This rich, robust whisky was matured for 2½ years in small French oak tawny casks of South Australian origin.A winter warmer, this full flavoured whisky was double distilled and is non-chill filtered to retain depth of character. Colour Deep amber.Nose Appealing fragrant aromas of tawny port, fruit and oak.Taste Complex sweet tawny-influenced flavours of dried fruit, Christmas pudding and spice.Finish A long, smooth finish.The Distillery at Hangar 17Launceston Distillery produce hand-crafted, small-batch whisky. Using traditional techniques and craftsmanship, head distiller Chris Condon uses Tasmanian malted barley and pure river water to produce the finest quality single malt whisky.From grain to bottle everything happens under the roof of Hangar 17, neighbouring Launceston Airport.

Matured in small French oak casks which previously held Apera fortified wine (Australian-style sherry).A full flavoured whisky with engaging fragrant aromas, double distilled and non-chill filtered to retain depth of character. Colour Rich copper.Nose An engaging fragrant aroma, with Apera influenced notes of dried fruit, spice and a hint of oak.Taste Presenting a soft mouthfeel and subtle flavours of dried fruit, cocoa and gentle spice.Finish A pleasant smooth, lingering finish.The Distillery at Hangar 17Launceston Distillery produce hand-crafted, small-batch whisky. Using traditional techniques and craftsmanship, head distiller Chris Condon uses Tasmanian malted barley and pure river water to produce the finest quality single malt whisky.From grain to bottle everything happens under the roof of Hangar 17, neighbouring Launceston Airport.

A much-loved single malt, Cardhu is an easy-going, charming Speysider. This has been aged for longer than the regular 12 year old expression, and the extra three years combine the distillery's characteristic orchard fruit, barley sugar malt and cake spices with richer tropical fruit and vanilla notes.

Rich and smokey with a hint of sweetness, Lagavulin 8YO Single Malt is loaded with peach, orange, lemon and black pepper characters. Crafted to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the founding of Lagavulin distillery, this fine drink is the perfect way to finish a meal.

Sherry and peat can be a challenging equation as the wine can almost cancel the peat. Some distilleries manage to get the balance right, creating a new and interesting take on much-loved classics (if your preference when drinking Laphroaig is to have it as coastal and earthy as possible, this may not be for you). The sherry oak finish isn't generally available in Australia, and we've only been able to secure a tiny volume. It has a higher ABV in its favour - the standard 10YO is just 40% - with Oloroso sherry casks in support. Apart from the expected smoke, seaweed and salt, you'll find notes of manuka honey, bacon and maple syrup. Probably lightly filtered, but it's not stated on the label. 48% Alc./Vol. Very limited stocks.

Rich raisins and preserved fruits are married with butterscotch, smooth charred oak and vanilla in this Australian Single Malt whisky. The whisky in this release was distilled and barrelled in the coastal town of Wollongong in 2016. It has been finished in oak casks that were seasoned with 15 year old Seppeltsfield Rare Muscat – an exclusive Australian fortified wine made from grapes in the Muscat Rouge à Petits Grains variety grown in the heartland of the Victorian wine region at Rutherglen. This complex, balanced Australian single malt whisky offers a grain to glass drinking experience, ready to be shared.

Tasting note: [20ml sample] Deep polished copper colour. Aromatically, a curious mix of roasted nuts, aniseed infused honey, ginger biscuit and a pantry full of sweet spices, in particular, vanilla, clove and cinnamon. Soft entry builds into a beautifully harmonised, light to middle-weight whisky offering delicate mince fruit pie flavours and gentle heat. Subtle vanilla and manuka honey aftertaste...Good wine vs whisky balance. More interesting with every sip. 40% Alc./Vol.

