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We can pretty much guarantee that 36 Short are going to be the next BIG thing out of South Australia in whisky! With a custom built still, distinctive aging process and using 100% South Australian barley their full-bodied whiskies have an incredible depth of flavour that just must be tasted. Welcome to the “bourbon-bomb” that is the very essence of South Australian premium single malts (at a price that is simply stunning for a 700ml single malt) – The 36 Short SMWC Edition! The 36 Short SMWC Edition was aged in shaved and toasted American oak barrels, then further rested in bourbon barrels, it delivers unrivalled complexity and depth. Enjoy the smooth fruity notes, complemented by hints of pecan nut and vanilla flavours. With a delightful lightweight texture and a well-rounded palate, this whisky is an exceptional indulgence. Bottled exclusively for the SMWC in 700ml bottles at 40%abv and at the discounted price of $105. -
Please be upstanding for the world premiere of a new era of collaboration between Milk and Honey (M&H) and the powerhouse American single malt distillery – Westward. Two of ‘worlds whiskies’ major power players have instigated a ‘barrel swap program’ – and your not-so-little whisky club has the world exclusive first release from this partnership – Welcome to the Milk and Honey Westward Cask! A whisky that reflects this sunny and fresh season perfectly. A whisky full of the bright notes of spring. Green citrussy piquancy, big yellow malty notes and an orange-y apricot jam tang is just the beginning of what’s to be had in this one. A whisky from a company that has absolutely blown the world away since they burst onto the world whisky stage a little over 4 years ago with a string of medals, including the World Whisky Awards ‘Whisky of the Year’ in 2023. A whisky that, simply put – we are incredibly proud to have our logo featured on – The Milk and Honey Westward Cask! A super easy-dramming whisky that is just as well behaved on the palate as it is bursting with all those American oak notes we love so much. Super creamy, big citrus flavours and more vanilla than an M-rated sex scene – alongside those delicious jammy bursts – make this a simply stunning whisky. The 57% abv is just so well integrated – best you remind yourself you’re drinking some ‘grown up whisky’ here because your palate simply won’t notice how strong this is. It’s just sooo easy to drink…and drink…and you know where this is going… -
Is it time for a 8 year old, limited-edition, cask strength Speyside malt from one of the very first distilleries to ever market single malts? Let us introduce you to the Glen Moray 2015 Rioja Cask. As the name suggests this is fully matured in exotic Rioja wine casks. Rioja is a renowned wine region in northern Spain, famous for its high-quality red wines made primarily from Tempranillo grapes. The Glen Moray 2015 Rioja Cask release is a limited-edition single malt whisky that showcases Glen Moray's experimentation with cask finishes. It is part of their limited edition ‘Warehouse 1’ series. Distilled in 2015 and aged for in ex-Rioja wine casks, this expression combines Glen Moray’s classic Speyside profile with rich fruit and soft tannin influences from the Rioja casks. Presented at a hearty cask strength of 59.8% this is a huge Speysider in any language. -
An EXCLUSIVE WORLD FIRST...a MATCHED PAIR from Tassie heavy hitters – Iron House. Both exclusive to the SMWC, both absolutely stunning in their own right, each one half of a world first – an Ocean Aged Matched Boilermaker! The Iron House Maverick Portside Single Malt Whisky and the optional matched Iron House Portside Red Ella Red Ale with the Red Ale being finished in the very same Portside whisky barrels! The Iron House Portside Ocean Aged Single Malt Whisky started its journey as ocean-side matured Iron House whisky – distilled in Feb 2019. A bit over a year ago it was decanted into some port barrels and strapped outside the port side of the wheelhouse of the Tasmanian abalone boat ‘Maverick’. For the next twelve months it braved over two-and-a-half thousand nautical miles of the worst that the Southern Ocean, Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea could throw at it. 6 metre seas, Antarctic storms, barometric range between 910 to 1040HPa etc. This isn’t just easy drinking whisky, this is easy-peasy drinking whisky. So many layers of flavours here to chew and cogitate on at length – fruits, spices, nuts, sweet, salt… even umami – but on the surface it’s just sooo damn easy to drink. Once again, the Iron House boys have really excelled with this novel, big-flavoured and muscular, yet genuinely easy-going whisky. -
