Water of Life – Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky 3rd Ba

Water of Life – Archie Rose Rye Malt Whisky 3rd Batch

Archie Rose is the one that almost got away.

Having made a name for itself on the forefront of craft gin distillers and having established a wonderfully moody and well curated bar next (including an engaging and knowledgeable accolade decorated bar team) to its warehouse style distillery, Archie Rose Distilling Co has been on my radar ever since its inception in 2015.

The name being prohibition era code for an etablissement proffering alcoholic libations, it was only a matter of time until I was going to sample their liquid emissions.

Needless to say that I was beyond intrigued when a couple of years ago word around the campfire had that they were branching out from merely dominating the Australian gin craze into creating whisky.

It took a while for the Rye Malt Whisky to materialize in front of your humble creator and expectations were high as it was announced as a having been created out of a melange of malted rye and malted barley, which was then matured in air dried American oak casks in the maritime surroundings that Sydney’s coast is known for.

Amber in appearance, what tickles the nostrils could be best described as a balanced tightrope act between the sweeter and savoury ends of the spectrum perforated by notes of toffee and dried fruits.

What seamlessly transitions to the palate is a serenade of malt, vanilla and caramel with nuances of the aforementioned dried fruits, which culminates in an elongated finish that brings back the spiciness the bouquet promised, rounded out with a delicious saline feel.

The multi-faceted, layered character of Archie Rose’s first excursion into whisky territory is testament to a distillery that knows what they are aiming for and how to achieve it as it does not force to reinvent the wheel but creates a dram that is aromatic and navigates spicy, fruity, herbal and malty regions in an expertly calibrated manner.

A dangerously more-ish drop that warrants that we visit the gin range that Archie Rose has become known for in the first place.

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Photo from company website