiskies I remember tasting back in 2008, 2009. There's a toasted, bread note too, apricot and more citrus. After a good 20-30min, other notes emerge as the aforementioned notes recede into the background - aged oranges, berries, fruit spice, and even some hints of passionfruit.

Finish: Follows the palate faithfully, long and moreish, with tropical hints at the very end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 94/100 (Martin). The years have done wonders for this whisky - it's clearly Australian, but with complexity and nuance you don't often see.

Sullivans Cove 25 Year Old American Oak Refill (Cask HH0010) (47.8% ABV, Single Malt, 25yo, 1 of 349 bottles, Tasmania, Australia, $4,500AUD)
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Colour: Deep orange.

Nose: Slight warehouse funk, but more stone fruits, earthiness, and orange peels. After time, more citrus emerges - mandarin and tangerine. 

Palate: Mango, spice and just a hint of old, well-rested oak. Rich and viscous, the age and complexity is clearly evident. The slight earthiness from the nose carries through to the palate, and works well in harmony with the other notes.

Finish: Also follows the palate well, equally long, with delightful tropical hints at the very end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). Less "overtly Australian" than the HH0056, but every bit as complex and delicious. When this cask was laid down in 1999, 25 years clearly wasn't the goal, but I'm very glad that's how things turned out!

 

With the main event over, it was time to head to the bar to taste some of the many Sullivans Cove releases released over the previous years, that I'd missed out on trying due to living overseas. That included last year's 24 year old (closer in style to HH0056 I found, but with more dried fruit from the Apera maturation), the "dumpy" 21 (delightful), an LMDW Indie and more.

A huge thanks to the distillery for allowing us to be part of this momentous occasion in Australian whisky.

Cheers,

Martin.

TimeforWhisky.com flew to and stayed in Hobart courtesy of Sullivans Cove. 

Sullivans Cove releases Australia's First 25 Year Old Whisky (twice)

Absolutely HUGE news in Australian Whisky today, as Sullivans Cove release not one, but TWO 25 Year Old Australian whiskies - the oldest Australian whiskies ever released. A huge achievement and milestone for the Aussie whisky industry - and new world whisky in general.

Both from single casks laid down in 1999, HH0056 was matured in a 200L ex-Bourbon American Oak barrel, and yielded only 154 bottles at 47.6% ABV, available via invitation only.

HH0010 was matured in a larger 300L Refill American Oak barrel, and yielded 349 bottles at 47.8% ABV, to be available via ballot (and via The Whisky Club).

  

Given most new world whisky distilleries weren’t even around 25 years ago (and the climate in many such locations aren’t as conducive to long maturation as they may be in Scotland), 25 years is an impressive feat.

“To see two of our casks mature out to 25 years is something we did not expect.” said former distillery manager and owner Patrick Maguire, whilst CEO Andy Gaunt noted “This release is more than just a rare single cask, it’s a living record of our history, proof of what patience and conviction can achieve, and a statement of what world whisky has become.”

Having recently tried a few Sullivans Cove releases around 20-21 years old, I can say they carry every bit as much complexity and flavour as their Scottish counterparts, and I look forward to trying the new 25 Year Olds (which I'll be doing in just a few hours!)

Cheers,
Martin.

Getting re-acquainted with the Sullivans Cove range

Mention "Australian whisky" to anyone overseas, particularly in Asia, and if they've heard of it, there's a good chance they'll respond with "Oh, yes, I know Sullivans Cove"! Whilst Australia currently has a significant number of whisky distilleries (the exact number seems to be constantly changing, but is over 40 as of the time of writing), the old joke that "most Aussie distilleries make less than the Scottish distilleries spill" almost holds true, and by far the majority of this output remains within Australia.

Some distilleries (like Starward) are doing a great job of getting their product onto the world stage, but Sullivans Cove have been doing it for longer than anyone (I remember as far back as 2010 seeing Sullivans Cove in bars all over Asia, well before it won a slew of awards and gained even more fame).

On one of my recent trips back to Sydney, Sullivans Cove kindly treated Hendy and myself to a private tasting of the full core range, the rare (and very much sold out) "Special Casks", and a few other goodies too.

