Joadja Single Malt

Nose: Strong stewed fruit with sulfurous rubber undertones, a powerful sherry oak influence, and the aroma of golden syrup. Palate: The initial taste is sweet, syrupy, and oaky, revealing dried fruit flavors. However, it shifts to a bittersweet profile as it develops, with a fairly substantial texture. Finish: Brief to medium in length. Sweet. Initially, one might mistake this for a Spanish name, but it actually refers to a historic ghost town in New South Wales, pronounced just as it's written. The Joadja Distillery was established in 2014 near this historic site by the Jimenez family, who own the township and operate it as a tourist destination. The standout feature of this single malt is its aging in ex-oloroso and PX sherry casks, along with the use of organic barley grown on the property. The influence of the sherry casks is pervasive, making it an intensely sherry-forward spirit. For me, there was a distinct and unacceptably strong sulfurous presence on both the nose and palate. At 48% abv, it benefits from a little water, which I found enhanced the experience. The nose became more subdued, and the palate grew drier and maltier with a pleasant hint of licorice. It also developed a slightly grainy and bitter quality, so adding water had mixed results. The bottle tasted was number 194 from batch 7, a blend of casks JW019 and JW021. I considered it a commendable attempt, though clearly still a work in progress. The distillery needs more time to mature and experiment (perhaps with less assertive casks for some of the aging), but there's potential for an interesting future release. "Adequate": 70/100 (2 stars)