The Dalmore story began in 1839 with Alexander Matheson who lived in the Highlands of Northern Scotland. Matheson found the rich peat and pure water sources of the Highlands to be the makings of a perfect whisky. He built a distillery in the area and produced small batches until 1886, when the Mackenzie family acquired his operation. When a member of the Mackenzie family risked his own life to save Scotland’s ruler, King Alexander III, from a charging stag, the grateful king offered a token of his appreciation by bequeathing the stag to the Mackenzie family as a symbol of valor and courage. And more than 130 years later, the stag head still appears on every bottle of The Dalmore. Today, Dalmore distillery has ten stone warehouses and eight pot-stills, several which date back to the late 1800s. Much of the distillery burned down during World War I while occupied by the U.S. Navy, but production resumed in 1922. The production process is meticulous and includes double distillations in copper pot-stills and aging in white oak and sherry wood casks.

Cardhu Special Release 2022 The Hidden Paradise of Black Rock 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 58% ABV, Speyside Another stellar selection from Diageos 2022 Special Release, this Cardhu 16 Year Old has been finished in Jamaican rum casks for an innovative expression from this classic distillery. Light on its feet, lush and sweet while also lively and fresh, with a surprisingly spicy, peppery finish, making this an especially exotic apéritif malt.

Co-created by one of Scotland’s most awarded Master Distillers, Jim McEwan, together with Cape Byron Distillery Co-founder and distiller Eddie Brook are two new Australian takes on a classic Scottish single malt. Many readers will already know of Jim McEwan who has more than fifty years of experience in the whisky business, having worked at Bowmore for 38 years, before overseeing the rebirth of Bruichladdich and most recently helping to get new Islay distillery, Ardnahoe, off the ground. Two editions are on offer: A Chardonnay barrelled limited edition, and this, the Cape Byron 'Original', aged in Scotland's traditional vessel of choice: American oak x-Bourbon casks. Says Brook, “They go together like a match made in heaven. [The whisky is] not overly dominated by the oak, it’s letting the spirit sing, and we’re seeing this marriage.” What partly accounts for the distinctive style is that the pair have resisted the temptation to use smaller barrels to ‘accelerate’ the ageing process. It's the opposite approach of most Australian distillers. “...We’ve got this climate that gives us faster maturation. Now that’s great, but it can also get too much, you can get too much tannin and then over-oaking in your whisky, ” Brook explains. "To avoid this, we only mature in full format barrels, between 200 to 300 litres in size". Specially designed warehousing facilities further offset Byron’s temperature extremes. According to McEwan, another factor is the distillery's proximity to the coast. “Walk down the barrel room... you’re getting that marine character and influence coming through" he says. "That moisture is falling on the oak staves, and slowly but surely, there’ll be a residue of salt and eventually as the whisky moves in and out, as the temperature increases, the alcohol will expand and it will touch the salt, and pull it back, and that brings a unique marine freshness to the spirit – quite different from anything else...” No surprise that McEwan reckons fans of Bruichladdich might taste some similarities in the Cape Byron spirit. “They’re not dissimilar. There’s no peat, [Eddie’s] using American oak, I used a lot of American oak Bourbon casks as well. I’ve used wine casks – and you’ve got all the wine casks there. There’s a similarity there between what I was doing in Islay and what Eddie’s doing here." As for the taste? Can't say there are many like this - either here or abroad - but you can appreciate why McEwen draws comparisons with Bruichladdich. Cape Byron's Original is a creamy, near voluptuous malt that defies its age. Peaches and cream come through with sweet barley and shortbread on the nose. The co-mingling of dried mango and juicy malt with the Bourbon vanilla aspects is nicely done, and there's a spicy edge adding vibrancy. At the finish, more peaches and cream, dried mango and a little grilled pineapple, pepper and coastal freshness develop. It's a whisky less about overt complexity, all about generous mouthfeel and precocious flavour. No doubt that equation will change over time. Right now, the creative forces behind the project have guaranteed one of the more compelling Aussie releases in recent years. Matured for three years in 200 litre ex-Buffalo Trace Bourbon casks. 47% Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered. Batch 001 tasted. Notes from the producers... The colour of a Byron Bay sunset. The palate offers soft vanilla, creme brulee and biscotti characters, layered over distinct notes of pear, coconut and buttery macadamia.