Review: The Remnant ‘The Golden Fleece’ Single Malt Whisky

Luke McCarthy -
Whisky Reviews
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The Remnant Whisky Company continue their wry, tongue in cheek reflection on the Nant whisky saga with the just-released ‘The Golden Fleece’. Love the name, love the price ($99/500ml), especially considering the component whiskies used for this batch are, as far as Remnant could tell, at least 10 years old. Whether you’re a Tassie whisky tragic or just keen on getting a taste of something complex and affordable (a rare combination from down there), this is great value drinking.

 

  • The Remnant The Golden Fleece Single Malt Whisky
    The Stats
    • ABV: 45%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: The stock for the The Golden Fleece was originally distilled at Nant Distillery and the youngest component casks are, as far as could be ascertained, at least 10 years old. 14 Nant casks in total matured in ex-Australian apera and Bourbon were married together by The Remnant Whisky Company team for this bottling and released July 2023. 2000 bottles in total.
    • Location: Bothwell, TAS
    • Score: 87
    Nose
    Butterscotch, toffee and banana. A touch spikey and hot, but go with it. Honey, marmalade and ginger chocolate with time. Some lovely high floral notes which hint at the age of some of the component casks.
    Palate
    Lovely malty weight to this. Darker, spicier herbal elements initially, somewhere between rocky road chocolate and ginger snaps. Iced Vovos and vanilla from the ex-Bourbon components and some developed high fruit characters. Hints of old, leathery Nant in there, but that's been softened and managed really well. Love the bottling strength.
    Finish
    Slight anise, tannic character at the back end, but that's tempered by some rich fortified wine flavours.
    Comments
    It's not seemless, but this is super enjoyable and intriguing. I'm more than happy to forgive some of the peccadillos because there's deep and brooding complexity here (hats off to the blending team) and the price is incredibly refreshing. This has got to be one of the best value-for-money Tasmanian whiskies to be released in a long time.
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.