Bakery Hill Eldorado

Smell: Malt, well-aged oak, orange oil, ginger, a hint of butterscotch, toffee, red berries. Adding water and letting it rest longer releases even more sweet red berry aromas. Taste: The arrival is sweet yet intense with grippy tannins and malt extract leading. As the initial impact fades, I tasted strawberries and cream, black cherries, licorice, star anise, and caramel. There was a bitter, oaky note in the later taste that was too intrusive for my preference. Aftertaste: Medium/Long. Dark bitter coffee, dark chocolate, red berries. Initially aged in a Seppeltsfield apera (Australian sherry) cask for 18 months, then aged for an additional three years in ex-bourbon barrels. When tasted neat, I found the smell impressive, but the taste was a bit angular and argumentative (though definitely full of sweet malt and red berries). Adding water softened the smell but it lost the rich, punchy character it had when neat. Water also mellowed the taste slightly, but it took a while for the whisky to settle after dilution, and in the end, it had a very similar profile with the original bitter tannic notes still present. It's worth letting the diluted dram sit and rest for a good while as it does slowly develop. A good whisky, but not a great one for me. I enjoyed the tasting dram but won't be purchasing a bottle. I've tried Bakery Hill whiskies numerous times now but have never become a follower. Tasted from a 15ml sample. “Good”: 84/100 (3.75 stars)