Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky

Update – August 28th 2024, a re-tasting based on Batch #7 All the comments and praise I have previously given can be reaffirmed, but in addition this batch I’m tasting has more classic rye notes (caraway and other seeds, black bread, etc.). The distillery has, however, retained the softness of the earlier batches and built upon that foundation to take the whisky up a step. Well done. I’m not the biggest fan of Archie Rose. I think their current cheaper range of spirits smells of marketing rather than dedication to quality, particularly since they opened the new distillery, however to give them their due they sometimes hit the ball right out of the park, and they have certainly done that here. Please note – this re-taste is based on a Batch #7 bottle (bottle 1254/1973 to be exact) that I bought in 2021 but have just opened. The mash bill is stated on it as simply “rye malt” whereas earlier batches stated “rye malt/pale malt” indicating barley presence. I have no idea what batch they are up to now and what the current mashbill comprises. This batch was also distilled at the old distillery. Oh, and the current price is the same as it was 3 years ago, so yeah - good job lads! Rating unchanged: "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars) -------------------------------------------------- Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 2), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 17 January 2020, Whisky #2 Nose: Sweet and light initially with perfumed herbal and honeyed apricot notes. It quickly gains depth and fresh oak, banana bread, very light vanilla/caramel and mild caraway and anise aromas develop. The dry glass is extremely faint, with just a ghost of toffee remaining. This is more like a good sherried Speyside nose than a rye. Palate: Soft and sweet with mild baking spice in the arrival. Cinnamon and ginger but not the hot varieties. There is no heat intensity at all, but a faintly spritzty quality, as of very mild bright spice or near-sherbety citrus as it develops. Vanilla, caramel, mixed dried fruit with citrus peel and cherries. The texture is like a soft cosy blanket. This is an excellent palate. Finish: Medium. Caraway and dill seed, a hint of brine that fades into a semi-sweet aftertaste. I've made a new "generic" listing for this whisky as although Archie Rose is releasing it in small batches it is a core product and all the batches are effectively the same (I've tasted the 1st batch previously and now the 4th this evening and there is no identifiable difference). However what certainly is different is the nature of this very interesting whisky. I recall being shocked when I first tasted it and it had the same effect tonight. Unless you have access to some very unusual whiskies I can guarantee that this is unlike any rye you have tasted before. It is like a mix of 3/4 crisp, clean, sherried scotch and 1/4 soft bourbon, with just a hint of rye. It has virtually no prickle, sharpness or spice but it is far from bland. It's a sweetly elegant rye with no bombast and it is bottled at moderate abv. The mashbill is a secret but the creamy, honeyed tones it displays are not due to minimal rye content, but rather the fact that they use malted rye instead of an unmalted rye mash. This is effectively a single malt whisky made with a mixture of Australian La Trobe barley and lightly kilned German rye, and it's absolutely delicious. I'd go so far as to say it is one of the best Aussie whiskies I've tasted and considering the reasonable price I'd highly recommend it. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)

The Sydney Sandstone is the common name for the Sydney Basin Hawkesbury Sandstone… one particular variety is historically, locally, known as ‘yellow gold’. I find it particularly fitting that the team at Archie Rose in Sydney have produced a liquid gold from what I assume is locally drawn water that in all likelihood would have filtered (at some point) through the Hawkesbury Sandstone. Yellow gold makes liquid gold. For all you geology fans out there, the rock pictured here is Hawkesbury Sandstone, famous as a landform defining, building creating, natural work of art stretching back in time some 247 million years to the ancient rivers that deposited it. I don’t know what effect the geology has on the Archie Rose water source but these rocks are porous natural filters with small amounts of iron carbonate and clays, that surely must impart something of note to what is considered one of the best rye whisky’s in the world. N: Apricot, vanilla, oakiness, a little honey. There is a brilliant herbal spice note through everything, I’m torn between fennel and thyme to put my finger on it. It does have a strong almost menthol or peppermint quality to the way it fills and clears the sinuses. P: Star anise, soft cinnamon and ginger with lashings of butter and creamy peaches. Both bright and refreshing whilst also warming and deep. Desert like vanilla custard. F: Long and delicately balanced with ginger and star anise, a walnut like oiliness. Sweet desert palate dries out to a fruity almost perfumed final note. The more whisky I try the more I find myself wanting to discover nuance, uniqueness and impactful bottles that offer a story or allow deep contemplation of the world; as wanky as that may be. I’ve also found that whisky awards, accolades and the endless opinions that describe a whisky as ’smooth’ or worse still ‘smoooooooth’ are just not to be trusted and are possibly just full of BS. I don’t know a lot about rye, I think I can count on one hand with fingers to spare the ryes I have tried, but my word this is something special. The list of ‘worlds best’ is almost ridiculous but this IS probably, deserving of the highest praise. Here is a whisky that was truly unexpected. It has a depth of character that is remarkable, nuanced and delicate; yet deep, thick, and seriously moreish. I am not contemplating the depths of deep time or the worlds greatest mysteries, but I am wondering why this is not impossible to get a hold of, and how it only costs $120 for what is probably the best rye whisky in the world. For what ever this mere amateurs opinion is worth; go out and find this to try. Archi Rose Malted Rye is anything but ‘smooooooooth’ but it is an awesome winning powerhouse that has to be tasted. Batch No. 13 Bottle 1148/3000 Distiller whisky taste #58

A: deep copper N: vanilla, mint, oak, maple, citrus P: fresh and piney on arrival, followed by rich, sweet vanilla, spice, and some citrus in the background F: long, with some herbaceous notes, butterscotch and oak spice Really enjoyable, complex dram.

This is described as a halfway between malt and rye whiskies and it uniquely stands out here Very smooth with sweet honey and oak. This is simply an excellent breakfast whisky profile(the guys at Sullivan’s cove should take note) Well done Sydney !

Honey notes with rich warm aftertaste.

Nice. Caramel oak vanilla spice cake