Smith's Angaston 10 Year (Vintage 2011)

Nose: Smells of malt extract, digestive biscuits, toffee, coffee, raisins, sultanas, caramel, aged oak, and subtle spices. It's a substantial, intricate nose balancing spirit and barrel character. Dilution enhances the spice, adding hints of menthol and anise. Palate: A very pleasing initial taste combining sweet wine and dry spice. Development brings malt, baking spices, chewing tobacco, walnuts, and notably, fortified wine. While sweet, it avoids being overly so. Dark fruits, cherries, preserved peel, and barley sugar are present. The texture is full and weighty, neither oily nor creamy. Water improves the palate, balancing spice and enhancing sweetness. Finish: Medium to long, with malt, gentle spices, and fortified wine. Water extends the finish, leaving a very pleasant aftertaste. Smith’s Angaston is a rare Australian single malt from the renowned Yalumba winery in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, produced between the 1950s-70s and again in the late 1990s and more recently in 2011 and every few years since. The reason for limited production is unclear. Similar to a previously reviewed 8-year-old, this whisky uses heavily roasted Flagship barley, fermented at Cooper’s Brewery, matured for 8 years in unspecified casks, and finished for 2 years in ex-Muscat barrique, yielding 1516 bottles. This is a powerful fortified-wine whisky, more balanced and complex than the 8-year-old. It remains sweet with prominent cask influence, but is more refined, elegant, and akin to a heavily sherried Speysider – essentially a decadent dessert whisky. Adding water is highly recommended; it handles a small amount well at 47.2% ABV. Without water, it's an 84/100, but water adds two points. Comparable Scottish single malts include Benrinnes, Blair Athol, and Dailuaine from Diageo’s Flora & Fauna range, with this 10-year-old particularly resembling Dailuaine, or perhaps a young Glenfarclas from the 1990s. Tasted from a 30ml sample. "Very Good": 86/100 (4 stars)