Amber Lane Amberosia

Nose: Gentle, slightly dusty grain. Very fragrant with honeycomb and vanilla blossom aromas. With water, caramel and a stronger vanilla extract scent become apparent. Palate: The initial taste is sweet, bright with fruit, and grain-forward (apple turnover, lemon cheesecake) with some spicy ginger. The development is brief, with not much else emerging, though repeated tastes reveal toffee and caramel eclairs. The texture is good but not exceptional. Finish: Medium. Spicy and sweet, with a hint of hot ginger. This is a good initial offering. The only criticisms are its overall simplicity and lack of body and progression. The nose and palate start well but then don't develop much. It was aged for 4 years, double the time of most Australian whisky, and while it benefits from longer aging, it still presents as a very young spirit. Still, it's a great start for the distillery and was a wisely chosen first whisky for the evening's tasting. The following three whiskies were better but the distillery character that is most clearly shown here was still detectable in their more sherried whiskies. Above Average: 80/100 (3 stars)