Archie Rose Single Malt Whisky (Batch 1)

Smell: Malt extract, golden syrup, fig biscuits, dried stone-fruit. Spicy notes typically found in rye whiskey are present, alongside an aroma akin to yeast extract (oh no, Vegemite whisky!). A splash of water softens the aroma slightly, allowing more delicate floral scents to emerge, but it still feels deliberately "big." It's busy, not complex. Taste: Sweet malty start with a hint of light ashy smoke. The progression features a significant malted cereal presence and flavors reminiscent of ale, stout, and porter. There are notes of chocolate, mocha, and light fruit intertwined with a syrupy treacle or golden syrup quality, though malt extract is the dominant flavor. Finish: Medium/short: Chocolate, malt, and dates. This highly anticipated release marked the first single-malt produced in Sydney for over a century and the first ever from Archie Rose. The distillery was established 6 years ago, and the spirit for this whisky was likely distilled 2-3 years prior. I found this to be a successful debut whisky for the distillery, but it felt young and unsophisticated. The nose is rich, yet the palate seemed somewhat one-dimensional, with malt dominating both. It certainly avoids being just another Speyside imitation and is quite unique, which is positive, but it's merely a competent whisky. They employed an exceptionally complex mash formula using six different malt strains kilned to varying intensities, from lightly-kilned pale La Trobe malt to chocolate-roasted Westminster and peated Chariot. Fermentation involved both distiller's and brewer's yeasts over an extensive 156 hours (the wash must have resembled fruity stout!). Distillation occurred in their old, now retired, small pot stills with tube condensers. The distillate was aged in ex-apera barrels, predominantly heavily charred, ranging from 100-300 liters. Maturation took place in their Sydney warehouse, where temperature fluctuations likely exerted considerable influence on the casks. Batch 1 was highly sought after by local enthusiasts and collectors, necessitating a lottery for purchasing opportunities (1 per customer) back in October. I didn't secure one then, but the distillery later released the remaining stock for online sale two weeks later. They sold out in 9 minutes, but I managed to acquire a bottle that time. In conclusion, an acceptable but far from outstanding whisky, representing a commendable achievement nonetheless. My primary critiques are its evident youth and an almost over-engineered complexity that borders on caricature. It smells and tastes as if they incorporated nearly everything to maximize its impact and grandeur. Ideally, in the future, the distillery might reduce the intensity of, well, almost everything. A potentially great whisky exists here, currently overshadowed by its engineered intensity. “Above Average”: 80/100 (3 stars)

I thoroughly enjoyed this well-rounded, smooth spirit with a hint of chocolate.

From the 2024 Advent calendar, day #6. Notes of chocolate, coffee, and toffee.

Rich cocoa notes.