Halcyon Spirits 28yo Single Cask 1996 Strathmill - Release #6 [Tasted #716]

Halcyon Spirits have become regulars on this blog since bursting onto the scene back in 2023 with a 30yo single cask Macallan (a seriously good opener for a first release). Since then they've worked their way through Auchentoshan, Clynelish, and Burnside, and further afield to Islay with a very tasty 17yo Caol Ila. Six releases in, and the quality has stayed consistent - no small feat for a relatively young Indie.

Strathmill isn't a distillery that gets much airtime (most of its output disappears into blends, with precious little bottled as a single malt) but it's a distillery I've had some nice releases from in the past (including a delicious 35yo 1983 vintage a few years back), so I was keen to see how this fared, especially with 3 years maturation in a fresh Oloroso Sherry hoggie under its belt.

It's funny, when I started to really get into whisky, most 12 year olds were from the late 1990s (or earlier)....and here we are not all that later (right!?) and we're looking at 28yo for a 1998-distilled whisky. Where did that time go?!

Halcyon Spirits Release #6 Strathmill Aged 28 Years (55.3% ABV, Single Malt, Cask #2053, 28yo, 1 of 132 bottles, Speyside, Scotland, £220)

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Colour: Copper gold.

Nose: Herbal oak, a touch of grassiness, and red apple up front with vanilla undertones. After time, pear starts to creep in too.

Palate: Zingy and fresh, with vibrant sherry-soaked oak. Vanilla bean, apple, baked pear tart, and a little allspice. That fresh sherry character carries all the way through.

Finish: Long, creamy vanilla and pear.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100 (Martin). A genuinely lovely dram, and another strong showing from a bottler that keeps delivering.

Thanks Halcyon Spirits for the sample.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #715: Glenfarclas 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead "Selected by & Bottled for Whisky & Wisdom Edition 3"

Very nearly 10 years ago, I wrote about Andrew "AD" Derbidge's Glenfarclas 2007 9yo, bottled for his excellent blog Whisky and Wisdom (Andrew also being of SMWS Australia fame). At the time I commented that "having shared many a dram with AD over the years (and tried many of his SMWS picks), I knew he had an excellent palate, so had no hesitation buying this before sampling it." It was a brilliant whisky, and was gone far too quickly, shared amongst good friends in Hong Kong.

Andrew followed up with another Glenfarclas in 2018 (Edition 2, a 10yo distilled in 2008), but then went a bit quiet on the bottling front...until recently.

Yes Glenfarclas fans - AD has done it again, this time picking a 2016 distilled 10yo (from a 1st Fill European Oak Oloroso Sherry Hogshead, like Edition 2) for Edition 3, and just like Editions 1 and 2, I bought it untasted, trusting the man's palate (if you've been to an SMWS tasting in Australia any time in the last twenty years, there's a good chance you've met Andrew and know what I'm talking about).

Having realised (after purchase) that the distillation date has some personal significance, I decided to keep the bottle aside for a special occasion, but AD was kind enough to provide a sample so I could still taste it now.

Glenfarclas 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead "Selected by & Bottled for Whisky & Wisdom Edition 3" (59.1% ABV, Single Malt, 10yo, Cask #281, Speyside, Scotland, 1 of 318 bottles, $269AUD)

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Colour: Deep, rich copper.

Nose: Clean but expressive, savoury sherry with all the hallmarks you'd expect, underpinned by a malty, round quality that gives it real depth. Vanilla pudding, Brazil nuts, & crème brûlée. Big, clean, proper old school sherry.

Palate: Super rich and creamy, and very clean. Ginger spice mixes with walnuts, oak and herbal notes, with some citrus zest sitting underneath — though for me it's the ginger spice that leads, with dried fruit, sultanas, and rich vanilla coming in to perform backup vocals.

Finish: Ginger spice into a long, warming old school oak note.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Martin). A cracking release, and one that shows exactly why Andrew's Glenfarclas picks keep finding an audience — clean, rich, old school and unmistakably sherried, without being over done. Power and balance - spot on (we'd expect nothing less).


Andrew's Glenfarclas 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead "Selected by & Bottled for Whisky & Wisdom Edition 3" is available now from his blog for $269AUD. Thanks Andrew for the sample (and can't wait to crack open my own bottle).


Cheers,

Martin.