With our Milk and Honey/Westward collaboration as the Malt of the Month for September, we thought it a perfect opportunity to introduce Westward Single Malt Whisky to our members...and we don’t know a better way to get to the heart of a distilleries product than to try a cask strength bottling…which is exactly what we’ve done. As the name suggests, this is the Cask Strength release of Westward’s flagship ‘Original’ single malt whiskey. Distilled from a locally grown and malted barley mash, fermented using a craft ale yeast. Double pot-distilled and then matured in heavily-toasted, lightly-charred virgin American oak casks. This is a superbly rich and complex whisky for sure. The unburnt tobacco notes - that present all throughout this whisky - really bolster it’s huge and immensely satisfying flavour profile...but does so without making it formidable on the palate. There’s just no harshness at all in this 62.5% whopper of a whisky. -
A 7+7 triple maturation (Apera, then first fill Apera, then maple syrup) release from an Indy Bottler who’s first releases have propelled the brand to near-cult status amongst lovers of Aussie whisky – The Whisky in Isolation ‘Magnificent Seven’ Now the ‘Magnificent Seven’ is a whisky from a distillery the Club is very familiar with – Chief’s Son. To date, our club has featured the oldest maturing cask of Chief’s Son on no less than two previous occasions with two of the ‘Family Casks’ (filled by the children of Stuart) – the Aiden and the Cameron. This Whisky in Isolation Magnificent Seven is now the THIRD time we’ve featured the oldest Chief’s Son ever bottled!OUR TASTING NOTESNose: Absolute masses of stewed fruits that you’d imagine from an Apera aged, then finished whisky. Justin mentioned a ‘rummy note’ and I get what he means – there’s a little funk in this nose! (..and I always thought Justin was a metal guy!) But there’s also some bubble gum notes there, as well as a definite hint of unburnt tobacco and a bit of peanut brickle too. Palate: Just as thick and rich a mouthfeel as the colour alludes to. A peppery burst (but surprisingly little at 58%abv - almost none with a ‘bloop‘ of water added) at first – but then an absolute WALL of flavour explodes on your palate. BIG stewed sultanas, prunes and raisons. And the flavours keep coming in waves. Candied citrus rind and a creamy note transform into an almost savoury, charcuterie note which then morphs into nut-butter. Finish: So chewy and warming. It’s all of the above – but slowly fading out as they cry ‘another… another… ‘. At the very end there’s a distinct nuttyness. This is a big, layered and immensely luxurious whisky. So massive in colour, mouthfeel and flavour, with delicious fruit and cream and all those things we’d expect from an apera aged and finished whisky- yet with a ‘sweet and fat sultana-ey shoulders’ reminiscent of a botrytis cask aged whisky I recently tasted. -
Now, the whisky business doesn’t get much more serious than the Remnant Whisky Co…An EXCLUSIVE follow up to one of our biggest selling whiskies of 2022 – A mix of 10 year old Port and Sherry Casks and we’re excited to be releasing another bottling from these absolute angels of Australian whisky – The Remnant Whisky Co. Black Spot ‘SMWC #02’! This is the second release we’ve partnered with Remnant Whisky Co to bring to the Club. The first Remnant Black Spot we featured back in 2022 was an INSTANT SELLOUT and we have no doubt this one will follow suit. It’s a simply sensational 10+ year old Tasmanian whisky in a 700ml bottle at a better price than a 500ml Black Spot normally sells at! This month’s Remnant Whisky Co. Black Spot SMWC02 is blended from a selection of port and sherry casks all over 10 years old. Their abv’s at disgorging ranged from 66.2 to 42.1%abv but this whisky gem is bottled at 48.1%abv. -
Let’s FIRKIN get our whisky on! The RELEASE of not any FIRKIN WHISKY…A LINKWOOD…one of the rarest of the rare with only 1-2% ever being released as a SINGLE MALT – The Firkin Ten Linkwood 2010! The ‘Firkin Ten’ label denotes a spirit aged for 10 years prior to finishing in Mike’s custom casks. This Firkin Ten Linkwood was distilled at Linkwood Distillery, in the Speyside, in 2010. In 2020, it was bought by Mike and transferred to his hybrid, Madeira-seasoned casks where it was finished for a further two years. Bottled with no chill filtering and absolutely nothing added other than the water used to bring it down to the bottling strength of 48.9%ABV. We’re FIRKIN proud to be first to bring this new expression to market in Australia, and we’re pretty FIRKIN chuffed at the price we’ve got it for you as well! -
