Review: Bakery Hill Eldorado Second Edition and Blunderbuss Third Edition

Luke McCarthy -
Review
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It’s always a pleasure to review Bakery Hill’s seasonal releases, and here we’re looking at a couple of follow-ups to previous editions.

The Bakery Eldorado is a change-up to Bakery Hill’s normally Bourbon cask matured malts. Fans looking for a richer take on the BH spirit will find plenty to like here. It’s a winner, and showed even better integration, length and balance than the first iteration.

Then, the Blunderbuss Third Edition 2024 release. These Blunderbuss bottlings, finished in Hop Nation Kalash casks that previously held Bakery Hill whisky, have always been subtle in their execution but hugely flavourful.

For those in Melbourne or those visiting, the new Bakery Hill Distillery and cellar door in Kensington, just north of the CBD, is now open for tours and tastings and I highly recommend checking out the space.

  • Bakery Hill El Dorado Second Edition Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 55%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled Bakery Hill Distillery and matured in Seppeltsfield Barossa Valley Apera cask for 18 months, before a final maturation in American Oak ex-Bourbon cask for three years. 345 bottles released.
    • Location: Melbourne, VIC
    • Score: 89
    Nose
    Strawberries, orange peel and ginger cream biscuits.
    Palate
    Restrained apera influence on the palate. Butterscotch, salted caramel and a sweet, musty fortified character from the apera, star anise, but at no point does the cask dominate. Mouth-filling.
    Finish
    Long, buttery, Plenty of spice and creaminess on the follow through. Seriously composed though – great choice of ABV.
    Comments
    A Bakery Hill take on sherry cask whisky. This is seriously good. It’s not as overtly winey and spicy as some other malts in this style, and this second edition is even more delicious and integrated than the inaugural bottling.
  • Bakery Hill Blunderbuss 2024 Third Edition
    The Stats
    • ABV: 55%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Bakery Hill Distillery from peated malt. Matured for 5 years in ex-Bourbon casks and finished for two additional years in the ex-stout barrel.
    • Location: Melbourne, VIC
    • Score: 91
    Nose
    Classic Bakery Hill (BH) DNA transformed by the beer cask maturation. Dark roasted malt flavours and bitter chocolate from The Kalash cask, while the hallmark BH citrus and cereal was poking through underneath. Sweet peat and sea salt.
    Palate
    Really opens up. Solid integration between spirit and the beer cask. More grunge and peat from previous iterations. Give it time, it keeps evolving.
    Finish
    Huge. Just when you think the cask influence might dominate, the Bakery Hill spirit character shines through.
    Comments
    As big and bold as previous iterations, with more, smoke, dark chocolate and coffee goodness. Very well integrated and executed.
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.