Tasting the Kangaroo Island Spirits' Whisky range [Tasted #711 - 713]

If you've noticed we've been featuring more Aussie whisky on the blog over the past year, that's not by accident. Since moving back to Australia, I've been trying to re-acquaint myself with the scene, and trying more and more new Australian distilleries (alongside new whiskies from old favourites).

(Don't worry though, there's still plenty of crazy old rare Scotch being regularly posted over on the TimeforWhisky.com Instagram!)

One of those new(er) distilleries to recently come across my radar is Kangaroo Island Spirits, from (surprise surprise) Kangaroo Island in South Australia, South West of Adelaide. It's a place better known for its wildlife and wilderness than its whisky, but that may be about to change.

Kangaroo Island Spirits (KIS) was founded by Jon and Sarah Lark in 2006 as (this surprised me) Australia's first dedicated gin distillery (if that surname sounds familiar, it's no coincidence. Jon's brother is none other than Bill Lark, the Godfather of Australian whisky). Whilst gin was the focus, whisky was part of the longer-term plan, and around 2020 a brand-new 4,500L still was installed, making KIS the largest whisky distillery in South Australia. The whisky program uses locally grown Kangaroo Island barley, malted on the island and aged in ex-Bourbon barrel, Apera and Tawny casks.

Having quietly been maturing away for the past 5+ years, the whisky is now ready for its official release this month, coming in 3 forms - Bourbon, Apera and Tawny cask matured, each showing a different view of the same spirit. KIS were kind enough to send a sample pack for review recently, so let's dive in....

Kangaroo Island Spirits Single Malt Whisky Aged in Bourbon Casks (43% ABV, Single Malt, NAS, South Australia, Australia, $135AUD)
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Colour: Straw.

Nose: Vibrant and zingy — fresh lime zest leads, followed by lightly toasted oat cakes and a clean, breezy freshness that speaks honestly to its youth, but without harshness. 

Palate: Light in body, which suits the spirit character well. White pepper first, with a gentle vanilla sweetness and a touch of honey throughout. Clean and easy-going, with the ex-Bourbon cask providing a soft, sweet frame.

Finish: Short, with a pleasant honey spice trailing off.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 87/100 (Martin). A clean, well-made young spirit that wears its youth comfortably. The Bourbon cask has done its job without overstepping or overpowering — this is a solid foundation, and a good entry point into the range.

Kangaroo Island Spirits Single Malt Whisky Aged in Apera Casks (43% ABV, Single Malt, NAS, South Australia, Australia, $135AUD)

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Colour: Golden sunset.

Nose: Immediately more expressive - a burst of fresh-squeezed citrus leads the way, with orange juice and lemonade Icy Poles jostling for position. After a few minutes, some key lime pie notes emerge, lightly sweet and bright. The same youthful freshness as the Bourbon expression, but with a little more going on.

Palate: Follows the nose faithfully, which is often a good sign of a well-made spirit. Light and fresh, with Apera-derived sherry notes arriving gently - no heaviness or overt cask influence. Marmalade, mango and orange weave together nicely, making for a palate that's fruit-forward and enjoyable.

Finish: Medium in length, with mango, orange and a hint of peach lingering pleasantly. The fruitiness carries through well to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100 (Martin). My preference over the Bourbon cask - the Apera cask has added dimension and vibrancy without obscuring the spirit character. If Aussie whisky's best trick (even if not always done successfully) is deploying local wine casks without overpowering the spirit, this is an encouraging early example of that principle at work. 

Kangaroo Island Spirits Single Malt Whisky Aged in Tawny Casks (43% ABV, Single Malt, NAS, South Australia, Australia, $135AUD)
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Colour: Orange gold.

Nose: Richer and deeper than the previous two — there's a step up in complexity here. Milk chocolate and sultanas are front and centre, with an almost Christmas cake warmth underneath. The Tawny cask has worked harder and left a more definitive mark than on the other two.

Palate: Still youthful, but the Tawny has had some more noticeable impact. Berries, plum jam and cherry pie all make an appearance, giving the palate a darker, more dessert-like character that sets it apart from the other two. 

Finish: Medium to long, the longest of the three, with sultanas and dark chocolate hanging around in a satisfying way. 

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100 (Martin). The most complex and characterful of the three, and a signal of intent from KIS. The Tawny casks have given this spirit a depth whilst still allowing the spirit to show.

Taken together, this is an encouraging debut. Youthful, but enjoyable, distinct, and a strong indication of things to come. The Bourbon Cask is clean and approachable, the Apera is bright and fruit-forward, and the Tawny is the standout for character and length.

