Smith's Angaston Whisky 18 Year (2000/2018)

Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 1), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 16 January 2020, Whisky #7 Aroma: Cognac, red wine, leather, clove, allspice, caramel, licorice, oak. Palate: The initial taste is immediately impactful with rich, syrupy sweetness from dark stewed fruits and intense astringent tannin combined. It's a distinctive entry. The development intensifies the dark fruits into heavy fruitcake, plum pudding, bitter marmalade, and chocolate brownies dipped in armagnac and dusted with pure bitter cacao. The texture is full and creamy. Finish: Medium. As the bitter elements fade, the finish finds balance with butterscotch sweetness and a subtle wine aftertaste. South Australian wine merchants Samuel Smith & Sons produced a whisky called Smith's Imperial Vat in the post-WWII era, until 1970. The company was then acquired by wine giant Yalumba, and whisky production ceased. However, the stills were operated for a few periods between 1997 and 2000. The distillery was partially closed immediately after, but briefly restarted for runs in 2011 and 2014. This is one of the oldest Australian whiskies released to date. It was distilled in 2000 and matured in cask No.970637. The cask was replenished twice during maturation with spirit from the 1997 and 1998 runs, and 142 bottles were produced. It was a fantastic chance to taste it, yet it proves that age doesn't always guarantee quality in whisky. I found it to be excessively tannic and had the strong impression that it was once a very good whisky that had been aged for much too long and manipulated to enhance its declining character. When initially offered to Yalumba subscription customers last year, this whisky was priced at $175. On the secondary market, it currently trades for $600-900, but it's essentially a collector's item, and I can't imagine anyone who has tasted it seeking it out for consumption. "Very Good once, but now Average and flawed": 75/100 (2.5 stars)