Smith's Angaston Whisky 20 Year (1997 Vintage)

Australian Single Malt Whisky Tasting (Part 2), The Oak Barrel, Sydney 17 January 2020, Whisky #7 Smell: Rich sherry, warm baking spices, ginger snaps, orange essence, cacao. Taste: A warm, rich Christmas cake sensation with a whisper of spice and wood. Fortified wine, brandy, and cherry liqueur emerge as it evolves, alongside an intensification of the dark cake notes into treacle confection, fruit mince treats, and stewed pears in port. Counterbalancing this substantial taste are some bright spice tones and bittersweet fruit hints (grapefruit and kiwifruit). The mouthfeel is smooth, rich, and dense. Aftertaste: Medium. Fortified wine and honey recede into a sweet malt finish. This was the final pour from the two-night sampling of Australian single malts and it served as an excellent conclusion. In contrast to the 18-year-old Smith’s Angaston tasted at the close of the first night [see separate review], this whisky possessed good equilibrium. The producer was acquired by Yalumba (a major Australian wine producer) in 1970 but was immediately closed down as they had no interest in whisky manufacturing. Nevertheless, the still was later restarted and operated for three years from 1997-2000 to create a few test hogsheads. This bottling was one of 264 produced from cask No.970331 in 2019, filled from one of the last spirit runs in 1997. The release was dedicated to Peter John Wall, the late head of production at the distillery, who oversaw the brief restart of the still and the experimental runs. “Very Good”: 85/100 (4 stars)