Review: Independent bottlings of Australian whisky – a whole bunch of them

Luke McCarthy -
Whisky Reviews
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On tasting: Starward 5 Year Old 2011 Adelphi, 148.1 Apera for Everyone! 6 Year Old (SMWS), AWAS Batch 1, TIB Vatted Malt #5, Heartwood The Beagle 8, Heartwood The Angel and The Darkness, Highwayman Batch 10, Spirit Thief Distilling Co. American Oak Tempranillo, Spirit Thief American Oak Shiraz (Adams), Spirit Thief Belgrove French Oak Mataro, Anthropocene Whisky Second Release Bourbon Cask, Anthropocene Second Release Sherry Cask

So this is a catch-up session on some independent bottlings I’ve been meaning to try for a while now.

If you’re looking for some variety in your life, try keeping abreast of all the Australian independent bottlings cropping up at the moment. I’m struggling to get around to even half of them. They’re everywhere, which is awesome.

There’s a few firsts here as well. It’s my first look at Anthropocene Whisky run by Adelaide-based Peter Golotta. The Anthropocene range is about raising awareness for animal conservation, and part of the proceeds from the business are donated to appropriate charities. A worthy cause, especially considering the events of recent years in Australia.

It’s also my first look at Young Henrys via Highwayman’s Batch 10 bottling. Are the popular brewers also making their own whisky? I’ll have to do some digging and find out.

I’m finally getting around to some Heartwood/TIB bottlings, too. It’s not easy to keep up with the Duckett’s antics and the constant new bottlings, but for quality and complexity, they don’t miss a beat.

And the Starward apera taste-off between Adelphi and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society! That was wicked fun. How good is it that we now have quality international independents bottling casks of Aussie whisky. If my sources are correct, there’s also a lot more coming on that front in the near future, so keep an ear out.

The question of what constitutes an independent bottler these days also keeps rearing its head. If you’re an association, whisky club or group and you bottle casks for your members, are you an independent bottler? Are bar and retail exclusive whiskies ‘independent bottlings’? And how do barrel picks and single barrel selections fit into the equation?

It’s all a bit finicky and lexical and I’m not sure I really care that much. But I’d highly recommend this read on the proliferation of barrel picks by Aaron Goldfarb if you’re interested in the subject.

There were some standouts below. Patience and thinking about how best to integrate spirit and cask seem to be key. Just a few extra years in the right casks, allowing the spirit to mellow and develop, it makes a difference.

