Sawyers Bay Unpeated Refill Cask (UR1)

This is the fourth in my series from Furneaux Distillery, and the second from the Sawyers Bay line: cask UR1, a special release of Sawyers Bay Unpeated Single Malt. In 2020, Furneaux took some peated casks, emptied them, and refilled them with unpeated spirit. After three years in Flinders Island Peated Casks, 187 bottles were bottled in May 2024 at 47% ABV. Nose: Subtle and reserved. It features light fruit (melon, grape, peach, pear) and mild honey, with a faint grassy and slightly musty note reminiscent of the vegetal peat smoke from the Flinders drams sampled previously. A touch of generic tannic spice emerges at the end, and with careful consideration, some minerality can also be detected. Palate: Rich and smooth. A striking contrast to the preceding double-oaked Sawyers Bay. This offers a warming sensation of cool smoke and briny tar mingled with floral notes and bright malt, rich with golden syrup biscuits, oatmeal, and sharp ginger spice. Juicy white fruit contributes to its drinkability. Finish: Extended. Cool smoke, preserved lemon, tar, and mineral-rich brine provide a lovely depth to the conclusion. This bottling was a pleasant surprise. The prior Sawyers Bay was a nondescript sherry cask lacking character. This, however, is expertly crafted. The seemingly aggressive early second cut on the newly made spirit has resulted in abundant fresh, bright, juicy white fruit, balancing the robust malt flavors with a controlled peat that simply works. It's bright, floral, and innovative; I believe there's something for everyone in this dram. The nose is a bit underdeveloped, but it's not a major issue. My current concern for Furneaux is growing. I fear they might become overly focused on single cask offerings. I don't think the two Sawyers Bay drams I've tried share the same underlying character; they were drastically different. This suggests potential disorganization in their warehouse management and inconsistent bottling, which could lead to disappointing results. I would be reluctant to spend the significant price for one of these bottles without knowing if I would receive an exceptional or a mediocre product. [Pictured alongside a piece of quartzite from Cradle Mountain in northwestern Tasmania. This rock originated from massive dolerite intrusions that form a large portion of Tasmania, pushing through Cambrian sediments (~500 million years old) during the Jurassic period, heating and transforming them into a hard metamorphic rock]. Furneaux Distillery Running Scores Flinders Island Peated American Oak Ex-Bourbon: 3.5/5 Flinders Island Peated Double Cask: 3.25/5 Sawyers Bay Unpeated Double Oak: 2.75/5 Sawyers Bay Unpeated Refill (Peated) Cask: 4/5