Kinglake O'Grady's Bourbon Cask

Nose: Fragrant young oak, honeysuckle, jasmine, banana bread, vanilla, chocolate toffee, orange zest. Adding water diminished the nose and it did not recover with time. Palate: A little hot and noisy on the arrival with spicy cinnamon and tannins in full fury. Unripe yellow fruit, unripe plaintain, porridge, sourdough bread and grassy hay-like notes as it develops. Adding water greatly improved the palate by eradicating the overly exuberant arrival and melding everything together. It also improved the texture. Finish: Medium. Marmalade and a little chocolate appear from nowhere in the end. A slight puff of smoke in the aftertaste and a little white pepper appears with dilution. Kinglake is a young Australian distillery that started in 2018 and has had whisky available for about 4 years. This expression is part of their core range and was originally called “O’Grady’s Stand” but is now just “O’Grady’s”. The maturation is all in ex-bourbon barrels. It’s a capable and well-structured whisky that is only let down by its youth. The palate was improved by a dash of water and a little time to rest in the glass but the nose did not react quite as well. If the aromas had been more assertive the balance from adding water would have been better, but anyway I certainly had no problem finishing my tasting dram. I believe the distillery is located in the hills north of Melbourne in an area that has a Scottish-like microclimate, so maybe they will be able to let the spirit mature for a reasonable time. I hope so because this shows great promise and I’d love to taste it at 10 years of age. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)