Aussie Single Malt Whisky?

[Shunty]

This arrived in my inbox today;

SMITHS 7 Y.O. 1997 VINTAGE 40% SINGLE MALT

Heres something quite from left field an Australian single malt! However, knowing that Samuel Smith & Son, the name behind Yalumba is the distiller lends great respect for the product. The Smiths Angaston Whisky was the brainchild of the then Production Director, Peter Wall, who initiated the making of the malt. In 1996, the company distributed Glengoyne Single Matt Scotch Whisky and Coopers ales and stouts. Thus at hand was expertise on whisky distillation and brewers wort! The company obtained 18,000 litres of double strength malt extract from Coopers, made from Tasmanian Franklin barley, seeded with yeast from wash ale and stout. Following fermentation of the brew, the original 1931 pot still in the Angaston cellars was fired up and it went through using a combination of primary and double distillation techniques into head, hearts and tails fractions, of which the best were assembled. This was matured for seven years in a combination of French and American oak hogsheads.

Here is Yalumba stillman, David Zimmermans tasting note: The colour is deep golden amber naturally leached out of the oak hogsheads. Aromatic spirit characters are exemplified by sweet estery fruit with hints of cedar oil and nutty, spicy nuances. The palate is full and sweet with buttery chocolate and sherry flavours. The texture is rich and creamy. The finish is long with persistent toffee, honey flavours. This sounds extremely worthy of consideration by any self-respecting whisky enthusiast and it features in our July tasting of International Whiskies. (700 ml)


Anyone tried it yet? A little disturbed that it was made from extract

 

[devo]

no i haven't but this has caught my interest.

 

[///]

Anyone tried it yet? A little disturbed that it was made from extract

Dont let this get in your way, the esters, aging and distilation process have much more sway in the outcome.... must be running a pot still if double distilled .... where do we find out more?

Scotty

 

[tangent]

they still fire up that still once a month i heard.

 

[brettprevans]

A tasmanian company has been distilling whisky for awhile now. its bloody expensive. I havent tasted it but for the price I would personaly would be buying Lagavulin or laphroaig

but this would certainly be interesting. Although single malt of any good standard should be aged a lot more than 7 years. Whats the price?

 

[kirem]

have a look at bakery hill.

This is a great setup and looks to have a great future.

www.bakeryhilldistillery.com.au/

 

[Screwtop]

Thried this on May 5th at the D'Arenbergs Restaurant outside McLarenvale, not bad. Their selection of fine spirits was good, surprised they also had some 23 year old Ron Zacappa rum.

Now that is a drink, even knew how to serve it warmed in a brandy balloon. Mothers milk.

 

[Shunty]

A tasmanian company has been distilling whisky for awhile now. its bloody expensive. I havent tasted it but for the price I would personaly would be buying Lagavulin or laphroaig

but this would certainly be interesting. Although single malt of any good standard should be aged a lot more than 7 years. Whats the price?

was about $110 NZ pesos.

From the description, comparing it to Laphroaig or Lagavulin is chalk and cheese. I'm a big fan of islay singles, but something a little less agressive is nice once in a while

 

[pint of lager]

Excise is a killer for projects like this.

On a 700ml bottle of 37.5% alcohol, the excise is about $18. Then the distiller has to factor in his labour and costs. Makes a crafted bottle very expensive.

 

[Tyred]

Nice to see they're still making it tho. I found this quite a few years ago. Never got around to purchasing any due to the cost and my (reasonable ?) fear that aussie post would break it in transit.

 

[///]

Excise is a killer for projects like this.

On a 700ml bottle of 37.5% alcohol, the excise is about $18. Then the distiller has to factor in his labour and costs. Makes a crafted bottle very expensive.

The cost of infrastructure during the initial aging process is a killer as well, barrells dont come cheap and the 7 year wait till you can sell something would just be a world of pain.

Do items such as whiskey and bourbon have appelation parameters applied?

 

[DJR]

Do items such as whiskey and bourbon have appelation parameters applied?

Bourbon yes, scotch whisky yes, just whisk(e)y, no.

That's why the Japanese just call it Malt Whisky (and they do a pretty good job of it too)

Not sure that i'd buy an Aussie example when a 75cl bottle of 43% Laphroaig can be had for $80 - most of the Aussie ones i've seen go for that price just for a 50cl bottle, and have nowhere near the intensity. Seems to be a tourist/cottage market.

 

[Wasabi]

http://www.larkdistillery.com.au/

That's one of the single malt distilleries in Tassy, based in Hobart.

 

[///]

Bourbon yes, scotch whisky yes, just whisk(e)y, no.

That's why the Japanese just call it Malt Whisky (and they do a pretty good job of it too)

Simon who ismy MASTER brewer and food label guru blurted something about it (It was after a Gonzo Oack Imperial Porter from Flying Dog after all) but Google returned nothing...

Scotty

 

[bigholty]

There's a bloke on Kangaroo Island who I think is related to the Lark from Tassie and I hear is doing some distillation on KI. Not sure if a malt liquor is in the pipeline or not though. Imagine investing lots of time and money in something that won't show a cent of return for nearly a decade! My hat comes off......

 

[paul]

Ive been to the distillery in Hobart in Tassie about 5 years ago. The tour of the place is worth doing. The scotch was ok but too expensive for me to buy a bottle as I mix it with Coke. Ive since been educated and will drink it with ice and water.

If your a keen scotch drinker or if you just like drinking free piss go to johnniewalker.com.au and register for the journey of taste. Its a JW black label promo night where they teach you how its made and blended and you get to try 4 lovely single malts and get half charged all for free.

 

[///]

If your a keen scotch drinker or if you just like drinking free piss go to johnniewalker.com.au and register for the journey of taste. Its a JW black label promo night where they teach you how its made and blended and you get to try 4 lovely single malts and get half charged all for free.

Yes, been to one, learnt stuff but I would recomend NOT doing tequila slammers afterwards! Was good from (blurry) memory though...

Scotty

 

[tangent]

i went to 2 of those JW Black nights
Most people there were suits straight from work and seemed to think being arseholes to the waitresses would make them look/feel good. My brother and I were polite and ended up with 2 glasses each continually topped up the entire time
After that we decided to hit the JDs instead. Not a big fan of JW, must be the iodine. Can't stand Talisker but loved Carduh (sp?)

 

[brettprevans]

Tangent - Cardhu 12 yr old.

The JW nights are a great way to introduce people to whisky. All the ones for tasting belong to the JW stable but vary quite a bit in taste.

at the risk of being called an anal snob,
scotch is from scotland and short for scotish whisky, nowhere else.
whiskey is irish
whisky is the spelling from canada, japan and a few other places.

I have a very large whisky/whiskey, bourbon collection. And I prefer all of them 'neat' that is, straight. no ice no water. Some whiskey/whiskies are supposedly meant to have a drop or 2 or water, but from experiance, its wanky promoters trying to water it down to make it more 'palatable' for the general public. Which I dont have a probelm with because each to their own.


anyway thats the end of my ramblings on the subject.

 

[Screwtop]

Ive been to the distillery in Hobart in Tassie about 5 years ago. The tour of the place is worth doing. The scotch was ok but too expensive for me to buy a bottle as I mix it with Coke. Ive since been educated and will drink it with ice and water.

If your a keen scotch drinker or if you just like drinking free piss go to johnniewalker.com.au and register for the journey of taste. Its a JW black label promo night where they teach you how its made and blended and you get to try 4 lovely single malts and get half charged all for free.

Visited there a few years ago, bought the shirt, whiskey was awful.