Fleurieu "The Hunting of the Snark"

Nose: Malt, peanut brittle, caramel. There is a gentle hint of vegetal and woody/herbal peat which intensifies as the whisky rests in the glass. There is also a soft aroma of oak cask but this is a distillate-driven whisky. Adding water does not change the nose very much. Palate: The palate is malty and briny in the arrival with peat smoke immediately apparent and growing in intensity through the development. The profile is sweet with notes of grilled meat and vegetables. The texture is oily but there is also a dry quality, which works well. Water expands the herbal flavours and brings out some hot spice notes but does not change the apparent peat level. Finish: Medium. Smoke, fruit chutney and caramel. Black coffee in the aftertaste. This whisky was matured in 2nd fill Australian apera casks which has allowed the distillate to shine without interruption. 520 bottles were produced. It’s a very enjoyable whisky that reminded me of peated Scottish whiskies from the east-coast highlands and Speyside (anCnoc, GlenDronach, Ardmore etc.). It has the sweet woody quality of highland peat rather than the briny maritime quality of Islay whiskies. I don’t know whether this was produced from local or imported barley but based on the nose and palate I’d guess they imported peated malt from Scotland. Fleurieu are noted for the amusing and unusual names they give their expressions (and for their trademark that features two manneken pis, back to back). However I don't know why Lewis Carroll's nonsense masterpiece was chosen as the name for this whisky. Tasted from a 30ml sample. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)