Over a few delicious sharing plates in The Roosevelt's private "Monroe room", we tasted 7 Sullivans Cove whiskies, including the oldest available cask (HH088, distilled in 1999), an at the time unreleased special Double Cask (DC095, now sold out), and a number of other drams which gave us a great insight into the portfolio. The full line-up included:

• Double Cask DC090 12/12/07 to 11/04/17 @ 40%
• Double Cask DC095 29/05/08 to 06/10/17 @ 49.6%
• American Oak TD56 16/11/05 to 23/02/17 @ 47.5%
• American Oak HH0088 7/12/99 to 29/06/17 @ 47.5%
• Special cask TD0231 American Oak ex-tawny 29/12/07 to 10/02/17 @ 63.8%
• Special cask TD0202 French Oak ex-Chardonnary 06/07/07 to 20/01/17 @ 47.5%
• French Oak HH0516 12/10/00 to 14/04/17

As Tasmania's 2nd oldest (currently operating) whisky distillery, and 100% Aussie owned and operated, it's fair to say Sullivans Cove Distillery (formerly "Tasmania Distillery") is firmly ingrained into Aussie whisky folklore, and whilst their earliest output in the mid 1990s may have been a bit average, they well and truly turned a corner around 1999 and now produce some fantastic Aussie whisky...which we were ready to dive into.

With the delightful Amanda as our guide, we learned about the distillery's history and current state, its philosphies, and an idea of where its heading in the future. Amanda's business card may have read "Sales and Marketing Manager", but her knowledge and passion for the distillery genuinely exceeded that of many brand ambassadors we've met over the years!

Sullivans Cove's core whisky line-up consists of "Double Cask", "American Oak" and "French Oak" - the latter two being single cask, the former being a vatting of 3-5 barrels (a mix of American Oak ex-Bourbon and French Oak ex-Tawny, mostly from Seppeltsfield) yielding ~950 to 1,500 bottles each release.

We started with the Double Cask, tasting two expressions - one a 9yo @ 40% ABV (DC090), and another 9yo @ an unusual 49.6% ABV (DC095, which went on sale soon after and rapidly sold out).  DC090 had a beautifully creamy, vanilla nose, following through to a sweet, fruity palate but then deviating to an earthy, vegetal finish. Unexpected, but enjoyable. DC095 wasn't dissimilar in terms of flavours, but they were significantly ramped up, with more creaminess, spice and (for me) tannin on the finish. Same same, but different, and I enjoyed both equally.

The American Oak range was next, with two bottlings - one 11yo (TD56), and one at a whopping 17 years old (HH0088) - Sullivans Cove's oldest available cask. Both were at 47.5%. TD56 showed some citrusy paprika on the nose, with the citrus following through on the palate and an oaky, spicy finish. HH0088 was buttery but for my palate showed some slight hints of sulphur, albeit with a lovely caramel finish. Not my favourite of the two, but still a lovely dram, and a great chance to sample the distillery's oldest wares.

The famous French Oak followed - not the really famous HH0525 which helped kick off the Tasmanian whisky boom (are there even any left in the world?!) but HH0516, distilled in October 2000 and aged at 16 years old, bottled at 47.5% ABV. With an orange gold hue, and big sweet raspberries and blueberries on the, initial impressions lived up to expectations. The palate was initially drying, but then a berry-sweetness emerged, turning to a long and "chewy" caramel-oak finish. My favourite so far.

Up until last year, a discussion of the Sullivans Cove range would have stopped there. In 2017 though, the distillery saw the first new release (two actually) in over a decade - the green-labelled "Special Casks". At $750AUD each they don't come cheap, but that didn't stop them selling out in record time. Described to us as "exceptional malts that don't fit the core range", they're evidence of some of the experimentation underway at Sullivans Cove, and perhaps an insight into some of the more unusual and interesting whiskies we may see coming in future years.

Amanda was kind enough to allow us to taste both - TD0202, a 9yo French oak ex-Chardonnay cask bottled at 47.5%, and TD0231, a 9yo American oak ex-tawny cask bottled at a not-insignificant 63.8% ABV.

The dark-copper TD0231 had a hugely syrupy molasses nose, with lots of maple syrup which amplified with water. The palate was thick and syrupy, with a decent amount of allspice accompanied by treacle-soaked dates. The finish was long, with hints of charred oak.

