M&H Single Cask (Sydney Whisky Show 2023 Edition)

Nose: Manuka honey, caramel, milky coffee, dried fruit like cranberries, and oak. The wood influence is significant and noticeable but not overpowering; it's clearly present but well-managed. Initially, the aroma is robust, yet it's fundamentally a sweet and yielding character. Dilution enhances its gentleness and introduces a scent reminiscent of fallen leaves in autumn. Palate: A sweet, rich, and profound initial taste - dark honey, caramel, and milky coffee. A faint smokiness is detected, but it's not typical peat or bonfire smoke. Perhaps it's like smoked fruit or charred eggplant? Adding water reveals numerous spicy notes - cardamom, allspice, white pepper, and turmeric - against a milder, honeyed backdrop with abundant red berries, cranberries, and dark cherries. Subtle hints of green bell pepper, asparagus, a touch of brine, and those autumnal leaf notes reappear, offering balance in a very understated way. The mouthfeel is smooth, almost viscous, and quite pleasing. Finish: Moderate in length. Flavors of chocolate, dried fruits, and pepper. Despite being aged in peated STR casks, one would never suspect it. The profile strongly resembles maturation in a red wine cask, and for me, there was virtually no trace of smoke on either the nose or palate. It also doesn't betray its high alcohol content, tasting more like 46% ABV than over 55%. This was a limited release for the Sydney Whisky Show, produced around July 2018 and bottled in February 2022, making it approximately 3 years old. It was aged in a peated STR cask of unknown origin (though a strong guess is a former wine cask used for peated whisky aging in Scotland, later acquired by M&H). 274 bottles were made; this review is for bottle #52. It's a commendable whisky, very accessible and enjoyable, but it lacks that certain something to elevate it to exceptional status. It's certainly not bad, but its youth is undeniable. In many respects, it's similar to some recent Australian whiskies, and it would be intriguing to sample this at around 12 years old, assuming it could handle extended cask aging. Nevertheless, I purchased a bottle that day because it made a positive impression even at this early stage. Solid, quality spirit. "Good": 84/100 (3.75 stars)