A Summer Whisky for only $99 from one of Australia’s legendary, award-winning distilleries? Santa, Iniquity and the Single Malt Whisky Club deliver! The perfect whisky for a hot Aussie Christmas, the latest in the much applauded and awarded Tin Shed Distillery ‘Anomaly’ Series – the Iniquity Lazy Daze. The Lazy Daze is matured in a first fill Heavens Hill ex-bourbon cask (78%) – tweaked with some shiraz (15%), tawny (3.5%) and apera (3.5%) barrels. It has been bottled at 40%ABV in order to be easy to drink yet still pack a flavour wallop! It’s sweet and fruity with next to no heat on the palate yet packs a big chewy finish. Even though it’s only packing 40%ABV, this whisky is definitely no lightweight. It’s got huge depth of flavour, big mouthfeel and …oh, did we mention it’s under a hundred bucks… in a 700ml bottle?!?!? -
Whiskies aged at sea! The Iron House Maverick Muscat Finished on a Abalone fishing boat named ‘Maverick’ for 12 months on the high seas of The Tasman covering over 3280 nautical miles. The constant movement of the ocean churns the spirit with greater interaction with the wood, extreme temperature and barometric ranging creating a hyper ageing effect taking you on a sensory voyage like no other. So thanks to our mates at IronHouse Distillery in Tasmania – the blokes who make Tasman Whisky – we’ve got this amazing whisky and a story that will blow you away. This whisky has been sent away to sea to grow up! They are SO maritime, they have tattoos of anchors on their arms. Drams are so nautical you should refer to them as Skipper. We’re proud to present The Iron House Maverick Muscat. The Iron House Maverick Muscat cask spent 4 years in the Iron House Distillery bond-store next to the ocean. They were then loaded aboard the Tasmanian abalone boat ‘The Maverick’ and sent to sea for 12 months to grow up! In that 12 months they travelled 3280nm (about 6000km) in some of worlds most treacherous waters, endured 7 metre waves, 100km/h hurricane force winds, and barometric pressure ranging from 910 to 1040HPA – all these factors combining to create a ‘hyper-aging’ environment. -
From one of our absolute favourite Award Winning Tasmanian Distilleries, we have the FIRST EXPRESSION of their very FIRST ‘SOLERA’ whisky release, bottled EXCLUSIVELY for our members – The Spring Bay Solera! Now whisky aficionados know that Spring Bay whisky gets mentioned in the same circles as Sullivans Cove, Overeem and Lark and there is good reason for this, as the owners, Cam and Suzy took many influences from these legendary distillers and world agrees! With Spring Bay taking out Best Oceania Single Malt Whisky for their Tawny Port Cask at the Tokyo Whisky and Spirits Competition and three of their whiskies picked up a Gold and two Silvers at the World Whiskies Awards.- Award Winning Tasmanian Distillery
- First Expression of their Solera is EXCLUSIVE to the Club
- Chardonnay, Port and Muscat barrel maturation
- Made with East Coast Tasmanian rainwater
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skål! From the land of Ikea, meatballs and of course Roxette, we are super proud to continue our new world whiskies with the Australian launch of our first ever single malt whisky from Sweden! From Swedish distillery Mackmyra we have nothing short of their flagship product –The Mackmyra Svensk Ek! This is not a flat pack! It comes fully assembled from 100% Swedish ingredients and its even aged in Swedish oak (well – some of it is, read on!). Svensk Ek is the flagship of the Mackmyra core range. Originally called ‘The First Edition’, the new name translates as ‘Swedish Oak’. The whisky is aged partially in casks made from oak from the island of Visingsö, originally intended for use as ship building timber for the Swedish Royal Navy. We’ve spoken about ‘terroir’ in the past – the ‘taste’ of a region. Well, this whisky is all about Swedish terroir. It uses Swedish barley (malted onsite) from the nearby farms in the mash and ferments it with Swedish yeast. It is then aged in 200L ex-bourbon casks. The age of the casks used in the Svensk Ek range between 4 and 9 years old. Now, 10% of the whisky is then finished for 18 months in 30L Swedish Oak casks. You may wonder why only 10% of the whisky is finished this way – well, in the words of the distillers – “To use more Swedish oak the whisky would be too much of all and not a good balance. 10% sound little but it’s gives very much to the mix”. -
