Battery Point Peated New Make

Battery Point Distillery tasting, Hobart, Monday August 10th 2024, Whisky #6 Nose: Straight up, only rubbery peat smoke was detectable, masking anything more delicate. After dilution, the smoke was less intense but still the dominant aroma. Palate: Very strong alcohol neat, but with minimal burn, just a sharp "prickle." Similar to the nose, the neat palate was full of rubber and bitumen phenols, but after diluting to about 40% with water, it offered a pleasant ashen smoke flavor. The rubber taste nearly vanished, allowing some malt to come through. The texture was exceptionally oily. Finish: Medium length. It seemed prolonged but then abruptly ended. The duration is solely due to the strong smoke. I always appreciate the chance to sample a distillery's new make, and the tour guide kindly agreed when I inquired about this one. However, the only sample available was from a peated run, as this distillery rarely produces peated spirit. It was somewhat unusual and experimental, but still enjoyable to try. What enhanced the experience was a sample of the low wines from this new-make run. At 40.3% ABV, it presented well on the nose, somewhere between very strong ale and whisky, as expected. It was a great experience, though difficult to score precisely as the low wines was an incomplete product and the new make clearly needed reduction to bottling strength and several years in an active cask. 10/10 and 5 stars for innovation and production quality, but I'm estimating that once aged, it will be at least... “Above Average”: 80/100 (3 stars)