Sullivans Cove Single Cask (Bourbon Maturation)

 So for this next post, I've finally got our Whisky Society (The Westside Whisky Society), into this and have been gifted a post from Tom.  He can be found <HERE> on twitter.  Hopefully there will be further posts from all our members.  I will be collaborating further to include local places, and far off spaces, more bottle reviews and who knows what else.  We'll see as the blog comes together further.  Keep an eye on our page and we'll keep you updated.


Sullivans Cove Bourbon Maturation
Single Malt (Single Cask) - Barrel No. HH0602, Bottle No. 152 of 222. Barrelled Feb 21 2001; Bottled Sept 10 2009 (8 years old)
60% ABV
www.sullivanscovewhisky.com

On a recent trip to Calgary, I paid a visit to Kensington Wine Market and found this Australian whisky, which I had heard so much about and have always wanted to try. Sullivans Cove is the brand of whiskies produced by the Tasmania Distillery, which was founded at Sullivans Cove in 1994. Their whiskies (which also include a port maturation single cask and a bourbon & port maturation double cask) have been winning a lot of awards - this particular expression won the 12 Years & Under sub-category in the Best Rest Of The World Single Malt category at the 2011 World Whiskies Awards. Unfortunately, I don’t believe any Tasmania Distillery whiskies are available at the LCBO. The bottle comes with a page of literature describing the history of the distillery and the awards and characteristics of their whiskies. It is non-coloured and non-chill-filtered.

I poured it for our whisky society and I think, of all of us, I was the one who liked it the least. Its colour is pale gold with yellow highlights; the legs are very small and still, as befits a 60%er.
The nose hits you with paint thinner, strong robust malt, tropical fruits such as papaya and under-ripe banana, some mint and oregano, dry hay, a very light caramel and a hint of smoke (although the malt is unpeated). Very complex nose but also a little bit all over the place. One would expect a little water to tame the alcohol - but clearly, I didn’t pour enough.

We are brought back to that chemical taste when we drink, hinted at by the paint thinner on the nose, coming off of that wave of alcohol. Lots of malt in the mouth here, and has a decidedly fermented flavour to it, which I find a little off-putting (but others may not). There is some caramel but it’s overpowered by that feinty alcohol note. Water gives it a little creamier mouthfeel and brings out some of those tropical fruit elements. Much like the nose, the palate is also very complex but all the elements seems to fight with each other. A few drops of water certainly help balance things out

The finish is not overpowering, and sits for quite some time, sweet and sharp. This is a fascinating whisky, with a lot going on, but the entire things seems rather off-balance. It feels rough, young, fresh, exciting and wild (aren’t those typical Australian characteristics, generally speaking?), and as I continue nosing and tasting, I find it never ceases to be interesting - yet also almost tiring as there is so much clashing together. It’s like a frenemy who, though entertaining and interesting, also gets a little annoying after awhile. Jim Murray echoes this sentiment in the 2012 Whisky Bible; he reviews the same cask, rating it an 81. He suggests placing the glass in hot water for five minutes to burn off the higher alcohols, and rates that five or six points higher...interesting. Maybe I’ll try that. Or maybe I won’t bother. I’m lazy. But anyway, love it or hate it, it’s a Tasmanian devil.