vegemite

Overeem Red Wine Cask Matured

Reviewed by: Nick

Overeem Red WW

Just when you think you know someone… they go and do this!

I love Overeem. It’s one of my favourite Tassie drops and one I would recommend to anyone trying Tasmanian whisky for the first time (especially the cask strength port cask – phwoar!). The thing is you see, over the years (and multiple tastings) I had come to know what to expect from each Overeem release: a hit of spice and oranges followed by oozing caramel – basically, whisky deliciousness. So upon discovering barrel OHD100 – Old Hobart Distillery’s hundredth cask filled – was fully matured in red wine casks, I expected a grapey take on a familiar flavour. And I could not have been more wrong.

“What is going on here?” I do believe I remarked to m’colleague Ted as I brought this within range of my nostrils. It was a big meaty nose with strawberries and cherries taking centre stage alongside leafy, forresty notes. My best description is simply: intriguing.

And the palate? Well it’s definitely a wine cask. I’m up and down with such maturation and this bottle showcases the good with the bad. It brings to mind mulled wine with oodles of cinnamon and orange notes but competing for space in the mix are sour vinegary elements. And it’s dry – man it’s dry! Oaky oaky tannins leave you with the impression you’ve been sucking on the armrest of an old rocking chair. The finish is long and a little sweet with flavours of black current and aniseed.

This whisky is in no way rough – though at the same time it’s not easy to drink. Its time in a little red wine barrel has smoothed off the coarse edges and packed it with flavour, flavour and more flavour. While the flavours may not always go perfectly together – think of a meal of Atlantic salmon, marshmallows and vegemite – it’s a fascinating mix. This is a whisky that needs talking about as much as it needs drinking! And Whisky Waffle are only too happy to oblige…

★★★

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The Big Black Cock Single Malt

Reviewed by: Nick

BBC

Crikey! Now I know whisky is made in some pretty far out places but leaning towards the more radical end of the scale would have to be Mt Uncle Distillery in North Queensland. Despite the immense heat and being located on the outskirts of woop-woop, they have managed to produce a grouse little drop.

The 5 Year Old single malt has one of the more dinky-di whisky names going around. The drinks menu I had a gander at when first sampling it read BBC. However, the large rooster on the front of the bottle makes it clear: this whisky is called the Big Black Cock. It is fair dinkum outback whisky. And strewth: it tastes the part.

On the nose there are faint hints of malty Arnotts biscuits – quickly drowned by whiffs of recently slashed sugar cane and double coat tim tams. On the palate there is vanilla – perhaps a little too much – accompanied by Anzac biscuits and cherry ripe. There are also some bitter fruit elements – possibly created by the ex-red wine barrels they were matured in: American oak staves with French oak lids. The finish is warm and a little rough with spicy meaty notes, like snags on a barbie.

If you ever come across the BBC in a whisky bar down under it is certainly worth ordering – if only to be forced to say the name out loud – but also because of the beaut, uniquely Australian flavours to be found. This is true blue outback whisky. It’s unrefined. But a ripper.

★★★