The really interesting question (as with so many newer distilleries) is what these whiskies will become with another few years under their belt. The foundation is clearly there. Worth keeping an eye on.

Thanks to Kangaroo Island Spirits for the media samples.

Cheers,
Martin.

Tasted #709: Archie Rose "Smoked Cask Series" Cinnamon Smoked Single Malt Whisky

One of the many great things about the Aussie whisky industry is the freedom afforded to (and actively embraced by) its producers. Whilst there are rules, they're less restrictive than (say for example) SWA's rules for Scotch Malt Whisky, and so you tend to find some pretty fun and interesting releases - whiskies matured in woods other than oak, whiskies finished in a plethora of interesting cask types (Ginger Beer Cask, anyone?), and in this case, whisky matured in casks which themselves have been smoked with different botannicals.

"Smoked Cask Series" is the name, and as Archie Rose Master Distiller Dave Withers puts it:

“In Australia, we’re fortunate to be unbound by tradition, which gives us the freedom to be bold and find our own new ways of doing things. With that in mind, this series is all about reimagining what a smoked whisky can be; questioning why the flavour of smoke can only come from the treatment of grains.

We wanted to tackle the question of whether we could bring a different dimension to our whisky by smoking the maturation casks, instead of the grains,” Dave says. “It’s also about testing the boundaries of where that smoke comes from. Conventional smoky whiskies are always made with peat or sometimes timber smoke, but here we have shown that a different set of flavours can be created through the use of aromatic botanicals like the ones we’ve used for this series"

For the series, 4 botanicals (Wattleseed, Juniper, Cinnamon and Lavender) were chosen after 30 different trials. I sat down with “Cinnamon Smoked” (Limited Release No.15) recently, to see what impact this unique form of smoking had on the whisky.

Archie Rose "Smoked Cask Series" Cinnamon Smoke (51.6% ABV, NAS, Sydney, Australia, One of 495 bottles, sold out)

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Colour: Deep toffee brown

Nose: Smoked pineapple, toasted oak, orange zest and hints of charred banana.

Palate: Brings the pineapple from the nose, but more whole oranges than orange zest. Spicy smoke undertones, with some very subtle cinnamon notes.

Finish: Long, warming toasted oak.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100 (Martin). I like Archie Rose's regular single malt spirit, and this is a really fun and tasty twist on it - pairing some of those expected tropical notes with a warming, spicy undertones. This would be great by a fire, as we're getting into winter (shame it's sold out)!

Thanks Mint Partners and Archie Rose for the bottle.


Cheers,
Martin.

An interview with Sullivans Cove Distillery Manager Heather Tillott, and a tasting of two new releases (Tasted #706 - 707)

It's been a big few weeks for Sullivans Cove - not only have they recently announced, for the first time, a cask strength version of the French Oak (at 17 years, no less - ballot open now), along with a French Oak Apera at nearly 10 years old (sold out), they've also just won a World Whiskies Awards "World's Best" for the fourth time - this time for World's Best Single Cask Single Malt Whisky.

Following their now-legendary 2014 win (and subsequent wins in 2018 and 2019) it was French Oak White Wine Old & Rare TD0112 which took home the award this time, beating out 23 other single cask single malt country-winners to take home the prize.

As if that wasn't enough though, the distillery also took home two further "Icons of Whisky" awards for its people, with Distillery Manager Heather Tillott winning the "Innovator Manager of the Year" award, and Warehouse Manager Marcelo Viapiana winning "Global Warehouse Manager of the Year.

 

It seemed then, like a suitable time to post an interview I held with Heather Tillott last year, when I was lucky enough to join the distillery in celebrating their 25 Year Old whisky milestone.

Martin: 25 years is an incredible achievement for Australian Whisky, but these were distilled at a time when that wasn’t necessarily the goal. 25 years on from that time, has the view towards long-term maturation changed in Australian Whisky and how does Sullivans Cove look at this in particular? Might we see even older Sullivan’s Cove releases in the coming years or decades?

Heather: Quite correct - the goal when these casks were laid down wasn’t to reach 25! The good people in that era of Sullivans were experimenting and learning what it meant to make whisky in Tasmania at that time, and we are very lucky to be able to continue with the work they did so many years ago.

