Review: Australian whisky collections from Boutique-y Whisky and Barrel & Batch

Julian White -
Whisky Reviews
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On tasting:
From Boutique-y Whisky: Launceston 5 Year Old, Limeburners 5 Year Old, Chief’s Son 5 Year Old, Fleurieu 3 Year Old, The Gospel 3 Year Old.
From Barrel & Batch: Launceston 5 Year Old Bourbon Cask, Killara 4 Year Old Shiraz Cask, Heartwood Muscat, Sherry & Port Casks, Backwoods 3 Year Old Rutherglen Tawny Cask and Ned Whisky Sour Mash 2 Year Old.

As the independent bottling market for Scotch whisky tightens and the Australian whisky industry broadens, independent bottlers are turning to Australian producers for availability and originality.

That Boutique-y Whisky Company are leading the charge here, breaking out over a dozen Australian whisky producers to an international audience. Their ‘Return to Oz’ series – five bottlings from which are reviewed below – will give whisky fans across the world another chance to try some hard-to-come-by Australian whiskies.

For an interesting comparison, I’m also looking at the Australian Celebration collection recently released by Sydney-based Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-op.

These ‘indie’ bottlings are doing a great service to Australian distillers on various fronts, especially in helping to define and announce each distillery’s house style to a broader audience. The classic example there is Launceston Distillery’s Bourbon cask whiskies, two different expressions of which are reviewed below. Although Launceston Distillery mostly release ex-fortified matured whiskies, the ex-Bourbon cask bottlings from indie bottlers have shown how good the Launceston spirit is.

That’s when independent bottlings like these are at their best, when the selections unveil a new perspective on a distillery’s profile. But with Australian whisky producers already releasing unique, experimental, often single cask distillery bottlings, independent bottlers have to work even harder to offer up a unique take on a distillery’s style.

It’s also worth noting that while some independent bottlings are ‘single cask’, that doesn’t mean that all the liquid in the cask was bottled for that release. Some of the Barrel & Batch bottlings featured below were from runs of less than 15 litres, leaving the rest of the cask to be bottled elsewhere, a practice also seen by some independent bottlers of Scottish whisky. Something to think about for those interested in the rare and exclusive in single cask whisky.

  • Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op Launceston Distillery 5 Year Old Bourbon Cask
    The Stats
    • ABV: 63.7%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Launceston Distillery and matured for five years in an ex-Bourbon cask. Selected by Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op and released in January 2023.
    • Location: Launceston, TAS
    • Score: 90
    Nose
    Great caramel characters straight up. Toffee apple lollies, caramel popcorn and sweet tea biscuits. Ripe yellow stone fruit and mangoes. Could easily present like a 16 year old-plus single malt Scotch. Holds the ABV incredibly well.
    Palate
    Buttery pastry and full of malty body. Again, no heat here. Very clean spirit that just hums with maltiness. We gave this a good lick of water pretty early on to release the fruit characters which were detected on the nose. This brought out the stone fruit and orchard fruit from the ferment and showed the full extent of what the oak had done to the whisky.
    Finish
    There is a degree of tartness from the oak which balances out the sweetness of this malt really nicely. As it progresses, the chewiness begins to slowly subside and the more drying characters of the oak begin to surface. Plucked at it’s prime! Solid and full of richness for those who don’t love a wine influence.
    Comments
    Admirable to see a Tassie producer filling ex-Bourbon casks and letting them sit for this long. Most would've had itchy feet (or bank balances) and re-racked this into something grapey. Don’t be scared by the alcohol strength on this, water helped a little but the bottlers have made a good decision here.
  • Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op Killara Distillery 4 Year Old Shiraz Cask
    The Stats
    • ABV: 50.3%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Killara Distillery and matured for four years in an ex-shiraz cask. Selected by Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op and released in January 2023.
    • Location: Richmond, TAS
    • Score: 88
    Nose
    Fresh grapes and white chocolate. Freshly sawn timber and a juicy malt backbone hiding behind it all. Perhaps not as meaty and heavy as some Killaras.
    Palate
    Well rounded malty sweetness up front which quickly gives way to the subtle but palpable wine cask. Not a 'winey' whisky but more of a fresh grapey edge which is refreshing given the weight of the spirit. Would sit nicely next to a cheese plate with some muscatels.
    Finish
    Love the choice of alcohol strength, it’s gentle but full-flavoured.
    Comments
    Another skilfully produced and selected cask from Killara. This is in the lighter genre of Killara whiskies and the marriage of cask and spirit is very appealing.
  • Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op Heartwood Muscat, Sherry & Port Casks
    The Stats
    • ABV: 56.2%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Blended malt whisky
    • Production Story: A Heartwood marriage of malt whiskies matured in muscat, sherry and port casks. Selected by Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op and released in January 2023.
    • Location: Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 89
    Nose
    Deep, dark and decadent as a Heartwood should (is expected) to be. Molasses, sticky engine oil and grape must. Hints of orange oil and dunder. Very purple whisky.
    Palate
    Like biting into a Christmas cake that’s been matured in litres of whisky for years. There’s a light hint of smoke which fills out nicely given the level of wine character that dominates. Red wine jus and asparagus.
    Finish
    Peat is the saviour here. It comes in at just the right moment to cut through the various layers of fructose. The richness sticks around and tows the Heartwood line well. Heartwood fans will be on board for sure.
    Comments
    Have this whisky for dessert after a big expensive rib eye and you’ll be vibing.
  • Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-op Backwoods Distilling Co. 3 Year Old Rutherglen Tawny Cask
    The Stats
    • ABV: 62.9%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Rye whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled by Backwoods Distilling Co. and matured for three years in a first-fill Rutherglen tawny cask. Selected by Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op and released in January 2023.
    • Location: Yackandandah, VIC
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    BIG! There’s a familiar hint of char and scorched fortified character when you get through the roasted capsicum. The tawny element isn't as present on the nose but hopefully it’s on the palate. Hard to pick the rye characters but it’s certainly spicy.
    Palate
    Plenty of ripe red fruit and roasted Dutch carrots. The char character from the nose has followed through but isn’t a smoke flavour as such. Tawny sweetness is not the main game here, it’s kind of layered up with the chocolatey characters from the rye and made this a very complex dram.
    Finish
    Lots going on here. Spicy, roasted grain notes and sugary doughy elements from the spirit linger. The charred flavours from the cask keep bouncing around, but the tawny is injecting plenty of sweetness and raisiny wine character as well.
    Comments
    Super Aussie, in a good way. Like cake cooked in a camp oven with a few pleasant burnt bits. Berries on top and heaps of cacao.
  • Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-op Ned Whisky Sour Mash 2 Year Old
    The Stats
    • ABV: 65%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Corn whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Ned Whisky Distillery and matured for two years in a virgin American oak cask. Selected by Barrel & Batch Whisky Co-Op and released in January 2023.
    • Location: Melbourne, VIC
    • Score: 88
    Nose
    Ovaltine bullets, yogo and brown sugar syrup. Heavy rye bread loaves like smørrebrød. Ginger snaps and plum jam. Cola bottles and freshly roasted hazelnuts.
    Palate
