Well, not sure how much people know about Australian whisky, but the industry is mostly based in Tasmania (which has a cool climate, highland peat bogs, high quality soft water and plenty of excellent barley). There are a couple of bourbon producers on the mainland, but Tasmanian whiskies are made in the Scottish style and all nine distilleries focus on single malts. 20 years ago Bill Lark was the first person to make whisky in Tasmania, and IMO he still does it the best. Unlike the other distillers he owns his own peat lease, so has much greater control over the inputs. Lark's signature is that strong, sort of fruity peel note that may not appeal to everyone. They age in old French quarter-cask port barrels which gives them a pretty punchy flavour. Their main whisky - Lark Single Cask - has been very favourably received but personally I find it a bit washed out. My favourite is the Lark Cask Strength. The Nant is the only highland distillery in Tasmania (all the rest are at sea level). I'm skeptical whether altitude makes any difference, but they're a nice contrast to try. They are only about six years' old but their flagship single malt (aged in American Oak Bourbon Wood) is quite nice, with honey notes and a long finish. Again, I prefer the Cask Strength. They also play around with a few other different woods for ageing, but I haven't tried those. Sullivan's Cove Double Cask recently won a slew of awards as Australia's best single malt. I haven't tried it, but it's next on my list. It's unpeated and from discussions with friends, it has that rich fruity flavour with hints of dark chocolate. I'm not going to lie - in general, Australian whisky is a bit overpriced for what it is. Unfortunately a product of our high wages and the current unfavourable exchange rate. But it is worth trying if you are interested in something different. Within the last few years, Australian whiskies have come ahead in leaps and bounds - what used to be poorly received is now winning international awards. I think all three of the distilleries mentioned above have whiskies scoring >95 in Jim Murray's latest Whisky Bible. The industry is very young, and if the government can get its act together to support whisky-making in Tasmania the way it is supported in Scotland then I think there is a ton of potential for future growth.
Celebrated St. Patrick's actual alcoholiday spinning vinyl with friends and chilling with a bottle of this:
Tried it once and thought it was pretty good. Of course every time I've gone to the store and considered buying it I convinced myself for an extra $15-20 I could experiment with a single malt I've never tried.
Not aware of any fads but W.L. Weller unlike most bourbons uses wheat as opposed to rye. Like the Weller's. Pappy Van Winkle is the other wheat bourbon out there. Pappy was originally distilled by Stitzell-Weller folks prior to being sold off to Sazerac. Some of the older Weller expressions are the closest thing most folks will get to a Van Winkle bourbon shy of dropping an easy $1k+. That might be why it has been hyped more in some circles. I've had Pappy and it really is that good but for the money? Weller bourbons are a fraction of the cost, easier to find and pretty damn good.
But I heard something about a massive theft from the distillery and supplies are low so people are buying up all they can.
Haven't heard about that. Could make sense since they are only one of I believe two bourbon producers that use wheat instead of rye. Sounds like an interesting story.
Yeah, Weller is commonly known around here as poor mans Pappy. What's the story with the theft you eluded to in your previous post?
I don't know exactly. I asked the manager at the liquor store why they are always out. He told me they had a massive theft and, being, small batch, are having a hard time supplying. I've searched on line but can't find much. I saw one blurb about $20,000 worth, but it wasn't really clear.
Here's an article about the theft: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/reward-offered-after-theft-of-rare-pappy-van-winkle-bourbon/
since i had always thought bourbon was made with corn (maize) so i wiki'd it and sure enough it only has to be 51% corn, the rest being as you say. and the france wiki page has this photo:
Its risky to buy alcohol at Costco. I know the wine sold at Costco is constantly disappointing. Same brand and year at Costco doesn't taste the same as elsewhere. So beware. I would never buy an expensive bottle of whiskey there. It's not even something you could return since how the heck would you know if it doesn't taste as amazing as its supposed to? Anyway, I just came back from Breckenridge and visited a local distillery. This stuff is very smooth for the price ($39).
I got a bottle of Bernheim Wheat the other day. Quite nice, I'd like to make an Old Fashioned out of it, but it'll probably be gone before I bother.
Picked up a bottle of Rebel reserve which is a small batch wheat by the same folks that make Rebel Yell. I'll give that a taste tonight