Belgrove Peated Rye Whisky

Aroma hits with smoke, followed by a rich, fruity sweetness (like grilled apricots, pineapple, and mango). Hints of vanilla and the expected rye spice (mint, cloves, allspice, licorice, linseed) are present. It's gentle and soft, yet assertive. An earthy, ashen quality exists, but it's not cold or austere. A wonderfully balanced smoky scent. Taste begins sweet and slightly spicy. Baked stone fruits, caramel, and candied ginger emerge, with baking spices developing. The smoke is the main feature, offering an earthy, clean, ashy, leathery, and woodsy profile, reminiscent of a forest after rain. It evokes petrichor, grass, and fragrant herbs, along with bright fruit notes. The texture is lush, oily, and smooth. Finish is medium to long, featuring smoke, earth, and herbs on the aftertaste, with a subtle menthol undertone. This smoky character differs from Scottish peated spirits and isn't like wood-smoked whisky either; it's truly unique. It's likely the most intricate and sophisticated peated Australian whisky I've sampled. The smoke is more akin to mezcal than Islay peat. A creator has excelled once more. This was the final tasting of 24 drams at the Sydney Whisky Show this past May, providing a very satisfying conclusion to the event. Among all the whiskies sampled that day, the distillery's expressions were the most consistent and compelling. This peated variety is recommended, as is everything from this distillery, especially the cask-strength ryes and the oat whisky. It appears the creator is also experimenting with fruit spirits, white rye, and liqueurs, but I'm confident this won't detract from their whiskies. This tasting sample was Release 4, a single-cask bottling, aged 2-3 years, and bottled on August 27, 2020, at 50% abv. Like all this distillery's whiskies, it's a small-batch product, so the next peated release might differ in profile. However, it's certain that whatever it is, it will be worth experiencing and anticipating. “Very Good”: 86/100 (4 stars)

Smell: Gentle smoked meats with molasses. A slight sweetness of vanilla. Taste: Sweet peat. Mineral, very similar to Lagavulin 12 y.o Cask Strength (2018). Bold and earthy. Aged leather towards the end. Finish: Comforting like sitting by a smoky campfire. A long, drawn-out finish with a balance of molasses and peat where the latter doesn't dominate or burn the chest (though I usually enjoy that).