McHenry 10 Year American Oak

Aroma: Sticky pine, light woody notes reminiscent of a cigar box, frosting, and crème caramel. Taste: A gentle introduction of vanilla cake, diluted honey, and a date slice. Not much development, but the date note shifts to apple pie while on the tongue. The texture is unusually delicate, almost lacking substance. This spirit shows no legs whatsoever. End: Brief. Light oak and oatmeal cookies with a hint of apple. I only tried a small sample at a temporary event in Hobart during the August whisky festival. It was served in a minuscule plastic cup, which is detrimental to any serious tasting (when will event organizers understand?). This distillery has crafted several "work-in-progress" and experimental 5 and 6-year-old single malts while establishing their signature style, and this 10-year-old represents the peak. It's intended to be their future core offering. Unfortunately, it's difficult to endorse due to its cost, which is a pity because I truly appreciate their other spirits, especially their Federation Gin. I hope to revisit this whisky later for a more thorough assessment, as I suspect it might perform better when tasted under more appropriate conditions. For now, I can only say it's slightly above average. "Average": 79/100 (2.75 stars)