Amber Lane Equinox

Nose: Restrained sherry, butter, toffee, maple fudge, resinous oak, gentle spices (nutmeg, clove). Reduction brings out an orange zest note. Palate: Sweet and rounded entry with lots of malt extract and some molasses. There is not a lot of development but some mild wood spices do come forward together with dried fruits and a little vanilla. Adding a dash of water develops some delightful orange marmalade flavours. Finish: Medium: Toffee and mild spice. There is a slight metallic note in the finish but it fades leaving a spritzy sweet aftertaste. Amber Lane distillery has been producing whisky on the NSW mid-coast for just over two years now. Their initial releases were, as is often the case in Australia, intense and boisterous young whiskies dripping with saturated sherry cask influence. Sometimes this “cram in as much intensity as possible” approach works, and they certainly made a good impression with their first bottlings, but it can also backfire and create a monstrous dram that lacks nuance. I bought some of their initial releases but soon lost interest, however I was a subscription “friend” of the distillery until late 2023 when the membership system changed to be a more expensive scheme that did not interest me. I cancelled the membership and received a store credit which I used to buy a bottle of this Equinox release. This is a more relaxed and much easier to drink dram than their earlier releases, and the balance between sherry cask and ex-bourbon cask maturation is good. It is also the most affordable whisky they have released and it feels more assured overall, if still a bit young. I’m not sure that I’d buy it again, given the other options in this price bracket, but it is worth the money. It’s good … not great, but good. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)