25 years on at Sullivans, we’ve learnt a lot about how to craft spirit that is suited to a variety of ages, and how to nurture casks through the years in order to enable the greatest expressions of each cask to come to life.

While many distilleries founded in more recent years simply haven’t had the time to explore longer term aging, it’s only a matter of time. And while it’s not about an arms race to the highest age statement whisky, it’s also only a matter of time before we see even older Sullivans releases, as this is the nature of the bondstore… Time keeps on moving!

Martin: Since taking over production, how closely did you and your team need to monitor these two casks, or provide any active intervention (eg moving them around the bond store) - to ensure they remained “whisky”, but also didn’t get overpowered by oak and retained the quality Sullivans Cove drinkers expect?

Heather: Very closely. Old spirit can be quite fragile, and so extra care and attention is very important. They’ve both had moves about the bondstores, and both have had a gentle dilution during their maturation. This is an old technique used in Cognac and Scotch to gently reduce proof strength, thus enabling a softer maturation and ensuring the balance of oak remains.

Martin: In recent years as it became clear these tasks would reach 25 years, was 25 years the goal, or were they deemed “ready” (by a tasting panel) then, and it just happened to be at a nice round 25 years?

Heather: We allow each of our casks to tell us when they are ready! It’s a rollercoaster of emotions at times, with some casks in particular, but the end result is a wonderful collaboration of people, place and produce… After all, whisky is a product of agriculture, which means people and place! Thus, we didn’t have a particular age in mind for these two- they both came right on the same tasting panel on the 6th of May. We have a nautical bell which we ring when we decide to decant a cask, it’s in the distillery for all to hear… The bell rang twice that morning.

Martin: As the person responsible for production at  a world-renowned distillery on an island famed for its pristine environment, what is the most important sustainability initiative the Australian whisky industry needs to adopt today to ensure its long-term viability?

Heather: There’s a number of really important environmental initiatives in the operational discussion – irrigation in the field, a move toward organic practices, heat recovery systems in the brewhouse and distillery, co-product relationships with local farmers, sourcing casks closer to home (i.e., Australian wine casks!), etc. And there’s also the equally important considerations in the sustainability conversation around the people and business systems that keep the heartbeat of the industry. There is a range of scale and operations in Australian whisky, with many in the micro space; for us to ensure long-term viability we need an industry which supports all levels of scale, healthy workplaces, healthy businesses, as well as a care for our environment.

Martin: Given your background in winemaking, what's a lesson or technical philosophy you carried with you from the vineyard to the distillery?

Heather: The best advice I’ve ever received was from the world of wine… “Get out of the way.” I.e., don’t try to force the product to be a certain way. Tread gently, get out of the way, and let the magic blossom. It’s the duende!

Martin: Last but not least, it’s been a long day and you reach for something to unwind. Is it wine or whisky?

Heather: At the end of a long day, I like to revisit older bottlings of Sullivans, or high-ester rum. Both hold time to ransom for a while for me – there is nowhere to be other than the moment.

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Sullivans Cove 17 Year Old French Oak Cask Strength (Cask TD0297 (63.1% ABV, Single Malt, 17yo, 1 of 343 bottles, Tasmania, Australia, $2,500AUD)
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Colour: Dark Amber-gold

Nose: Big and robust notes of Blackberries mixed with an old dunnage warehouse.

Palate: Super viscous, with notes of gooey caramel, cigar box, a slight salinity and some meatier notes. There's some fruitier notes too - mature oranges and some berries.

Finish: Long and warming, with toasted oak and caramel chews.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 93/100 (Martin). Given what this cask strength expression gives us in the way of flavour and complexity, hopefully this won't be the last CS release we see from the distillery! Delicious.

Sullivans Cove 9 Year Old French Oak Cask Strength (Cask TD0820 (47.6% ABV, Single Malt, 9yo, 1 of 260 bottles, Tasmania, Australia, $550AUD - sold out)
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Colour: Dark Orange-gold

Nose: Coffee grounds, toffee, fresh oak, flamed oranges and a hint of Eucalyptus.

Palate: Oily, with initial notes of honey, marmalade, and an underlying grassy spearmint. Notes of old oak round things out, but on the whole it's fresh, vibrant and has a lot going on.

Finish: Long and fresh, with the grassy-minty note continuing alongside orange and warming oak.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 91/100 (Martin). I was expecting it to be a tasty dram, but wasn't expecting this much complexity. That was a pleasant surprise.

A big thanks to Heather for her time, and the distillery team for the samples.

