Bakery Hill Cask Strength Classic Single Malt

Nose: Crisp, cereal-led but with fruity and floral notes gradually appearing. Spirity on first pour, but this quickly blows away. As the nose settles it gains a firm toasty-cereal and sweet malt profile. There's a touch of fennel or anise and a trace of vanilla. Some farmyard aromas begin to show up after a few minutes, and there is the sign of some very nice oak casks. There is a tiny hint of peat, but it's not what you would ever describe as a smoky whisky. The peat just carries the farmyard aromas and a leathery quality more than smoke. Palate: Rich, oily, creamy, very malty, full-flavoured and mouth-watering arrival. There is a distinct transition to the development where a big wave of malt extract floods the palate and some pleasant baking spice flavours emerge together with dried fruit, chewing tobacco and leather. Yummy. The texture is oily, creamy and enveloping. Finish: Medium/long. Semi-sweet malt that lingers in the aftertaste. Well, this is my first tasting of the cask-strength version of Bakery Hill's NAS "Classic Malt" and I can strongly advise you to completely ignore the standard strength bottling and run straight to this expression. This is as excellent as the ordinary one is ... well, ordinary. It takes water well and a small dash does no harm, merely giving you a different aspect of the profile. It becomes a touch dustier and sweeter. However this is so very approachable neat I'd recommend taking it that way. Even at 60.5% there is hardly a trace of ethanol on the palate and no raw heat at all, and the concentration of malty flavours is very enjoyable. This is well made spirit and I'm beginning to see why Bakery Hill has the reputation it does among local whisky enthusiasts. If you are looking to try some Australian whisky and you can find this it is worth the expense - but yes it is *very* expensive. You'll pay around US160 a bottle for this, and it's only a 500ml bottle at that. "Very Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)

It was interesting chatting to David who got into whiskey nearly a couple of decades ago. He got his 1000 litre still custom made many years ago. They can't keep up with demand so they are looking to upgrade to both larger equipment and larger premise closer to the city in Kensington in ~ years time. They used to supply Europe but now have more than enough demand from Aussie alone. Anyhow this dram was impressive for 60%. Didn't need any water at all but a few drops opened it up further. Similar to the 46% but deeper concentration of flavor and less of the green apple more of malt.

Now here is the best from the distillery in Bayswater. A nose to die for - amplified rich honey-glazed sultanas and dried apricots. Continues with such an oily palate not dissimilar to Redbreast Cask Strength. Much more refined, bold intense appley pear palate than its standard strength bottling. And the finish? Long. Drawn out. Heart warming ripe banana and toffee apple finish. For a Peat-lover/non-Speyside drinker to say this... kudos to you, Bakery Hill.

Notes just say yes!