  • Starward Single Malt Whisky 5 Year Old 2011 Adelphi (cask 573)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 58.9%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at the New World Whisky Distillery in 2011 and matured in a single first-fill Apera cask for five years. Bottled by Adelphi in 2021. 248 bottles in total.
    • Location: Melbourne, VIC
    • Score: 91
    Nose
    Slight dank oak, and then citrusy and sherbety. Caramel and peaches, floral and refined.
    Palate
    Elgeant here, too. Normally these earlier Starward apera casks are rich and big, but this, again, is more silky, subtle and complex. Raspberry jam on toast, nougat and almonds, and gets thicker as it progresses and the apera funk grips. What 58.9%?
    Finish
    Getting drier, that funk continues, and some dark chocolate emerges.
    Comments
    An old world take on a new world whisky. Subtle, less fruit and cask driven than other Starward apera bottlings, and drinks like something well beyond its years. Interesting that this was taken out of cask in 2016 and then bottled and released years later (2020-21?). Is there something in that?
  • 148.1 Apera for Everyone! 6 Year Old (SMWS)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 58.3%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at New World Distillery (Starward) on the 27th of November 2013. Matured in a first-fill apera barrique and selected and bottled by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in 2021. 210 bottles in total.
    • Location: Melbourne, VIC
    • Score: 88
    Nose
    More prickle, heat and fruit than the Adelphi bottling. Improves with time in glass, and turns jammy and luscious - figs, oranges, creme brulee and lavender.
    Palate
    Thicker, weightier and richer here. Apera comes on and drops spice rack, dried raisins, and a hint of musty funk. The Starward fruits marry up wonderfully with the cask.
    Finish
    Similar dry, cocoa finish as the Adelphi.
    Comments
    More in that early Starward apera mould this one. Maybe not quite as nuanced and layered as the Adelphi bottling (yes, I'm being mean by comparing the two, it's good sport though). Still delicious, mouth-coating stuff.
  • AWAS Batch 1 Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 55%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: The spirit here, a lightly peated single malt from an unnamed NSW distillery, was matured in three 30 litre ex-Seppelstfield tawny casks for two years and then married together. Bottled by Niko Devlin and Brad O'Riley for the Australian Whisky Appreciation Society's inaugural bottling.
    • Location: NSW
    • Score: 81
    Nose
    A wood forward opening. Varnish and caramel fudge, sandalwood, tobacco and dried raisins. Lots of tawny and not much spirit coming through, bar a hint of meaty smoke.
    Palate
    Concentrated oak and wine. That sandalwood note continues here, so too the earthy smoke as the malt tries to get a word in. Coffee grounds, dark chocolate, and, well, lots of tawny as it gets drier and sort of biscuity.
    Finish
    Diminishing, tannin starting to grip.
    Comments
    There's some high quality casks at work here, and their influence has just been kept in check. Interplay between cask and spirit is a bit disjointed, but some rich, fun flavours to chew on.
  • Tasmanian Independent Bottlers Vatted Malt #5
    The Stats
    • ABV: 50.3%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Blended malt whisky
    • Production Story: A blend of three malt whisky casks - TIB 064, TIB 046 and TIB 047 - sourced by TIB from three different distilleries. The casks were port (tawny?), apera and sherry. Bottled June 2021. 288 bottles in total.
    • Location: Tasmania
    • Score: 89
    Nose
    Orchard fruits, guava, lovely malt coming through. Hints of caramel and wine from the casks.
    Palate
    Malty and juicy. Brown sugar, herbal spice and a little syrupy. Neither of the casks dominate. They've all been dialed in beautifully.
    Finish
    Some thicker, funkier wine notes at the back, but it's all together and it tapers nicely.
    Comments
    I'm a big fan of these vatted malts, even though they don't seem to be gaining much traction, which is a shame. They have all the bits you love about Tasmanian whisky, and none of the bits you don't. Delish.
  • Heartwood The Beagle 8 Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 57.2%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Blended malt whisky
    • Production Story: Right, this is Duckett's explanation of the Beagle 8: 'The Beagle 8 label is dedicated to all Victorians. 168 bottles, 20 different casks. Ages vary from the bulk being 7 and 9 years of age but also contains small quantities of 2, 3, 4 and 5 years of age. The smaller quantities are used to enhance the flavour profile and the peat influence.'
    • Location: Tasmania
    • Score: 84
    Nose
    Crikey, bit going here. Smokier than I was expecting, and there's some youth and heat from the younger components. Mince pie, raisins, and some darker herbal notes, grass clippings and tobacco. Frenetic.
    Palate
    Again, prominent peat and then it explodes with golden syrup, wine funk and grape must. Huge as it progresses. Water softens the intensity, but brings on some weird winey tones - not sure I'd recommend adding it.
    Finish
    Rambling.
    Comments
    It's hard to keep up with the manic number of Heartwood/TIB releases put out these days (the Duckett's are just about to bottle Beagle 10!). The Beagle series gives you a taste of the wackier side of their antics. This was fun. Not sure it's fully come together though.
  • Heartwood The Angel and The Darkness Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 56.8%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Launceston Distillery and matured by Heartwood/TIB in apera and oloroso sherry casks. Bottled July 2021. 152 bottles in total.
    • Location: Launceston, TAS
    • Score: 91
    Nose
    Red lava lamp in colour, and smells like it looks: rich, ancient and dark. Comes on like an old Armagnac. Plum pudding drizzled with caramel, flamed orange, apple Danish, cinnamon and cloves.
    Palate
    Thick, and very wine driven. Dark cherries, more cloves and cinnamon, ginger snaps, fruitcake covered with brandy. Some grip and tannin as it moves along, but it's all together. Tried it with water, wouldn't recommend water.
    Finish
    Some funky, furry wine as it moves along.
    Comments
    Odd, but I actually like the nose more than the palate. The nose is ethereal, probably the best nosing Heartwood I've come across. And while it's so flavourful and rich on the palate, it maybe gets a bit too winey and sticky in parts, but that's being hyper critical. One of the top apera/sherry bombs of the year, although not sure if or when Duckett will release it (maybe he already has?).
