Spring Bay French Oak Cask Whisky Lovers Australia Limited Edition

Nose: Potent, with a noticeable alcohol sting at the finish. It's bold and very prominent, offering a mix of dark chocolate's bitterness, tobacco leaf, musty wooden crates, and a sweet malt. There's also dark cherry and a leathery, heavily tannic spice. Palate: Less fiery from alcohol than the nose suggested. It starts out astringent and a bit bitter, featuring more dark chocolate, dark cherry, raisin, cinnamon, and a strong peppery kick. The oak is a bit excessive here, feeling astringent, tannic, and spiced to an extreme degree. I'm hoping some water will mellow and open it up; something good seems hidden within. Finish: Medium-long. It's tannic and drying, with notes of espresso crema and a slightly sticky dark caramel. More pepper is present. Adding a generous amount of water causes a cloudy, turbid transformation. A dry, warm, more tobacco-infused malt emerges, gently subduing the raw spirit burn. The tannins soften, replaced by a deep, dark fruitiness. It now resembles the depths of a fairy tale forest. The palate becomes smoother, with a dark fruit cake flavor that has deeply browned edges. Dark toffee, sweeter cherry, and mocha appear, with no pepper but plenty of baking spice and warmth. The finish shifts towards oily bitter chocolate and a slightly nutty cherry. This has been a lengthy experience. Unfortunately, my recollection of the progression through my Spring Bay samples is quite limited. This means I can't really say there was a consistent flavor profile across them; the palates themselves were somewhat forgettable. I believe the strong oak influence significantly impacted the generic character of these drams, overshadowing the underlying spirit which I suspect is quite good. In this particular pour, the high alcohol content allows for exploration through dilution, revealing a hidden gem. Perhaps something to consider for later years, but for now, they need to mellow, maybe stick to bourbon casks, and focus on perfecting the aging and wood contact. For those interested, this pour came from a limited release of 100 bottles, aged 3.5 years in ex-Sullivans Cove refill casks that I suspect had some sherry influence previously. [Pictured with an intraformational conglomerate. Located 20 km outside Marrakesh, Morocco, the Jebilet Inlier dates back to the Lower Carboniferous (346-323 million years ago). An inlier is an ancient rock formation isolated among younger ones, typically formed when erosion exposes older rocks beneath overlying younger layers. Within the inlier are sedimentary rock packages, including these conglomerates. They contain rounded pebbles of sandstone and limestone identical to the rocks they are interbedded with, identifying them as intra-formational conglomerates.] Spring Bay scores: Bourbon Cask: 3.5/5 The Rheban: 3.25/5 Apera Cask: 3/5 PX Cask: 3.25/5