Smoky Wedding Distillers Cut Australian Single Malt Whisky

The standout so far from five Furneaux Distillery offerings is Smoky Wedding. This sixth tasting comes from one of only 180 bottles, a distillers cut bottled at a higher proof of 58%. When creating our latest Smoky Wedding Single Malt bottling, we had a tough but enjoyable choice: eight mature 50-litre American Oak Ex Bourbon casks. Two of them really stood out. Nose: Not as deep as the standard Smoky Wedding and a bit harsh due to the higher alcohol content. The biscuit-like malt is present but seems toastier and richer with butter. White fruits are now more like peaches, and the peat comes across as a heavier dampness. Some of the saltiness is missing, and I believe the light floral note is almost gone. Palate: Astringent, warming, nutty again, but with a fuller body. Everything is amplified; the tannic spice is much more noticeable, and the barley feels weightier, almost meaty. Metallic mineral brine returns, enhancing the toasty, buttery malt and wood spice. Juicy fruit is, once more, peachy but also creamy, perhaps like peach cream soda? I feel some of the delicacy and nuance between the two peat types is lost at the higher proof; the contrast between the darker, heavier Scottish peat and the lighter, perfumed Tasmanian peat isn't as distinct. Finish: Long. Lots of wood spice, cool, salty ash, beach stones, and a heavy, oily texture persist. "Unadulterated by water. A little dilution brought out the best rich and buttery profile of this whisky." The distillers were right. The higher alcohol content certainly highlighted the buttery aspects. However, it came at a significant cost to all the wonderful delicacy of the Tasmanian peat and the carefully selected distillate. Yes, it's perfectly acceptable; it's a robust malt-forward, nicely peated island/Islay style dram. But distillers cuts are meant to be special and an enhancement. This higher proof distillers cut diminishes the elegance that I believe Furneaux achieved perfectly the first time. Final thoughts on Furneaux? They appear to be on the right track, possessing a strong sense of place and storytelling. If they focus on developing some core, repeatable cask selections and bottlings, a significant contender will emerge from Australia. Furneaux Distillery performance summary: 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 Smoky Wedding Peated Bourbon Cask: 4/5 Smoky Wedding Distillers Cut: 3.75/5