Nant Port Wood Single Cask Single Malt

Re-tasted 14 November 2023 from a sample gifted by a friend. I tasted this and took notes without checking my old review, but my thoughts were nearly identical to three years ago. This bottling might be slightly drier on the palate, and I think I noticed more coconut and vanilla, but for all practical purposes, this is the same product. No change in rating. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Nose: Fortified wine, dark malt, dried fruits, preserved cherries, plum pudding, and Christmas cake. There's a similarity to the Nant Sherry Wood expression, but this is deeper and has red-berry aromas. Similar to the sherry expression, it also resembles cognac and armagnac, but the resemblance is less pronounced. Adding a little water brings out a pleasant musky, floral aroma, like a tropical flower. This also appears in the dry glass, but it's overpowered there by a strong brown sugar aroma. Palate: A soft, honeyed-malt arrival with raisins, sultanas, and cranberries. A gentle sweet cinnamon and ginger syrup note emerges during development, along with some banana bread, butter pastry, and coconut. The texture is creamy and soothing. Like the sherry expression, the palate isn't particularly long or complex, but this one is more satisfying. Finish: Short. Butterscotch, red fruits, and oak notes fade fairly quickly into a sweet, honeyed aftertaste. The third of four Nant samples I'm evaluating, and the last of the standard 43% expressions. Like the Sherry Wood whisky, it is 4 years old, but this time it was matured in selected single port casks of 100-liter capacity (around quarter-cask size). The nose is substantial and comforting, leading to a rich, creamy palate that is very easy to drink, but lacks a bit of complexity and length. This is the only one of the core-range 43% Nant expressions that I believe benefits from water. It adds a distinct floral aroma that is very charming, sweetens (almost over-sweetens?) the palate, and expands it with rich caramel and butterscotch-pudding flavors while adding length. I definitely preferred this to the sherry expression, but the bourbon wood expression remains the best of the 43% bottlings. Tasted from a 30ml sampler. "Good": 83/100 (3.5 stars)

Nant carries a rather notorious reputation, which is quite a story. Scandal and deception are plentiful. Nevertheless, I'm finding myself appreciating Tasmanian spirits more and more, and a port cask is consistently a personal preference. After six months on my shelf, I finally cracked it open to try. Nose: Rich and decadent. Mulled wine, dense dark fruitcake, brown sugar, a warming spiced coffee with ginger and cinnamon, a whisper of savory pastry, and I detect the faintest hint of florals. It's quite remarkable how florals emerge given the intensity of the port. Palate: Smooth, velvety, and warming. Rich dark chocolate and coffee, sweet honeyed barley, mild ginger. Deliciously satisfying. The malt develops further with notes of banana and butter, while red fruits come forward. Finish: Unexpectedly brief. Juicy and vibrant, with red fruits and warm spices. A splash of water unlocks a floral aroma. Impressive development! The transition from deep and dark to light and airy is wonderful. However, the same water that revitalizes the nose completely diminishes the palate, leaving no finish. That nose, though! The dilemma: drink it neat or add water just to sniff? I'm fond of port casks; I truly am. Last night's Tawny cask earned a 4.5/5. I believe I prefer this one; it offers more complexity, but objectively, it's not as good. The finish is rather weak, and the best part of the nose requires water, which ruins the palate's development. Even more disheartening, my initial notes show this cost AUD$122.50; it's now AUD$174.99, and it's a 500ml bottle. [Shown with a 200-million-year-old "New Red Sandstone". This geological formation consists of sandstones, mudstones, and evaporite layers deposited between the Permian (280 million years ago) and the late Triassic (200 million years ago). It formed in a hot, arid environment, such as a desert or sabkha, stretching from present-day Scotland to southwest England. This particular example dates to around 200 million years ago and is from Penrith, Cumbria, in England's Lake District.]

On the nose: mint, sweet, honey, fruity Palate: dry, sweet Finish: It began with herbal, malty notes; the second sip revealed some bitterness. The finish is long-lasting and sweet, which I really enjoy. Compared to a sherry cask finish, this one is a bit shorter but sweeter, in my opinion.

The flavor can vary by cask batch, but the one I sampled had a smooth, sweet, fruity taste with a well-managed medium finish. I prefer the cask strength version, but it's a decent Australian whisky.

Had the Cask strength version; it was superbly balanced with fruity, sweet, and spiced notes.

Very plummy with a creme brulee aftertaste. I loved it!