 

Cheers,

Martin.

Tasted #705: Indri Agneya Single Malt Indian Whisky

It's hard to believe it's been 11 years this year, but in 2015 I visited Amrut Distillery for what was (still, to this day) the most in-depth distillery tour I've ever taken. Over many hours I got an incredibly in-depth look into every facet of Amrut's production, directly from the man responsible for making "Indian Single Malt" a thing, Surrinder Kumar.

In 2019 Surrinder however moved to Piccadily Agro Industries Limited, and subsequently launched what is now India's #1 selling single malt, Indri. We've featured Indri a few times on the blog, praising both their "Trini" in 2022 and Diwali Collector's Edition & Founder's Reserve last year. When Piccadily reached out offering a bottle of their latest "Agneya", matured in a mix of ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon casks, I wasn't about to say no!

  

Derived from the Sanskrit word meaning “belonging to fire", Agneya is said to be a lightly-peated dram, non-chill filtered and with no added colour.

So without further ado...

Indria "Agneya" (46% ABV, Single Malt, NAS, Haryana, India, $104.99AUD, £46.25)
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Colour: Golden copper

Nose: Dried fig, raisins and a big hit of ginger. There are subtle hints of smoke (woodfired / BBQ smoke), along with some oak, spice and a little varnish. Quite a bit going on!

Palate: Stays true to the nose, with more chocolate, a little floral hint, some banana, woodsmoke & burnt orange peel

Finish: Long, with residual subtle woodfire smoke, salted chocolate and soft warming spices.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Martin). Another great dram from Indri.

Cheers,

Martin.

Hellyers Road Aged 22 Years, 21 Years & 12 Years (Tasted #702 - 704)

Happy New Year! Hope you all managed to get some downtime over the holiday period (hopefully with a dram or two in hand).

We're back into it for 2026, kicking off where we left off, with a few more Australian whiskies...

My two trips to Tassie last year (after a 17 year absence) gave me a great opportunity to get back into the Aussie whisky scene I’d been away from for so long - to try a bunch of new distilleries, rediscover old ones, and to connect and re-connect with some great whisky folk in Tassie.

One of those people was Mark from Whisky is my Jam - arguably one of the most knowledgable, passionate and connected people in all of Tasmanian whisky, and also a genuinely great bloke.

On a few occasions Mark took me through a range of Tassie whiskies - some I was experiencing for the first time, and some I hadn't tried in over a decade. In the latter camp was Hellyers Road, which in a "full circle" kind of moment was actually the very first two whiskies I ever wrote about on this blog (over 13 years ago)!

Mark put me in touch with David from Sales & Promotions at the distillery (someone I'd been following on IG for years), who was kind enough to send me a few well-aged samples to re-acquaint myself further. Included were:

• American Oak Aged 22 Years cask #2325.03 (80 bottles, full maturation, 56.5% ABV)
• World Whiskies Awards 2025 Best Australian Single Malt winner Peated Cask Finish Aged 21 Years Cask #20F05C01 (301 bottles, 17 years in ex-Bourbon then 4 years in an ex-peated Hellyers Road cask, 52.5% ABV)
• World Whiskies Awards 2022 Best Australian Single Malt winner American Oak Aged 12 Years (fully matured in 1st Fill ex-Bourbon casks, 46.2%)

Let's dig in...

 

Hellyers Road American Oak Aged 22 Years (Cask #2325.03) (56.5% ABV, Single Malt, 22yo, 1 of 80 bottles, Tasmania, Australia, $1,450AUD)
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Colour: Amber sunset.

Nose: Big and complex - orange / citrus notes and perfume, with some slight hints of peach, treacle and oak.

Palate: Immediate zesty orange peel, followed up by whole orange slices. Some oak spice & marmalade, ginger, and a slight grassy herbaceousness. It's complex, and it all works well. 

Finish: Long, marmalade, stone fruits.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Martin). 

Hellyers Road Peated Cask Finish Aged 21 Years (Cask #20F05C01) (52.5% ABV, Single Malt, 21yo, 1 of 301 bottles, Tasmania, Australia, $1,350AUD)
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Colour: Golden sunset

Nose: Keeps the citrus oil and perfume of the 22yo, but with a subtle underlying campfire note, and more tropical notes (passionfruit mostly).

Palate: The peat smoke is more pronounced on the palate, but the passionfruit and oranges (whole) are there too, in perfect harmony.

