36 South Double Grain Whisky

Nose: Balsa wood, pencil shavings, eucalyptus, menthol, red wine, a little vanilla. It has a very fresh character but with time in the glass the nose broadens a little with honey coming forward. You can sense the blandness of grain alcohol in this nose but it’s not objectionable. Palate: Very soft, light entry with the pencil shavings and fresh-sawn wood that were apparent on the nose once again on stage. There is hardly any development apart from some shy grape flavours and a honeyed note, but there is also an allusive almost-but-not-quite smoky hint in the background. The texture is silky and very pleasant. Finish: Short. Mild, fresh wood and grape flavours that fade rapidly into neutral alcohol. This is a recent product from the Morris Distillery located in Rutherglen, Victoria. Morris of Rutherglen has been producing very good wines since 1859 and their fortified wines are particularly popular. They started making whisky in 2015 and brought their first product to market two years later. To date they have concentrated on malt whisky and this is their first foray into the blended whisky arena. It is a mix of their malt whisky and a grain whisky made from wheat, but I can’t ascertain whether the grain whisky component is made in-house in their hybrid pot still or if it is a sourced column-still spirit. There is a raw, youthful neutrality to this whisky that makes me think the grain spirit might come from the Manildra industrial distillery in NSW, but I can’t confirm that. If I’m wrong and Morris is making the grain whisky themselves then, well honestly, they should be able to do better. This is also a highly cask-led whisky as everything about the nose suggests a lightly steamed and toasted red-wine cask, and the palate likewise has the flavour of a light red wine layered over young and frankly characterless whisky. Technically it is a clean and faultlessly made whisky that is amazingly easy to drink. It also improves noticeably with some time to rest in the glass but the bottom line is that it lacks character and is not really a whisky that rewards sipping and quiet reflection. It’s probably best used as a mixer but at the price it is competing directly against blends like Monkey Shoulder that offer a lot more. I wish I could be more supportive of a new Aussie product but it’s just nothing special. I don't see myself buying another bottle and neither can I bring myself to describe it as more than average. “Average” : 79/100 (2.79 stars)