2009 Southern Coast Distillers 7 Year Old French Oak Port Cask #14 Single Malt Australian Whisky (700ml) - Bottled for The Odd Whisky Coy

An ultra limited offering drawn from a single barrel selected by noted whisky importer, Graham Wright. Regular readers will remember Southern Coast Distillers and some of the outstanding early rums and whiskies they produced. The short-lived venture came to an abrupt end in 2012 after a seven year stint. Official reports have it that this barrel is "amongst the last" with suggestions that the remaining barrels may not even be released in Australia. Wright first sampled the whisky at natural strength but found the profile too fiery, opting instead for a 50% ABV bottling. The result is seriously good whisky from what is (or was) arguably Australia's first cult distillery. We have a tiny allocation on offer.

Tasting note: Deep polished copper penny colour. First sniffs detect thick scents of walnut fudge, boiled confectionary and dates; brief aeration turns the aromas rum-like with notes of maple syrup, buckwheat pancake and finally, bitter cocoa. Viscous entry leads into a faintly bittersweet attack; more like Armagnac now, with flavours of dates, fig tart, bitter dark chocolate and late creamy sugars evoking caramel and sticky date pudding. Like tasting three spirits in one. Fabulous young malt. 50% Alc./Vol.