TD0202 on the other hand couldn't have been more different, with a light yellow-golden hue, floral pineapple fritters on the nose, sweet chocolate-coated pineapple chunks, apple and honey on the palate, and a tropical, floral finish that went on for days. Whilst Hendy's pick was the TD0231, this one was my pick of the night.

You might note that Sullivans Cove don't actually specify an age on their whiskies, although (in the "spirit" of complete transparency), provide the exact distillation dates (for the youngest whisky, in the case of the Double Cask range), the bottling date, and the cask numbers. It doesn't get much more transparent than that!

Hendy and I owe a huge thanks to Amanda for giving up her time to walk us through the range. It's not often you get a private tasting, including a number of un-released, pre-released and sold-out drams, and to try them all together was a fantastic experience.

I personally can't wait to see what "Special Casks" are released in the near future, but if the experimentation we heard about and tasted is anything to go by, I'm sure they'll be a whole lot of fun.

Cheers,
Martin.

This Week in Whisk(e)y #10

As you might know if you read this blog regularly, we get a fair few interesting press releases and news articles here at TimeforWhisky, and usually try to feature them with our own spin, experiences or comments. Sometimes though, they come thick and fast, and we just don't have time to do them all justice. Sometimes we also hear of newsworthy items that don't necessarily come via a press release, but that we think you'll want to know regardless...

So we've decided to take a leaf out of some other excellent whisky blogs, and feature a "PR roundup" every now and then - basically a wrap-up of relevant press releases we've received in the previous week (or other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph & I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...

Oak Barrel Whisky Fair 2014 - tickets running out
In our opinion, this is the best whisky show in Australia. Held on 13th September, The Oak Barrel are again throwing open their doors to offer an afternoon of drams, many of which you'll likely never see at another Australian whisky show. So what's on offer? As well as many of the usual suspects, you can expect:

• An exclusive single cask bottling of Glenfarclas, hand selected by George Grant
• An exclusive  Sullivans Cove, finished in a 20L port cask
• Ground breaking International and Australian micro distilleries including Koval, Belgrove, Mount Uncle and William McHenry
• Fantastic array of Independent bottlings including Adelphi, Gordon & MacPhail and Berry Brothers & Rudd

Tickets (now limited to members only due to overwhelming demand) can be found here:
http://www.whiskyfair.com.au/


Old Pulteney Clipper Comemorative Bottling
We've tasted (and enjoyed) a few Old Pulteneys on the site before, and also referred to the Clipper Race in which Old Pulteney play a large part.

Some quick background:

"Old Pulteney – The Maritime Malt – celebrates the completion of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2014 by the crew of brave men and women on board a yacht named after the iconic Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The race started eleven months ago and saw the Old Pulteney rose of winds carried proudly to France, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Singapore, China, United States of America, Panama, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, The Netherlands and back to the starting point in London, UK."

So that's the race, but what of the whisky?

"To mark the occasion Old Pulteney will release a special commemorative bottling of its whisky. Old Pulteney Clipper will be made available in July 2014 at select retailers world-wide. The limited release will feature a Clipper Round the World Yacht Race -themed packaging and the whisky itself will be a classic expression of Old Pulteney, matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The whisky will be presented at its natural colour, non chill-filtered and at a premium strength of 46% ABV. Only 2,700 cases of this rare bottling will ever be released and the recommended retail price in the UK is £50. 

The appearance of the whisky is that of polished gold. On the nose the sweetness of dried fruits and crispiness of green apples is accompanied by notes of fresh vanilla and white chocolate. On the palate waves of honey and orange zest, a rounded oaky structure and an unmistakable coastal note set this fresh and elegant Old Pulteney apart. The finish is smooth and long-lasting."

No word on Australia releases or pricing, but a NCF, 46% ABV limited release for 50gbp isn't value at all (and it looks pretty impressive too). One to look out for perhaps if travelling through the UK.

island2island whiskies perform at Scotch Whisky Masters

On the topic of Old Pulteney, island2island, who distribute Old Pulteney (and other) brands in Australia have had an impressive run at the 2014 Scotch Whisky Masters, winning 6 awards across 5 categories, including "Master" award for Deanston Highland Single Malt 12yo and "Gold" for Ledaig Single Malt 10yo (which, from personal experience is a great drop) and Bunnahabhain 25yo (which whilst I haven't yet had the pleasure, I'm sure is also a great drop!)