EXTRA! EXTRA! – READ ALL ABOUT IT. PENDERYN THE HEADLINER LANDS ON AUSTRALIAN SHORES! GET YOURS NOW…ONLY AT THE CLUB! Last year we secured the ONLY Australian allocation of the Penderyn ‘Rhiannon’ and it SOLD OUT (actually some members missed out)! To back it up we have EXCLUSIVELY the 9th whisky in the ‘Icon of Wales’ series…a Jamaican Rum and Ruby Port Cask Matured Whisky, in celebration of Welsh British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George – The Penderyn Headliner. So it’s no wonder Penderyn has chosen to further immortalise such a magnificent Welshman by naming their latest ‘Icons of Wales’ expression in his honour. What a sensational whisky this…made from fermented Welsh barley (malted in Cardiff). Distilled in Penderyn’s Faraday pot-still and aged in Jamaican Rum and Ruby Port casks for an undisclosed time before being married together, rested then bottled at 46% ABV with absolutely no colouring added, nor chill-filtering. -
This 16 year old Pedro Ximinez finished whisky from BENRINNES is perfectly accompanied by the 12 year old Oloroso finished GLENROTHES. Normally, the Darkness releases are finished for around 6 months in their specialist casks but this amazing dram has been aged in ex-bourbon casks for the initial 15 years of life but ‘our’ Benrinnes 16 year old has had a full YEAR of finishing to take on the intense sherry characteristics from the Pedro Ximinez Casks. What makes Darkness so special in the whisky world? Well, their flagship bottling – Darkness 8 Year Old – has won HUGE accolades since launching in 2019, including Double Gold at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Gold Medals at the 2020 and 2021 World Whiskies Awards, and 96 points from the IWSC in 2021 and 2022…so imagine how good a 16 year old release (or a 12 for that matter) is? -
Sale!
As a special release, we are pleased to announce the Tasman Whisky and Wine Pack for a sensational price of $159, saving you $19. WHISKY + WINE! In a first for the Single Malt Whisky Club you get a rare chance to experience not only a sensational Tasmanian Whisky but also the fantastic Tassie Pinot Noir that seasoned the cask that the whisky was matured in. -
This release very special indeed – An EXCLUSIVE offering of exceptional whisky from Amber Lane for our whisky loving members The Amber Lane Distillery SMWC Edition. This incredible whisky was blended from 4 large casks (Amber Lane only use large format casks) – one a 30+ year old 250L Oloroso cask from Fernando de Castilla (a legendary Spanish bodega), a Spanish Pedro Ximenez, an Aussie Apera and a Heaven Hill Bourbon cask. They have all been marrying for around a month in the Spanish Oloroso cask before bought down to 50% for bottling. -
A Firkin fabulous 10 year old Speyside dram that is Firkin’s very first Dailuaine release ever – the Firkin 49 Dailuaine 2012! What a Firkin fabulous way to get 2023 underway than a 10 year old dram from a legend in the whisky business – Mike Colling’s Firkin brand. This is the Firkin Whisky Co’s first Dailuaine release and Mike was eager for the SMWC to premier it to the world! We are pretty proud to have been chosen by this whisky legend to premier a new dram from this master whisky-man!This is truly easy-dramming whisky. Light on the palate, yet full and round and fruity. Big on the palate but in no way overwhelming or hot – just perfect, in fact. This latest offering from Mike and his Firkin Whisky brand is very possibly the best Firkin I’ve tasted. And that’s no mean feat let me tell ya! “That’ll do Mr Collings…. that’ll Firkin do!" -
Snowy Mountains Whisky? Make way for a super small-batch, cask strength, independent bottling of one of Tasmania’s finest distilleries aged and bottled in the highest altitude of any whisky in Australia – The Snowy Mountain Spirits Tawny! Now Mark Newton is a man who enjoys doing things a little… differently. Not only does he independently age and bottle whisky in Australia’s highest location, he brings the new-make all the way from Tassie to do it. The Snowy Mountains Spirits Tawny was born in Tassie, at the Old Kempton Distillery in fact! For those members who don’t know, Old Kempton is a well-awarded small batch distillery located just north of Hobart. So how highly regarded is Old Kempton – well they took out ‘Best Australian Small Batch Single Malt’ at the World Whisky Awards in 2022, and have just won a silver this year!OUR TASTING NOTESNose: Lots of sweet spices up front for me – cloves, allspice and cinnamon over dried fruit and tinned apricot nectar. Palate: Lovely viscous mouthfeel (almost liqueur –like), and initial burst of pepper but all the big stewed fruit comes right through like a wave. Finish: Warm, chewy, lush and lingering. Coffee and dark chocolate, sweet spiced fruit mince and just a perfect cheek pinching citrus-like astringency. This is a small, and let’s face it, high priced package, but it won’t disappoint once you taste it. The ‘Tassie distillation - Snowy Mountain maturation’ makes it hard to put a flag on, but I do know it’s a fantastic example of a Tawny matured whisky. Nicely warming, big and round and sweet – but with a lovely dry back edge that makes you pour just one more dram. Ok, and maybe one more after that… -
WHISKY + WINE! In a first for the Single Malt Whisky Club you get a rare chance to experience not only a sensational Tasmanian Whisky but also the fantastic Tassie Pinot Noir that seasoned the cask that the whisky was matured in. So, get your set of glasses out, impress your friends and share the joy of both the Tasman Whisky Port Matured Pinot Finish Cask and the Iron House Vineyards 2018 Pinot Noir, all made on site on the East Coast of Tasmania. This whisky is absolutely superb! The Tasman Pinot Finish Cask was distilled in Iron House’s still in Tassie in August 2017. Initially matured in 100L Portuguese ex-port casks, then to further instil the ‘Iron House Touch’ those casks were disgorged into a 200l Iron House Vineyard French Oak ex-Pinot Noir cask to finish for 8 months…and its delightfully exclusive to The Single Malt Whisky Club! But this month, we are not content to offer ‘just’ an amazing whisky…no, this month we want you to taste the whisky AND we want to give you more than just a glimpse of ‘where it came from’. This month we give you the very rare chance to try the actual wine that seasoned the barrels that the whisky was made in! The Iron House Vineyards 2018 Pinot Noir is a superb example of ‘farm to bottle’ production. This wine is completely produced at Iron House – from growing the grapes to crushing, fermenting and ageing. Aged for around 12 months on the wood and then bottled and laid to mature until it’s ready to drink.A delicious whisky in it’s own right (with a seriously chewy finish) – but its made even more interesting when drammed side-by-side with a glass (or two) of the Iron House 2018 Pinot Noir that ‘seasoned’ it. The dark cherry notes and white pepper are – for me – especially notable as being common notes between the two. -
This is the very last expression ever of Spirit Thief’s independent bottlings…but what a whisky it is…a cask strength, double distilled, single cask finished in a French wine cask. The Spirit Thief Benrinnes Bordeaux Red-Wine Cask was double distilled at the Speyside Benrinnes Distillery in 2008. Bottled in 2019 it has spent 11 years in a first fill red-wine cask from Château Gruaud-Larose in the Bordaux region of France. Then bottled at a cask strength of 55.2% ABV with absolutely nothing added, and of course non-chill filtered. This is a superb example of wine cask maturation, hand selected from the Benrinnes bond-store by Tasmania’s own ‘wine-cask’ experts – Spirit Thief.OUR TASTING NOTESNose: Sweet nutty nougat with a citrus twist but there’s also a slightly salty-savoury note behind the sweetness. Palate: A big spice burst first up but a solid creaminess of mouthfeel becomes apparent as the pepper fades. Big sweet red fruits cut through and there’s also crystallised ginger and custardy notes in there too. Finish: Finish is long and constantly evolving – pepper morphs to sweet fruit morphs to dry tannins. -
IT’S A FIRKIN UNICORN! A 12 year old, Double Oaked Tawny Port matured, extremely rare Single Malt from the Scottish Highlands, finished with a bit of FIRKIN magic! Exclusive in Australia to the Single Malt Whisky Club and bottled at a perfect 48.9% for your drinking pleasure. This is FIRKIN great whisky! When whisky legend, Mike Collings (the guy that created Johnny Walker Blue and Green among many others), releases something new to the world – it’s wise to check it out. When he told me last year about an upcoming couple of his ‘double wood’ casks full of 2009 Teaninich I was all ears. Not only is any single malt bottling of Teaninich extremely rare (spirits giant Diageo uses most of it in their various blended whiskies), to get a bottling that’s been ‘touched’ by the Firkin magic is a bit of a unicorn. After a bit of too-ing and fro-ing – we managed to secure the entire Australian allotment of the aptly titled ‘Firkin Rare Teaninich 2009. A light, yet complex dram. A bit of a Firkin enigma, really. Dry and crisp, yet sweet and juicy. Fruity, yet malty. The 48.9% gives it sufficient kick, and avoids the heat. Nicely balanced all round! Nice one, Mr. Collings! -
