Whisky review: Overeem Whisky comes full circle

Julian White -
Whisky Reviews
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On tasting: Overeem Sherry Cask (OD 302), Overeem Sherry Cask (OHD-077), Overeem Floc Shots, Overeem Port Cask (OD 251), Overeem Man of Promise Reserve Port Cask (OD 326)

Overeem Whisky had humble beginnings in founder Casey Overeem’s garage. The richly flavoured Overeem single malt he created quickly developed a cult following in the Aussie whisky market, and became renowned across the whisky drinking world for its consistency and balance.

But when Overeem was sold to Lark Distillery Pty Ltd in 2014, releases became few and far between, and we all feared the brand might slowly recede from view.

It was big news when Jane and Mark Sawford announced they had reacquired the brand, bringing it full circle from family start-up to part of an ASX listed company and back to family ownership again.

There’s been a huge amount of interest in how the Overeem brand will refocus itself, and there’s a challenge for the team to re-establish Overeem’s acumen and attention to detail once more. But that job is made a lot easier when you look at the whisky at the heart of the story.

This was a great opportunity to compare Overeem old and new. From a 2014 bottling to the most recent Man of Promise, you can see why enthusiasts jumped on board in those early days, and why so many are excited for what’s to come.

  • Overeem Sherry Cask Matured (OD 302)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 43%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled for Overeem Whisky and matured in a 100 litre apera cask for a minimum five years.
    • Location: Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    Brandy soaked raisins and Scottish tablet. Hints of wine gums, elderflower and Just Right cereal. Delicate baking spices and a hint of alcohol.
    Palate
    Caramelised sugars upfront. Corn flakes and honey, apera, tart nectarines, underripe stone fruit and a short jab of spicy oak.
    Finish
    Werthers Original, and just keeps going. Butterscotch liqueur and caramel popcorn.
    Comments
    This has always been an easy-to-like whisky. The apera influence is well-managed, the malt profile stays intact, and the sweetness is complex and highly pronounced.
  • Overeem Sherry Cask Matured (OHD-077)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 43%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt
    • Production Story: Distilled at Old Hobart Distillery in Kingston and matured in a 100 litre apera cask for a minumum five years. Bottled 2014.
    • Location: Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    Orange sherbet and fairy floss. Candied citrus peel on glazed pastries. Vanilla essence and green food dye.
    Palate
    Barley, porridge and honey. Orange and poppyseed cake with Cointreau on the side. Integrated apera influence that comes across as caramelised grape sugars rather than wine flavours.
    Finish
    Those sugars hang on without a load of tannin drying things out.
    Comments
    It's always fun to compare old and new bottlings. But really, both of these sherry casks hold up brilliantly, and neither has a weak point. OD 302 has a rich and prominent sweetness, while OHD-077 has a depth and integrated apera component which adds a touch of class. A big thank you to Jane and Mark for sharing a bottle of OHD 077.
  • Overeem Floc Shots Bottled for Whisky Lovers Australia
    The Stats
    • ABV: 43%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Bottled for the The Whisky List's Whisky Lovers Australia Facebook group. Here, floculant from Overeem whiskies (naturally occurring compounds in whisky which are usually filtered out because of the haze that develops in the bottle) was married together and bottled as an exclusive release. Bottled September 2020. 100 bottles in total.
    • Location: Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 89
    Nose
    Meat juices with caramelised orange juice (now I’m hungry). Hoi sin and rosemary, and the Overeem's is in there behind a bunch of oils - I guess it does say that on the tin.
    Palate
    The expected oil slick on the tongue isn’t how 'the floc' manifests itself. In this case, it's the binding mechanism for a handful of big ballsy fortified and caramel notes, which aren't wine-driven, thankfully. There’s ginger and dates with a big whack of zingy citrus which tidies and cuts the richness back at just the right moment.
    Finish
    Fortified notes and a touch of younger spirit on the finish, but we’re still left with signature caramel flavours.
    Comments
    Even though this is the same ABV as the core Overeem releases, it does offer a lot more in terms of flavours and oomph. I wonder if there's a way that these oils could somehow be left in the core releases? Perhaps clarity would be an issue, but where there’s a want there’s a way, because this is great stuff. Worth seeking out.
  • Overeem Port Cask Matured (OD 251)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 43%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled for Overeem Whisky and matured in a 100 litre tawny cask for a minimum five years.
    • Location: Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 90
    Nose
    Things have turned pink and purple. There’s blackberrys, strawberries, cream lollies and the signature caramels.
    Palate
    More grunt from the tawny cask, with jam and a real toasty flavour. Berry danishes and breakfast cereal, and there's a barrel char note which fills out the back palate.
    Finish
    Toasted oak and shortbread. Biscuity timber with a jammy dodger coating. Never turns bitter or deviates its course.
    Comments
    This has that classic Tasmanian cask-forward flavour, but it has a balance that few achieve. Patient, restrained, and intelligent maturation prevents this from becoming too wine cask driven.
  • Overeem Man of Promise Reserve Port Cask Matured (OD 326)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 48%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Specially selected by Casey Overeem. A single tawny cask matured for a minimum fives years. Bottled November 2020.
    • Location: Hobart, TAS
    • Score: 94
    Nose
    Big fortified notes, squashed sultanas and fruit toast. Honey glazed ham and sugared almonds. More golden syrup here than other Port Cask bottlings.
    Palate
    The depth has really taken a step up here. Delicious, highly complex notes of fortified wine, dried figs and liqueur cherries. Chocolate fondue with dried fruits. Expensive chocolates eaten off silver trays while sitting on freshly polished furniture.
    Finish
    (Pouring myself more). The official notes say brandy snaps, and yep, I agree. Tawny rounds out the finish, but there’s just so much impressive timber complexity.
    Comments
    If it were a Scotch whisky I’d say it was old or the timber was of some very specific pedigree because here it's just awesome. It’s not a sticky dram like a PX bomb - there’s still malt body and the balance of tart oak is just perfect. Can’t wait for next Christmas!
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.