Sullivans Cove Whisky Dinner in Sydney
No doubt still riding high from their amazing success of late, Tasmania's Tasmania Distillery are holding a special whisky dinner at Hilton Sydney's Glass Brasserie on Tuesday the 5th of August. Starting at 6:30pm, a 5-course degustation dinner will be served, hosted by Bert Cason, who will be flying up from the distillery in Tasmania especially for the event:

"The dinner features 5 courses, matched with Sullivans Cove's whiskies and single malt liqueurs, including the world's best single malt, Sullivans Cove French Oak. Tickets are 140pp. Please contact Therese Grasa therese.grasa@hilton.com"

Cheers, 
- Martin.

This Week in Whisk(e)y #7

As you might know if you read this blog regularly, we get a fair few interesting press releases and news articles here at TimeforWhisky, and usually try to feature them with our own spin, experiences or comments. Sometimes though, they come thick and fast, and we just don't have time to do them all justice.

So we've decided to take a leaf out of some other excellent whisky blogs, and feature a "PR roundup" every now and then - basically a wrap-up of relevant press releases we've received in the previous week (or other interesting whisk(e)y news Steph & I think you might enjoy). So on with it then...


Sullivans Cove wins "world's best whisky" at the WWA 2014
I'm sure everyone has heard about this now, but Tasmania Distillery's Sullivans Cove French Oak recently won the "world's best single malt whisky" at the 2014 World Whisky Awards (it certainly seems the eBay community has, with Sullivans Cove French Oak bottles going for $400+ at the moment, even those not from the winning cask HH525).

While the winning whisky was from a single French Oak cask (HH525), which produced only 516 bottles, it seems the world has gone mad, snapping up any and all French Oak Sullivans Cove whiskies available.

Sullivans Cove isn't my personal favourite Tassie whisky (that would go to Overeem on the OB front, and Heartwood on the IB front), but it has to be said - this is a huge achievement, and one which has really put Aussie whiskies on the world map. Credit where credit's due too - Tasmania Distillery have put in a huge effort over many years to spread the word about their whisky (it's still the most commonly-sighted Aussie whisky in my International travels), so it's great to see their hard work pay off. Well done.


Ardbeg announces "Auriverdes" and Ardbeg Day 2014
Ah, Ardbeg Day. The reason whisky fans the world over look forward to 31st May each year with great anticipation. While full details haven't yet been released about the celebrations, LVMH owned Ardbeg have announced the theme (Soccer World Cup), and a few details about the bottling, namely:

• Aged in casks with toasted lids
• 49.9% ABV
• Said to have "creamy vanilla sweetness" with a "dark mocha coffee side"
• £79.99 (so likely similar pricing in Australia as last year - $160 or so, while it's available)

The name comes from the Golden (Auri) whisky and the Green (verde) bottle, which also ties in nicely with the Soccer theme, given this year's World Cup is set in Brazil.

We can't wait to see what Ardbeg have in store for us on the 31st, although I imagine there may be a few soccer balls (and a sea of Ardbeg) involved!

anCnoc releases the "Peaty Collection"

Staying on the peat train, the Highland distillery of Knockdu has just announced a the release of a trio of (pretty stunning looking) bottles as part of their new "Peaty Collection".

Project Manager Stephanie Bridge commented on the prospect of the anCnoc
Peaty Collection being a window to the world of smoky whisky for drinkers who previously chose to drink unpeated malts:

“Rutter and our other new Limited Edition peated single malts will form an exciting collection to sit alongside our  core anCnoc expressions, offering drinkers a new and perhaps a first experience of peated whisky. These malts have all the exceptional qualities of anCnoc but with a depth and smokiness that will be appealing both to peat aficionados and to drinkers of lighter malts with an interest in finding a peated malt whisky that they understand and enjoy. We’re on a mission to bring our very modern take on the world of peated whisky to our drinkers all over the world and to entice customers to experience this new side of anCnoc.”

Far from being peat monsters, the whiskies are peated to between 11-15ppm, and were described as follows by whisky writer Charles Maclean:

“The difference between these three malts is subtle, but apparent. Their overall flavour – i.e. aroma and taste –is nicely balanced,  fresh and breezy; their smokiness subtle and understated, while their cheerful simplicity makes them very ‘more-ish’ and easy to drink.”