Finish: Residual BBQ smoky meatiness, with some final orange zest. Long and lingering.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Martin). Peated cask finishes sometimes don't work too well, but I'm glad to say in this case it works very nicely.

 

Hellyers Road American Oak Aged 12 Years (46.2% ABV, Single Malt, 12yo, Tasmania, Australia, $260AUD)
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Colour: Light golden sunset.

Nose: Bubblegum and Juicyfruit, orange oil, oaked passionfruit

Palate: Follows the nose, with big citrus oil notes, passionfruit, chocolate orange, hints of cinnamon, strawberries and a slight savoury note.

Finish: Long, with a lovely citrus zest that lingers.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 89/100 (Martin). Complex and tasting - wonderful to see how far the spirit has come over the years.

It was great to revisit the distillery that I kicked off this blog with all those years ago, and even better to see the spirit come so far in that time. Thanks Mark for the intro and David for the generous samples.

Cheers,

Martin.

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. 

Benromach Contrasts range - Unpeated and Virgin Oak [Tasted #693 - 694]

We've been pretty fortunate here at TimeforWhisky to try some old and incredibly rare Benromach releases over the years. The last we tried was a 46yo single cask from 1972 (one of only 75 bottles) and the one before that a 41yo single cask from 1974. One thing we found with each of these was that they were incredibly delicious, well-made whisky, bottled at just the right time.

The thing is, "delicious" and "well-made" seems to be something that applies across the Benromach range, right down to the entry level 10 Year Old. I've referred to Benromach as a distillery who just make incredibly good, honest whisky, and I still stand by that today.

...which brings us to the "Contrasts" range, aiming to present a different (or Contrasting) view of Benromach, via a core range consisting of "Peat Smoke" and "Organic" , and a number of "Guest Contrasts" including the two we're tasting today - "Virgin Oak" (10yo and fully-matured in Virgin American Oak casks) and "Unpeated" (9yo and matured in a mix of ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry casks).

Benromach Contrasts Unpeated (46% ABV, Single Malt, 9yo, Speyside, Scotland)

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Colour: Light gold

Nose: Light, with hints of heather, oatcakes, pear, stewed fruits and just a lovely classic fruity Speyside nose.

Palate: Consistent with the nose, with a touch of herbaceousness, dried apricot, red apple and some salted caramel.

Finish: Floral and lifted, with some ginger notes through to the end.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 88/100 (Martin). 

Benromach Contrasts Virgin Oak (46% ABV, Single Malt, 10yo, Speyside, Scotland)

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Colour: Orange gold.

Nose: Oak and citrus spice, with some banana chips and bacon.

Palate: Sweet, less spiced than the nose suggests, more herbal and savoury, with some hints of smoked oranges.

Finish: Butter Menthol lozenges and mature oak.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 90/100 (Martin). 

Cheers,

Martin.

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Launch [Tasted: #684]

Last week, Martin and I had the pleasure of attending events for The Macallan TIME:SPACE Collection in both Hong Kong and Sydney, as a celebration of the distillery’s 200th anniversary. The events took us on a journey through The Macallan’s storied past, from founder Alexander Reid’s dedication to quality in 1824 to the wartime ingenuity that shaped its legacy.

The Sydney launch event featured tastings of Macallan’s Classic Cut and 18yo expressions, two drams that beautifully reflect the distillery’s artistry. The Classic Cut 2023, bottled at 50.3% ABV, showcased vibrant notes of orchard fruits, elderflower, and citrus with hints of almond biscotti and toasted oak. Meanwhile, the 18yo Sherry Oak has rich layers of dried fruit, spice, and chocolate, a classic Macallan.

At the heart of the celebration was the unveiling of TIME : SPACE, a dual-chambered vessel housing two extraordinary whiskies. The 1940 Vintage, aged an astonishing 84 years, matured in meticulously selected sherry casks. Representing the future, the 2018 Vintage is a youthful 5-year-old whisky, marking the first distillate from Macallan’s state-of-the-art distillery.

Also revealed was TIME : SPACE Mastery, a stunning single malt created from 14 exceptional cask types. This whisky delivers rich layers of dates, pineapple, and coffee, all while retaining Macallan’s signature elegance. Presented in a circular bottle symbolising the cycle of time, the red case, complete with 200 spikes, is a bold celebration of the distillery’s bicentennial milestone.

