Great Southern Distillery Limeburners Cask M71

I was recently contacted by a Connosr member (Whiskybaz) here in Perth about one of my favorite distilleries, The Great Southern Distillery (I just call them Limeburners for short as that's their flagship spirit). He informed me that there was to be a free whisky tasting at a restaurant in the area on Wednesday night.

I knew I had to get in on this!

So I called a few of my customers who I know are big whisky fans, thinking they'd like to get in on some free whisky samples.

They all said "Great! We'll be there!"

So once work ends on Wednesday night I've got a taxi waiting for me at the front of the store, I hope in and away we go!

It's going to be a weird night though, I know it will be since my wife won't be able to make this tasting and I ALWAYS try new whiskies with her. Maybe I'm a wee bit weird (ok I know I'm more then a wee bit weird, but you get my point) for missing my wife on this activity that we do together.

But I have her blessing and she informs me that I better enjoy myself.

Or else.

I didn't ask her what the "or else" would be as I'm just not that brave.

I get to the restaurant after a wee bit of hunting for it by the taxi driver and myself and head in.

Busy!

A few people are pouring whisky and everyone is running around like there is a million things to be done and they should have all been done yesterday.

Not quite sure where I'm supposed to sit as I know there is a reserved table for me.

Finally I spot a gentleman who looks like he might be able to help me as I see he's pouring whisky for people and seems to look like he knows what he's doing.

"Excuse me?"

"Hello Squidgyash!"

HOLY CRAP!?! How does he know my name?!?!?!

I ask him that.

He laughs and informs me that he's Whiskybaz (I had told him what I would be wearing so no Whiskybaz is NOT psychic.)

Whew! That was a close one!

I finally get seated and Whiskybaz brings me some whisky samples to play with and we chat for a few minutes before the party gets started.

Very cool guy!

So I'm going to be trying four different expressions from Limeburners, a basic one, a cask strength, a liqeur and their take on a sour mash bourbon style whisky.

Yum!

I decide to start myself off with the M71 which is the basic expression up for tasting tonight and thankfully one of their expressions that I've never tried.

I did say I was a fan.

I notice quickly that I'm standing out just a wee bit, mainly with my work shirt (I sell beer and our company is quite well known as am I I find out later on) and the fact that I've brought glencairns.

Hey I've been to some of these where the whisky is served in a tumbler and we know that's no good right?!

I nose the glencairn with the M71 in it and Yep! That's a Limeburners whisky. I'd recognize that nose anywhere.

I am a fan.

The nose is sweet with citrus, cinnamon, vanilla, honey and some spices I can't readily identify.

Quite nice and very typical Limeburners.

At this point people start coming up to introduce themselves to me. Asking if I'd be willing to do a beer tasting at the restaurant, how they'd heard about my whisky obsession from friends, how I'd referred them to this beer and that beer and oh god how good was this other beer.

Holy cow Batman!! I don't recognize a single person! How does anyone know me!?

It's to the point where I'm starting to get just a wee bit irritated as I'd just like to sit down and enjoy the whisky, but everyone is being very friendly and I don't want to be rude.

So I make polite chit chat, talk beer, talk whisky and gaze forlornly at my whiskies.

Finally I'm able to sit down again and try my whiskies!

Sigh.

God I love Limeburners, they're definitely not the world's most complicated whisky, but there's something almost homey for me about them.

Vanilla, cinnamon, sultanas and raisons and just the tiniest bit of honey.

Not bad, not bad at all.

This whisky ends with a short finish with vanilla leading the charge chased along by spices that trail behind.

An enjoyable whisky from Limeburners, but definitely not my preferred one.

At $130 AUS a bottle I don't think I'd buy a bottle of this expression, but it's definitely not one that I'd turn away.

Or maybe I would buy a bottle, but it wouldn't be my first choice. It's just not up there with my favorites, M31 and M66, but like I said, not bad at all.

But I digress! There is more to come!!!!