This review is of bottle 86/124 of the Heartwood ‘Convict Unchained’ batch 1. For the full spiel on the Australian independent bottler, see my earlier review of another Heartwood product; ‘Release the…

16yo Ben Nevis aged in a refill Sherry butt. “Tantalisingly sweet & savoury” @55.1% ABV and 1/562 bottles. To smell: Turkish Delight, polished timber floors, chocolate-malt for sure. Finding the sweet…

This is bottle number 517 of 1255, double cask number DC57 from barrel numbers HH149, HH331, HH417, and HH467. A combination of American and European oak casks bottled at 40% ABV. To smell: slightly…

Cask strength, non-chill filtered, no caramel added Ardbeg. I feel like I could wrap up the review here...7yo Ardbeg aged in a 1st fill ex-sherry butt. “An Engineer’s Lunch-Box” @59.7% ABV and 1/602…

10yo Ardmore aged in a refill ex sherry butt. “Milano Salami and a Tropical Fruit Kebab” @58.2% ABV and 1/702 bottles. Incredibly dark, looks like it could have spent 20 years in a first fill sherry cask…

This review is of bottle 126/259 of the Heartwood ‘Release the Beast’ batch 1. Heartwood is an independent bottler of Tasmanian whisky, with over 10,000 litres of the good stuff attempting to hit its…

Seems an appropriate time to back-track to where the malt addiction started.To smell; that trademark Highland Park sweet heather honey, nestled behind is a gorgeous light smoke. Water adds some grassy…

To smell; Deep, dark, thick and dried fruits; Musty Cherry, plum, fig. Thick and syrupy nose. Feels like you’re in the warehouse with the maturing whisky.Evolves at its own pace; cinnamon, nutmeg, cho…

To smell; a medicinal smoke to start; bursts of antiseptic, lashings of band-aids, sprinkle on a little pepper. Mixing in with the smoke rather than distinguishing itself is salted cashews(these tend to…

15yo Highland Park aged in a refill sherry gorda. “Gunpowder, Treason & Plot” @57% ABV and 1/804 bottles. To smell: different shades of butterscotch, dark brooding caramel, and maple syrup, all with…