A first for the SMWC – until now, we’ve never before offered a wine! That’s right – your WHISKY club is offering a non-distilled beverage as our Members Extra this month…and it isn’t even made from malt! But of course, this is not just any wine…It’s a very special Iron House Vineyards 2018 Pinot Noir, the very wine whose barrels were used to mature this months whisky in! This is a special opportunity to sample a perfectly matched pair from an absolutely brilliant distillery and vineyard! This Iron House Vineyards 2018 Pinot Noir is a superb example of ‘farm to bottle’ production. This wine is completely produced at Iron House - from growing the grapes to crushing, fermenting and ageing. Aged for around 12 months on the wood and then bottled and laid to mature until it’s ready to drink.OUR TASTING NOTESBouquet: Sweet cherries and plumbs and black berries with a backbone of mild tannins. There’s also a savoury quality floating around in the mix. Palate: Medium bodied with mild white pepper and more of those red fruits in spades. A little cola flavour too, in there somewhere. A nice balance between the dry oak notes, and sumptuous red and black fruits. Finish: Rich, long and satisfying. Chewy and mouth-watering with all those big fruits and berries washing over mild spice as it slowly fades into the occasion! This is a superb, rich and complex red that sits just as comfortable around Mum’s Sunday roast as it does a takeaway curry. It presents well strait after opening, but if you give it 10-15 minutes to breath after opening, you’ll notice a much fuller, rounder quality to this practically perfect Pinot. -
We asked one of Australia’s most popular ‘cult distillers’, renowned for limited edition releases and his dedication to craft distilling, for a ‘big’ whisky and something that showcased his style for our members and boy did he deliver – His very first Sherry Bomb – a 1st Fill Oloroso cask, bottled at a whopping Cask Strength 64.5% and its exclusively made for our members. Hold onto your hats and please welcome Craft Works Distillery’s ‘Some May Welcome Change’. A whisky dedicated to our little club (hint – look at the initials in the name!) and a new direction from Crafty – 1st fill Oloroso Sherry Matured whisky! His first bone-fide sherry bomb!OUR TASTING NOTESNose: For me it’s straight-up chocolate at first. But then some really difficult to pinpoint notes – some aniseed, some paprika and then just a smidge of nail polish remover is hiding there as well. Palate: At first it’s a rather dry mouthfeel. But it creeps around the inside of your cheeks with very little alcohol burn (surprisingly at this abv)… and then the fruit explodes! Plums, sultanas and mixed peel individually, then all stewed together with a real marzipan thing going on at the same time. Finish: Long and complex – so many flavours rolling around in there! The stewed fruit persists, but is overthrown by coffee and the aniseed makes a comeback just as the curtain start to draw closed. -
Another ‘Waratah Wonder’ – this time from the wonder-ful Mr. Martin Pye and his Riverbourne Distillery - The Riverbourne Identity #9, a Limited Edition, French and American Oak matured whisky with delicate citrus and floral notes. The Riverbourne Identity #9 was made from NSW grown ‘Compass’ barley fermented using three different yeasts. The wash was distilled at Riverbourne Distillery, then aged in Cask #108 - a shaved and re-charred French Oak barrel with American oak lids - before being cut to 48% with Molongo River water then bottled. There is only 220 bottles of this whisky magnificence. This is the 9th Edition of ‘The Riverbourne Identity’ and it’s a completely different whisky than our peated Corowa Malt of the Month from Barrelhouse 28.OUR TASTING NOTESNose: An initial marmalade hit on the nose, followed by fresh-cut grass, apples and pears strait off the tree and (despite Martins claims to the contrary) I do get a subtle leathery note. Palate: Wow – a real unexpected custard-y creaminess at first, but then a rich and sweet fruitiness takes over. The sweetness of the fruit provides a nice contrast to the overall dryness of the spirit. Finish: Finish is long and sweet. A big malty surprise comes out of the whisky in the final stages. Very milk arrowroot bisquit-y.