With only 200 units of TIME : SPACE dual-chambered bottle available globally, the TIME : SPACE Mastery is the more accessible of the two (priced at $2,700 and arriving in Australia in November 2024, with the exact number of bottles produced not disclosed). The TIME : SPACE Collection is more than a celebration of the past—it’s a toast to the future of The Macallan's whisky mastery. 

Having both recently sampled the TIME : SPACE Mastery, here are our thoughts:

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Mastery (43.6% ABV, Speyside, Scotland, A$2,700 / $11,000HKD)

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Colour: Rich honey gold.

Nose (Hendy): A captivating aroma unfolds with a gentle musky scent, with a mix of ripe summer fruits—peaches and apricots—balanced by the sweetness of dates, figs and dried fruits. Subtle notes of chocolate with sweet oak.

Nose (Martin): There's a maturity here that (despite its years) you don't find on the 18yo. Not to the same extent anyway. Deep rich zesty coffee notes follow, rich honey notes, with some underlying milk chocolate and ginger. If you look hard enough, slight hints of tropical stone fruits (peaches mostly) appear.

Palate (Hendy): The palate opens up with soft ginger spices, offering a delicate palate with a touch of gunpowder before giving way to layers of citrus, oranges and honey bring a level of sweetness, with sweet oak at the end.

Palate (Martin): Viscous and mouth-filling, with notes of mature oak, a slightly earthiness (which increases over time), some orange zest, dates, maple syrup, ginger and caramel. It doesn't feel like 43% in the mouth - I'd say closer to 46-48%. Power and finesse here.  

Finish (Hendy): Long and lingering, with a gentle, soft spice and fading into notes of vanilla. It was a good Macallan.

Finish (Martin): Long, quite drying, with hints of oak, some BBQ pineapple, Oranges and residual peach notes.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 

93/100 (Hendy) 

92/100 (Martin)

Martin's final comments: Having also tried this side-by-side with the 2023 18yo Sherry Oak, I can confidently say it stands well above as a much more rich, viscous, sherried dram with significantly more complexity. It also has those hints of tropical notes shining through which you just don't get on the 18yo (Lead Whisky Maker Euan Kennedy, who presented our tasting, said he finds the tropical notes tend to come through at around 20 years of age). That said, whether the increased complexity and richness (and admittedly, very cool bottle design) justifies the price jump over the 18yo is a personal decision everyone will have to make for themselves...

Here’s to the next 200 years of Macallan.


Cheers,
Hendy.

Halcyon Spirits 17yo Single Cask 2007 Caol Ila [Tasted #683]

You may have have seen us cover a few releases from recently-established Scottish-based Independent Bottler Halcyon Spirits over the past 12 or so months. After bursting onto the scene mid-2023 with a 30yo Macallan, followed by a 32yo Auchentoshan, 30yo Clynelish & 27yo Burnside, they've now ventured over to Islay with their first peated release - a 17yo single cask Caol Ila from 2007.

I've been saying for a long time now that (in my opinion) Caol Ila is one of the most versatile Scotch whiskies out there. It can be fantastic young, middle-aged or long-aged, it's great from both Sherry and Bourbon casks, it works well in highballs (try it with lemon peel), cocktails and neat, and it's absolutely magic, magic stuff from the early 1980s.

I remember drinking a lot of 2007, 2008 Caol Ila single casks about 6-7 years ago (at the time around 10yo), and many of them were excellent, so I was excited to try one with a bit more age on it...

Halcyon Spirits "Halcyon Release #5" Caol Ila Aged 17 Years (56% ABV, Single Malt, 17yo, 1 of 273 bottles, Scotland, £150)
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Colour: Amber gold

Nose: Ashy, meaty BBQ at first, but with unmistakeable Caol Ila DNA underneath. Rich smoke, a slightly oak dustiness. After time, a subtle hint of meaty sulphur (in a good way).

Palate: Follows the nose, with some added sweet honey/maple notes, yet still plenty of smoked meat. It's soft, yet carries power and persistence. There's some hoisin sauce and glazed BBQ duck, and subtle, underlying hints of that trademark Caol Ila lemon-y note.

Finish: Long, soft smoke with a slightly sweet BBQ / lemon finish.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale): 92/100 (Martin). Exactly what I hoped for - balanced, complex, delicious. For the price? Excellent value (especially for those in HK benefiting from the recently-reduced taxes).

Thanks to Halcyon for sending us the sample for this review.

Cheers,

Martin.