The latest Muscat, frontignac and shiraz matured Australian malts

Luke McCarthy -
Whisky Reviews
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On tasting: 78 Degrees Muscat Finish, Sullivans Cove Special Cask Edition #12 Frontignac Cask TD0325, Fleurieu Englishman in New York, Launceston Distillery Muscat Cask Finish, The Aisling Royalty Special Edition Shiraz Cask, Archie Rose A Whisky in Every Port, Backwoods Muscat Cask, Iniquity Gold Batch 006

I seem to have a talent for coming across outpourings of frustration on Australian whisky. Much of what I see centres on price, value for money, the ‘hot and young’ bluster, the ‘dominated by cask and wine’ chat that constantly does the rounds.

What I don’t come across very often is commentary from people who’ve actually sat down and tasted through a diverse range of Australian whiskies.

Sure, I’m considered an Australian whisky ‘evangelist’, so I’m tasting more local whiskies than most, and approaching them with an open mind. But despite how much choice and variety there is these days, I constantly hear from people who are determined to write-off an entire industry based on their experiences with one or two producers.

Australian whisky is crazily diverse at the moment, so diverse that it’s difficult to summarise. Look at the whiskies in this round-up alone: the casks and maturation programs involved, the specialty malts and distillation regimes at play.

There’s also another dozen recent bottlings we’ve already reviewed or could’ve added to this line-up: 5Nines Distilling’s Frontignac Cask, McLaren Vale Mr Riggs Shiraz Cask, the latest Headlands Muscat Cask and the new Spirit Thief bottlings (hoping to get to a number of these soon).

Wine cask matured Australian whisky is gathering serious momentum. If we’re not there already, I can see a time where Australia will lead the world in this style.

I mean, where else can you find whiskies matured in the variety and quality of casks below? Sure, there’s a number of Scottish and European whiskies exploring this style, some doing an excellent job of it. But the provenance and traceability of the casks, and the flavours from iconic Australian wine styles like Muscat, is starting to take things here to a new level.

It’s a style we’re constantly exploring and thinking about at Oz Whisky Review. Every season you can taste our distillers progressing in their understanding of how best to mature spirit in these casks. And as you see below, there’s some serious whisky coming through now.