    Dangerously drinkable at 65%. Full of roasted cacao beans and hazelnut cream. Aztec hot chocolate and pumpernickel. Sweet but never cloying.
    Finish
    We’re left with a rich caramel and jammy flavour on the tongue. Pickle character and American mustard vibes. Plenty of richness to balance the heavy oak that never becomes dry. Good times!
    Comments
    Some might be put off by the 'Ned' name and brand positioning but bite your tongue and try this. There’s so much flavour on offer and this punches well above its price bracket. Juicy, rich, deep and complex. Perfect next to a burger.
  • TBWC Launceston Distillery 5 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 62.5%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Launceston Distillery and matured for five years in an ex-Bourbon barrel. Selected and botted by That Boutique-y Whisky Company for their Return to Oz series released in January 2023. 187 bottles in total.
    • Location: Launceston, TAS
    • Score: 92
    Nose
    Super juicy fantail caramel, poached pears, banoffee pie and Weeties cereal. Pear Danish and spiced tea biscuits. Akin to a Scottish malt.
    Palate
    Very easy to drink despite the ABV. Clean spirit and a simple cask work harmoniously together to create a whisky that heroes the raw ingredients. Flavours of warm custard and Werthers hard caramels.
    Finish
    Late summer straw bales and a hint of green grass keeps things interesting. The oak continues with nutty coconut and vanilla wafers. Just keeps going.
    Comments
    Tows almost exactly the same line as the Barrel & Batch equivalent. They’re both brilliant.
  • TBWC Limeburners 5 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 51.5%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Great Southern Distilling Company (Limeburners) and matured for five years in an ex-pedro ximenez apera cask. Selected and botted by That Boutique-y Whisky Company for their Return to Oz series released in January 2023. 434 bottles in total.
    • Location: Albany, WA
    • Score: 87
    Nose
    Guava and Splice ice cream. Tropical green lollies and Just Right cereal with its dried mango chunks. Runny, clear honey and grass in the field.
    Palate
    The palate has a bit more malty texture than the nose suggests. There’s raw puff pastry, bread dough and banana milkshake. Plenty of wine influence but the spirit character is bang on.
    Finish
    Gentle but full of body and maltiness through the finish.
    Comments
    The wine influence hangs around and its wildly different to the nose. But otherwise, a well rounded and fun whisky befitting of the label.
  • TBWC Chief's Son 5 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 52.1%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Chief's Son Distillery and matured for five years in an ex-Apera cask. Selected and botted by That Boutique-y Whisky Company for their Return to Oz series released in January 2023. 462 bottles in total.
    • Location: Somerville, VIC
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    Red currant jam. Tangy and tart oak flavours, wood smoke and barrel char.
    Palate
    Very oak forward. The apera influence is burnished copper and baked strawberries. Not dry but plenty of spice and char coming through. Not the richest or most oily spirit character, but works nicely with the tartness of the cask.
    Finish
    The char character and red fruit from the cask sticks with you.
    Comments
    Plenty of Australian whisky character on show here. The tartness of the oak is really appealing and there's some lovely wine cask flavours on offer. Not quite on board with some of the char and smoke notes though.
  • TBWC Fleurieu Distillery 3 Year Old Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 65%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Fleurieu Distillery and matured for three years in an ex-Apera cask. Selected and botted by That Boutique-y Whisky Company for their Return to Oz series released in January 2023. 428 bottles in total.
    • Location: Goolwa, SA
    • Score: 89
    Nose
    The peated element is all but absent on the nose, but the savoury notes of sweet olive tapenade and beef bourguignon are brilliant. Lots of black pepper.
    Palate
    Here's the peat, really whacks through on the palate without being dirty or grungy. Rich, sweet fortified flavours sitting harmoniously with the smoke. A linear and continuous journey that’s well put together.
    Finish
    A great end of the night dram, rich with lanolin-like oiliness that carries the smoke on and on.
    Comments
    The balance of this whisky and the togetherness is just amazing. All the flavours are seamlessly linked together. Hold onto your hat though, 65% will blow out the cobwebs.
  • TBWC The Gospel Distillery 3 Year Old Rye Whiskey
    The Stats
    • ABV: 58.6%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Rye whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled by The Gospel from a mash bill of 51% unmalted rye and 49% malted barley. Matured for three years in a virgin American oak cask and then finished in an ex-red wine cask. Selected and botted by That Boutique-y Whisky Company for their Return to Oz series released in January 2023. 434 bottles in total.
    • Location: Melbourne, VIC
    • Score: 91
    Nose
    Strawberry liqueur chocolates, mahogany furniture and pickled ginger.
    Palate
    Nutty, cacao butter and dusty earthen floors. Solid, chewy grain character with baked apple, Brazil nuts and chocolate fondue.
    Finish
    Long and persistent. Ginger and oat cakes and toffee apples.
    Comments
    Beautifully constructed. The earthy grain profile offers plenty of complex spice and the oak treatment is spot on.
How We Score
Julian White
Julian White is the co-owner of Melbourne’s Whisky & Alement and the driving force behind its importing arm the Independent Whisky Company. When he’s not scouring the planet for old and obscure bottlings, and creating daring whisky and beer projects for Australia’s curious drinkers, he’s a panel chair at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards and a presenter, whisky educator and consultant.