Killara KD10 Tawny Cask

Nose: Rich malt, berries, stewed fruit, boiled Christmas pudding. Over time subtle aromas from the fortified wine cask come through and these continue to build as it rests in the glass. Adding water does little and is not needed. Palate: Soft and sweet with a very pleasing balance between malt, cereal and berry flavours from the wine. It’s not a complex palate but what it presents is very good. It is juicy and inviting and the 47.5% alcohol is undetectable apart from soothing warmth. The texture is good but lacks a little weight. As with the nose, the longer this rests and the more you taste it the more wine-cask influence you sense. Reduction with just a few drops brings out spice from the wood. This is welcome as it adds balance and complexity so unlike the nose I would recommend a few drops of water to help develop the palate. Finish: Medium. The malt gives way to red berries and grapes, which are the final taste. Once reduced there are gentle spice notes that linger into the aftertaste. This is very good whisky. The nose is deep and rich but it also has a crisp freshness that gives it lift. It’s testament to a combination of good spirit and good maturation. The small 100 litre Tawny (i.e. Australian-style port) cask was not intrusive and there is no obvious port presence, just a suggestion of grapes and wine that is balanced against malt. I could nose this all day. The palate is good and it’s almost as good as the nose. If it had more complexity it would be excellent but that calls for time. I’m not sure how old this NAS whisky is but it’s clearly young and I bet it would be improved by a few more years in the cask. This is also a very Scottish-style malt whisky and it reminds me of wine-finished Arran and young, soft Glenfarclas - which is no small achievement! Killara is a great distillery. I’ve enjoyed every dram I’ve tasted from them and I’ve acquired several bottles now. This was tasted from a 30ml sample and I’m in search of a full-size bottle. Highly recommended. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)