Killara Dark Mofo 2025 (Cask #KD65)

Nose: Deep malt, dried fruit, raisins, golden syrup, maple syrup, vanilla, toasted almonds, caramel. The malt is complemented by sweet sherry and rum but not overwhelmed. Adding water reduces the richness and intensity but introduces a pleasant softness, revealing oak cask and more wine influence. 88/100 Palate: Initially sweet when neat, with the PX cask prominent before being quickly overcome by strong spice (cinnamon, clove), pepper, and chili. Dried fruit and burnt almonds on the developed palate, with a faint salty touch. Water improved it but it never felt quite settled. 82/100 Finish: Medium/Long. Tangy, spiced malt with a peppery citrus note and a bitter black coffee aftertaste. 82/100 This year's Dark Mofo whisky from Killara is more intense and peppery than last year's. That one was creamier and juicier, while this is spicy with a hot, slightly bitter edge, possibly due to the higher alcohol. I detect more nutty notes on the palate this year, likely from the PX cask. Water enhances the palate's sweetness but barely changes the spice. Careful, drop-by-drop addition is needed to find the sweet spot. It's worth the effort, but the whisky never achieved perfect sweet-spice balance for me. The nose was excellent, but the palate had too much untamed spice for my preference. Each sip started well, promising a smooth, fruity follow-up, but instead delivered jarring hot, sharp spices. Tasted from a 15ml sampler. “Good”: 84/100 (3.75 stars)