We had a lot of whiskies over the past two days at the Sydney World of Whisky Whisky Show. We didn’t get to taste everything of course but we did manage to put together a short list of our favourite whiskies.
Berry’s Clynelish 17 Yo Cask Ref 4050
Just simply a textbook Clynelish, right away there is the signature waxiness on the nose, a delightful floral note to go with the bright citrus element. The fruitiness on the palate is well presented, with the oak influence coming in cleanly. I have tasted a few of these independently bottled Clynelish at around this 17 Yo age mark lately and they are all delicious, this one is no exception.
Starward Limited Release for Vintage Cellars Pedro Ximinez Sherry Cask #2
I have not tried the first release yet but my first impression of Batch 2 is positive. Muscovado sugar, apple crumble, strawberry preserve…. just all around jammy goodness with a good dose of tannins to dial it back towards the backend. Not a bad PX cask at all. Esmond wrote a review a while back on the first release, here’s the link.
BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 1
I first tasted this a couple of months ago and right as I was nosing it I knew it’s something magical. You can read my thoughts on the BenRiach Cask Strength Batch 1 here.
It has a rich sweetness that’s most satisfying, mellow for a cask strength. It seems like BenRiach put in a lot of work into making the Batch 1 something extraordinary.
It was not surprising that all our friends seem to think this was the pick of the show… and that’s before we found out it costs only $118 at the show. I am calling it now, this is the bargain of the year.
– NL & EC
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