  • 78 Degrees Muscat Finish Australian Whiskey
    The Stats
    • ABV: 44%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled in a single shot through a hybrid pot column from a mash of unmalted barley and up to 11 specialty malts. Matured in a combination of French and American oak ex-wine casks and then finished in ex-Muscat casks from Rutherglen. Bottled June 2021.
    • Location: Hay Valley, SA
    • Score: 84
    Nose
    The classic 78 Degrees apricot breakfast cereal pops out first, then oat biscuits, chocolate eclairs and walnuts as the specialty malts come through. Follows up with boiled fruits and spice - cloves and cinnamon - from the wine casks.
    Palate
    Some prickle upfront, then a wave of oak spice as the casks come together with that biscuity spirit profile. Nice interplay between the muscat - which is subtle, and brings on quince and sticky pears - and the rich grip from the red wine casks.
    Finish
    Spicy and fruity here, with lingering carob chocolate and candied orange.
    Comments
    Another solid offering from Adelaide Hills. The muscat cask hasn't added a whole lot, just enough raisins and perfume, and works nicely with the cereal spice of the 78 Degrees profile.
  • Sullivans Cove Special Cask Edition #12 American Oak Frontignac Cask TD0325
    The Stats
    • ABV: 47%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled October 27th 2007 at Sullivans' Cambridge site and matured for 12 years in a 200 litre American oak ex-frontignac cask. Bottled March 3rd 2021. 447 bottles in total.
    • Location: Cambridge, TAS
    • Score: 92
    Nose
    Honey, sauternes and so aromatic. Lemon cake, beeswax and coconut, and delicious flashes of frontignac (find some of this dessert wine if you haven't tried it). There's still a hint of that Sullivans funk in here, too.
    Palate
    Everything you'd expect from the nose. Luscious and silky, with pleasant prickles of malt, and it gets creamy and citrusy (lemon pith) as it moves along. The wine cask just accentuates the malt, there's no tannin or overreach from the cask here.
    Finish
    Delightful.
    Comments
    Yeah, I like it. The frontignac cask works brilliantly with the Sullivans' profile, and it's been decanted at an optimal moment - the spirit is still there adding structure and intrigue. Look, even if I had the means, I'm not rushing out to drop $750 on a bottle. It would want to taste good for that sort of money. It does though.
  • Fleurieu Single Malt Whisky Englishman in New York
    The Stats
    • ABV: 48%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Fleurieu Distillery and this bottling is a vatting of five 100 litre casks which previously held either frontignac or tawny. 550 bottles in total. Bottled February 2021.
    • Location: Goolwa, SA
    • Score: 83
    Nose
    This is really on the savoury, mushroomy side. The familiar Fleurieu sea salt is there, with Mongolian lamb and soy sauce. As it opens up, burnt caramel popcorn, flamed orange peel, and hints of smoke and cumin. Hard to detect any frontignac influence.
    Palate
    Completely different here. It comes on thick and rich, with butterscotch, toffee, again the sea salt, and roasted almonds. No word from the frontignac, or if it's there, it’s smothered by everything else.
    Finish
    A little meaty here. Smoke and tawny lingering.
    Comments
    Solid as always from Goolwa's finest. I was hoping for more from the fronti casks, but the tawny and the boisterous Fleurieu character is having none of that.
  • Launceston Distillery Muscat Cask Finish TWW2021 
    The Stats
    • ABV: 55%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Launceston Distillery and initially matured for two years in small (20 litre?) apera casks and then transferred to a Holm Oak Muscat cask for another 14 months. Bottled for Tasmanian Whisky Week 2021. 50 bottles in total.
    • Location: Launceston, TAS
    • Score: 86
    Nose
    Spice from the apera up front. Earthy and grassy, and then hints of jam and treacle as the Muscat emerges. Cereal malt notes and pears. Slight wet oak.
    Palate
    More savoury than I was expecting thanks to the apera. Muscat comes in the middle, adding sultanas and raisins and some floral perfumey notes. Glides along effortlessly in spite of the ABV (what 55%).
    Finish
    A little woody and grippy at the back, but there's plenty of juicy Muscat against that.
    Comments
    This is nice. The muscat influence is certainly not over the top, it's quite subtle, and is played off smartly against the apera. So easy drinking for the ABV. Dangerous stuff.
  • The Aisling Royalty Special Edition Shiraz Cask
    The Stats
    • ABV: 50%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at The Aisling Distillery in January 2017. This release is a marriage of two 225 litre uncharred shiraz casks from the Riverina. Bottled April 2021. 600 bottles in total.
    • Location: Griffith, NSW
    • Score: 87
    Nose
    Red berries and some lovely brandied cherry and caramel from the cask. Polished wood, raspberry jam and plums.
    Palate
    Mouth-coating and syrupy. Brown sugar and red apples. Definitely get some furry, earthy red wine tannins coming through, but the balance is on point.
    Finish
    Malt, caramel and hint of red wine grip.
    Comments
    Like it. High quality casks which haven't dominated the spirit. Considering the cask selection and the slightly higher ABV, you expect something that's winey and heavy, but this is integrated and pretty delish. A sophisticated package, especially for the price ($149 - 700ml).
  • Archie Rose Single Malt Whisky A Whisky in Every Port
    The Stats
    • ABV: 50%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Archie Rose's Rosebery site from the six malt mashbill. Initially matured in a Late Bottled Vintage port cask before being married in 225-litre Australian tawny casks. Bottled June 2021. 300 bottles in total.
    • Location: Sydney, NSW
    • Score: 78
    Nose
    Crikey, almost pours like a port (well der). All the dates, raisins and prunes you'd expect from so much tawny/port influence. Tobacco, tea leaves and ground coffee. Lots of dark chocolate.
    Palate
    Dry. Thick and unctuous, but the clash of the roasted malts against the casks has created a cocoa powder palate. Hard to even pick the difference between the two cask styles. Time and some water helps to open up some dark berries and fruits, but overall, it's just, well, dry.
    Finish
    Dry. Even turns a little bitter.
    Comments
    I wanted to taste this here because it's playing in a similar vineyard. But the casks have strangled all the life out of the spirit here, so much so that the normally palpable six malt profile even struggles to get a word in. Not for me.
  • Backwoods Single Malt Whisky Batch #3 Muscat Cask (55%)
    The Stats
    • ABV: 55%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Backwoods Distilling Co. from a three-malt mash. Matured in a vatting of three 100 litre casks - French oak ex-Muscat, American oak ex-whisky/wine and French oak ex-wine. Bottled 21st of November 2020 and released at two different ABV's, 55% and 46%. 250 bottles in total.
    • Location: Yackandandah, VIC
    • Score: 85
    Nose
    Some heat initially. It's a little closed at this ABV (water opened things up). Dark chocolate's the common theme here. But this is a little floral, too, with some savoury maltiness coming through. Not much of the Muscat yet.
    Palate
    Better here. The Muscat pokes through the wine casks with treacle, honey and some musty spice. Then the big Backwoods malt profile kicks in with rocky road, amber ale and burnt banana bread.
    Finish
    Big tail, with those roasted malts punching through.
    Comments
    The Muscat influence is really well integrated here. Doesn't dominate or become too cloying. Another solid malt bomb from Yackandandah.
  • Iniquity Single Malt Whisky Gold Batch 006
    The Stats
    • ABV: 60.1%
    • Price Band: $ $ $ $ $
    • Style: Single malt whisky
    • Production Story: Distilled at Tin Shed Distilling Co. in November 2017 and matured in a 225 litre shiraz cask. Six months prior to bottling, the cask was topped up with whisky matured for two years in an ex-Bourbon cask.
    • Location: Adelaide, SA
    • Score: 89
    Nose
    Trying to come up with a term that describes this raisiny, cherries, cedar character you get from certain Aussie malts where the wine cask marries up brilliantly with the spirit. Anyway, this has that. You get some high vanilla, toffee (Bourbon cask influence?) and lots of juicy fruits from the shiraz.
    Palate
    Christ, this is massive. Without water, it's a colossus of malt and wine - figs, brulee and earthy tannins. It gets a little grippy and oaky as it moves along, and you can see why the ex-Bourbon component was thrown in.
    Finish
    I'll let you know when it stops.
    Comments
    For pure complexity, this is your ticket. Despite the sledgehammer of flavour, there's enough finesse and fruit to elevate this. And the nose is devine. If you're into this style, press go. Fans of 20 year old refill Bourbon cask malts, see elsewhere.
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.