Further information on the range can be found here. No word yet on Australian availability or pricing.

New World Whisky Distillery launches inaugural single cask releases

Back in December, I was lucky enough to tour the New World Whisky Distillery (purveyors of Starward Whisky) and especially lucky to taste a few single cask samples. At the time, there was only one Starward release (this one), however after no doubt realising they were onto a good thing, the distillery invited representatives from four Australian whisky establishments (Whisky+Alement, Oak Barrel, Baranows Lounge and Nicks/Vintage Direct) to select a cask, to be bottled and sold only through those venues.

While those in Melbourne have been lucky to taste the whisky already, those of us in Sydney will have to wait a few more weeks. The bottlings (officially released on 7th May) will sell for $100 (RRP), a bargain for such a rare, cask-strength bottling, and will no doubt sell out quickly. 

Until next time...sláinte.

Cheers,

 - Martin.

PR #9: Sullivans Cove awarded Gold Medal by Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago

A lot of the recent "PR" posts on my blog lately have been about Australian and NZ whiskies winning awards around the world (which is fitting because a) this blog is supposed to have the occasional Australasian focus and b) Australian and NZ whisky is bloody good).

That trend continues with news from Sullivans Cove recently that they've just been awarded a gold medal by the Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago, for their "Double Cask" expression.

To quote the press release:

"This award, from one of the world’s leading independent beverage reviewers, was given to the distillery’s Double Cask expression. It adds to Sullivans Cove’s list of prestigious international awards, which includes three Liquid Gold Awards from Jim Murray, and “Best Australian Single Malt” from the World Whisky Awards in London. 

Chief distiller Patrick Maguire is of the opinion that a large part of Sullivans Cove’s huge domestic and international success is down to recognition from organizations such as the Beverage Testing Institute. He went on to say; “Things are going well, we are up 50% on last year and Sullivans Cove is now the biggest selling Tasmanian whisky. Exports are booming with North America making up 80% of our overseas sales, and we have sent our first shipments to Hong Kong and Japan this past week. It is great to be involved in such an exciting industry during otherwise difficult economic times.”

The sharp rise in demand has meant that the distillery is now working flat out to produce enough spirit.

The Tasmanian whisky industry has seen very strong growth over the past two years and there are now eight functioning distilleries on the island with 2 more in the pipeline."

We congratulate Patrick and the Sullivans Cove / Tasmania Distillery team, and look forward to their (and Australian whisky in general's) continued success.

Cheers,
 - Martin. 

World of Whisky's Tasmanian Whisky Expo

Australian Whiskies are on the rise, gaining world recognition and winning awards (some having only been bottling for less than a few years). Whilst almost every state in Australia is represented, none is better known than Tasmania, with a number of active distilleries and an increasing reputation as a world-class whisky distilling region.

In recognition of this, World of Whisky in Double Bay (a specialist shop selling nothing but whisk(e)y) held their annual "Tasmanian Whisky Expo" last Saturday, with representation from four Tassie distilleries:

• Lark Distillery
• Old Hobart Distillery (makers of Overeem)
• Hellyers Road
• Tasmania Distillery (makers of Sullivans Cove)

To emphasise the focus on Tassie produce, the guys also had a number of Tasmanian cheeses and salmon for tasting (including a fantastic whisky-cured salmon which I could've eaten all day...)

Each distillery had their key expressions available for tasting, including one from my #101drams list (Hellyers Rd Pinot Noir Finish), and staff/management from the distilleries on-hand to answer any questions and have a yarn about all things whisky.

The event also coincided with the recent launch of the "Tasmanian Single Malts" plinth (pictured above), which will be rolled out to various bars and shops to promote Tasmania whiskies.

The event was a great way to get word out about Tassie whiskies, and was a great chance for whisky fans (and newcomers alike) to meet, enjoy a dram or two and discuss their favourite tipple. I'm looking forward to seeing this again next year (hopefully bigger and better)!

Cheers,
 - Martin.

PS: World of Whisky run a great show, and to see this on a much, much bigger scale, check out their "Whisky Show 2013" which was mentioned in this post.