New Zealand Whisky Collection 16 year Dunedin Double wood

This is one of the most unusual whiskies I've ever had. This distillery, formerly located in Dunedin, New Zealand, began operations in 1974 and was acquired by Seagrams in the 1990s. It was then sold back to the locals in 1997 and mothballed around 2000. A company managed to acquire over 80,000 barrels from various distilleries, storing them in a hangar. They then bottled some, including this 16-year-old, 50cl bottling, which is a blend of 70% single malt and 30% grain, all from the same distillery. It's bottled at 40% ABV. It's very cloudy with a reddish color like tree tomato juice. On the nose, it smells exactly like a Bloody Mary, with some white chocolate and vanilla. The first sip offered notes of maple syrup and ketchup. On the palate, it starts with vanilla cookie dough and red hot chili peppers. The second sip was 'swampy' with that Bloody Mary flavor again, plus olive oil. It's light and strange, not bad, just weird. The aftertaste was all about olives, pepper, and salt. It's extremely dry, like a cherry tomato salad, with raw rice notes. Overall, I'm glad I tried a New Zealand whisky, though this one was a bit odd. The cloudiness was surprising. Some strange tasting and aroma notes were present, but it's definitely worth trying to tick it off the list. My score for this unusual dram is 75 out of 100.

Dramfest '18. Light, weak, inoffensive. Its cask strength sibling completely overshadows it. $80USD. 3