Category: Fleurieu

Dram Review: Fleurieu Selected by Whisky & Alement

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[50.1%・3 Years Old・Distilled in 2016・Bottled in 2019・Official Bottling Selected by Whisky & Alement・Single Cask Release of 150 Bottles]

Nose:

Honestly faring quite young and very spirit driven, with mowed grass and minerals as well as the heavier oily toffee note from the distillate and the dried grapes, poached fruits, dried twigs and floral aromas from the Tawny Port cask.

Palate & Finish:

Fairly sweet with a delivery of thinned out Manuka honey with a hint of charred salt, notes of distillate still very much intact as the barley sweetness continues to ooze out. Some dehydrated blueberries and blackberries in the background.

More of that sweetness in the finish, golden honey poured over dried fruits and cereals with splashes of herbs.

Thoughts:

This is perhaps one of the youngest Fleurieu expressions I have sampled and it shows, flavours do not integrate as coherently like many of the official releases.

However, I must say the Whisky & Alement team has managed to curate quite an interesting profile spun out of the deep-rooted DNA of the Fleurieu spirit, which is something I want to see as the distillery continues to grow.


-Nicholas

Dram Review: Fleurieu River’s End

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[53.0%・NAS・Bottled in 2018・Official Bottling・Limited Release of 200 Bottles]

Nose:

Starts off with a robust oomph of raisins and dark chocolate, maraschino cherries leading a spike of sugary acidity with the roasted barley brushed with some fennel seed oil taking a backseat. After some time, the fruits begin to soften and unfold, more buttery toffee sauce being drizzled atop the cereal and the dram develops a lovely musk of dark fruits and vanilla.

Palate & Finish:

The luscious juiciness of Port led dark fruits bursts through, but the characters of the spirit remain intact, layers of barley and toffee being smoothened over to convey a silky satisfying sweetness. Wee hints of ginger cured dark fruits with the oak subtly drawing more attention to the malt.

A clean and delicious aftertaste of malty goodness, toasted chocolate flavoured granola.

Thoughts:

In my view Fleurieu whiskies are all about the malt, but here the gooey dark fruits from Seppeltsfield Port truly elevated the dram.

☆ [Recommended]

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Andrews for the dram, it’s much appreciated.

-Nicholas

Dram Review: Fleurieu Atlantic Crossing

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[52.0%・NAS・Bottled in 2018・Official Bottling・Limited Release of 800 Bottles]

Nose:

A lavish display of raisins and toffee with hints of sooty and ashy notes but also quite spirit driven, stupendously malty and nutty, slightly metallic with notes of ginger flower and lemongrass followed by a buttery wave.

Palate & Finish:

Toffee and raisins boosting an instantaneous condensed sweetness, lemon marmalade and semi-dried late harvest grapes before an ashy earthiness hits, carrying hearty barley sugar and Vienna almonds.

Long buttery and malty extension with some sooty notes.

Thoughts:

A wholesome and impressive whisky.

A meticulous execution by the Fleurieu team to fulfil the vision and philosophy of the distillery, the dram remains beautifully malt driven even with the heavily seasoned casks.

The Fleurieu identity is again so remarkably entrenched in this whisky, I believe it will become an endearing signature of the distillery in years to come.

☆ [Recommended]

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Andrews for the dram, it’s much appreciated.

-Nicholas

Dram Review: Fleurieu A Heart of Gold

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[54.1%・4 Years Old・Bottled in 2018・Official Bottling・Single Cask Release of 140 Bottles]

Nose:

The richness is quite reassuring, honey, toffee, vanilla nougat with a splash of anise.  Lemon marmalade and buttery salted caramel folded together.  More vanilla coming through, marshmallow with some wild flowers from the background.

Palate & Finish:

A virtually seamless transition from nose to palate with a thick, gooey mouthful of buttery toffee, sweet cream and lemon marmalade swirling together which brings out the inherently natural malty barley.  The citrus is shy at first but the raisins and sultana slowly blossom away, some minerals are added on the back end.

A gentler finish with golden honey drizzling atop of a chewy, nutty aftertaste..

Thoughts:

I suppose Mr. and Mrs. Andrew’s philosophy is really quite simple, to highlight the malt in malt whiskies..

In that sense, I must congratulate them in achieving what they have set out to do.. the Heart of Gold is quite an authentic dram simply celebrating good old barley sweetness.

✓ [Recommended if you like the style/ distillery]

Thank you Gareth and Angela for sharing the dram, it’s much appreciated!

-Nicholas

Dram Review: Fleurieu First Release

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[52.0%・NAS・Bottled in 2016・Official Bottling・Limited Release of 600 Bottles]

Nose:

An aged soy sauce note, rather umami.  Though there are shades of new make through out there is also the aged sherry influence giving off some dark vibes, meaty and rich with toffee.  It’s very indulgent for a young Australian whisky with a fascinating hint of coal smoke coming through on the back end.

Palate & Finish:

A syrupy and sticky affair, toffee sauce runs alongside molten caramel, a base of café au lait is sharpened by some bright dried fruits, lifting the delivery and giving a second wave of poached fruit sweetness.

The raisins steadily glide on, with a soft tree gum note.  A decent woodiness draws the charming proceedings to a close.

Thoughts:

For a first release, this is really quite something.

Sound profile and execution, this feels like a release from an Australian distillery with many years under its belt.

Gareth, just keep releasing quality whiskies and the distillery’s reputation will build itself. No marketing needed.

✓ [Recommended if you like the style/distillery]

–Nicholas

Dram Review: Fleurieu Whisky Kisses

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[55.0%・NAS・Bottled in 2017・Official Bottling・Limited Release of 600 Bottles]

Nose:

The nose is heavily influenced by the musky Sherry casks, muscat grapes with a rather big Chinese herbal tone that leaves quite an impression.  The earthiness and coal smoke form the structure, though that does go well with the molasses and toffee treacle; together with the Christmas cake notes the thickness is well conveyed.

Palate & Finish:

Chocolate sauce poured atop of Muscat grapes, the Sherry grips on to the tastebuds with a gorgeous acidity from the dried grapes and seasoned sour plums.  An excellent mouthfeel with sticky cranberries and cinnamon spices, just a bit of coffee ground and smoke from the mid palate onwards.

Grape and menthol jelly with the toffee and Ovaltine oozing out, there is a slight hint of burnt toast in there as well.

Thoughts:

Mr. Andrews’ third release is once again refined beyond its age and its provenience despite the herbal characters on the nose which could use some fine tuning.  There appear to be a clear identity in place with their releases and I am already looking forward to what’s to come next.

✓

-Nicholas