  • Highwayman Batch 10 Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 54.3%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled in November 2016 by Dan Woolley and the Young Henrys team through a hybrid-pot column. The spirit was initially matured in a 100 litre French oak heavily charred apera cask, then further matured in four 20 litre tawny casks for three months before being married together. Bottled April 2021. 130 bottles in total, and the last release of the Highwayman independent bottlings.
    • Location: Sydney, NSW
    • Score: 79
    Nose
    Wow, this is different. Oddly tropical and herbal, sort of lolly teeth, then lashings of caramel, plum pudding, and then dense, earthy spice. Toasted oak and charcoal.
    Palate
    A little bizarre. The expected throttling from the apera and tawny, then tart dark berries and that tropical, almost citra hop vibe from the spirit. Lots of smoked wood and sweet wine.
    Finish
    A flourish of tawny and sticky fruit.
    Comments
    Not for me this one. Fascinating to taste glimpses of the Young Henrys spirit, but it comes across oddly floral and herbal, and not quite sure it melds together with the casks. You can taste the work done to marry the flavours, but the spirit lives in one place, the cask influence in another. Intriguing stuff though.
  • Spirit Thief Distilling Co. American Oak Tempranillo Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 48.3%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at White Label Distillery and matured by Spirit Thief in American oak casks that previously held tempranillo from Main & Cherry Wines. Bottled 1st of December 2020. 750 bottles in total.
    • Location: Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 83
    Nose
    Doesn't leap out of the glass, but plenty of the expected vanilla from the oak. Pears, cherries, vermouth and caramel biscuits.
    Palate
    Grippy and chalky. Lots of toasty vanilla and marshmallow as you'd expect. Creamy and malty as it progresses, more pears, green fruits and Punt e Mes. The wine influence is quite subtle, which is refreshing.
    Finish
    Toasty tannin and bitterness.
    Comments
    A solid package. Love the restraint to the wine influence. Not a whole lot going on, but it's creamy and tasty and I quite like it.
  • Spirit Thief Distilling Co. American Oak Shiraz (Adams)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 64.1%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Adams Distillery and matured by Spirit Thief in American oak casks that previously held shiraz from Main & Cherry Wines. Bottled 1st of December 2020. 850 bottles in total.
    • Location: Perth, TAS
    • Score: 84
    Nose
    Biscotti and lots of chocolatey, roasted malt notes from the Adams profile. You smell the vanillin American oak coming through, less so the expected berries and fruit from the shiraz, which is only subtle.
    Palate
    Big. That biscuity, chocolatey malt profile really wraps around the shiraz influence. Herbal, nutty and earthy as it progress, cloves, and almost dill. It's a little prickly at this ABV, goes much better with a few drops of water.
    Finish
    Roasted malts and an almost vermouth spiciness.
    Comments
    The shiraz cask here works really well with the Adams profile. Fascinating how the Spirit Thief team ensure these whiskies don't get too wine heavy and funky - I think that's due to their coopering and toasting program. A little more time in cask to iron out some of the volatility here and this would be a belter.
  • Spirit Thief Distilling Co. Belgrove French Oak Mataro
    The Stats
    • ABV: 63.5%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Starts with wash brewed at Last Rites Brewing Co in Cambridge. That wash was distilled at Belgrove Distillery and then matured by Spirit Thief for 2.5 years in French oak casks that previously held mataro.
    • Location: Kempton, Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 80
    Nose
    A little prickly, once that blows off, it's a dark, brooding beast. Diesel, texta, asparagus cooked in butter. Pepper and fried chips. Flashes of red wine tannin.
    Palate
    Instantly get more of the wine influence, but it stays quite dry and savoury. Charcoal, burnt malt, huge spiciness, sort of oregano and burnt sage - the Belgrove DNA written all over it. Recommend adding some water to soften the attack.
    Finish
    Sage, spice and dry malt.
    Comments
    This is dense, and if you dig the farmyard, charcoal-laden malts coming from Peter Bignell's still, you'll dig this. It's bloody unique, but some of the flavours aren't quite up my alley. The mataro treatment has been well-managed, but I'm not sure it plays too nicely with the boisterous Belgrove spirit.
  • Anthropocene Whisky Second Release Bourbon Cask
    The Stats
    • ABV: 47.2%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Tin Shed Distilling Co and matured in two ex-Bourbon casks. Selected and bottled by Anthropocene Whisky. Bottled 7th of November 2020. Only 38 bottles in total.
    • Location: Adelaide, SA
    • Score: 85
    Nose
    Takes some time to open up, but then it arrives with burnt butter, golden syrup, and so much honey. A floral, vanilla, slight incense note.
    Palate
    A little heat, but then it gets gooey and nutty, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, nougat and bubblegum. Great maltiness as it marches on and the bottling strength is spot on.
    Finish
    Spicy and long. Vanilla and sweet malt.
    Comments
    A real treat. So well balanced, and the spirit and the malt are given room to shine. Yum.
  • Anthropocene Second Release Sherry Cask
    The Stats
    • ABV: 50.45%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Fleurieu Distillery and matured in an ex-apera cask (028). Selected and bottled by Anthropocene Whisky and bottled 7th of November 2020. 123 bottles in total.
    • Location: Goolwa, SA
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    Classic Fleurieu fruit and spice. Figs and red fruits, salt and smoke.
    Palate
    Prominent apera leaps out. Creamy, rich and syrupy, butterscotch, sea air and smoke. On the sweeter, fruitier side for a Fleurieu.
    Finish
    Nutty, peppery and solid length. Solid Fleurieu.
    Comments
    Can't go wrong with a Goolwa malt. Great balance here. Also love the bottling strength. Nice selection. Keep an eye out for these ones.
How We Score
Luke McCarthy
Luke McCarthy is the editor and publisher of Oz Whisky Review. An independent writer, author and drinks columnist, Luke's written about whisky and spirits for numerous Australian and international publications and is a judge at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards. His book, The Australian Spirits Guide, the first to tackle the history and resurgence of the Australian spirits industry, was published in 2016 by Hardie Grant Books.