Water of Life - Fleurieu Distillery
South of South Australia’s state capital of Adelaide, the Fleurieu Peninsula covers quite a bit of diverse territory ranging from the tempestuous weathers of the Southern Ocean to the windswept clifftops of the cape and to top it all off, it is home to one of the more interesting distilleries on terra australis.
Capitalising on the spicy sea-air aromas and having accumulated both a wide array of accolades (inter-)nationally and praise from aficionados, Fleurieu Distillery has been on my radar for the longest time, and I have been looking forward to experiencing first-hand what they have to offer.
Only having started to release their expressions in 2017, I was astonished as to how owners Gareth and Angela Andrews have perfectioned their approach to channelling their alchemy in the creation of quality drops.
My first exposure to Fleurieu was continuous release aptly named after a wandering storm bird, i.e., Albatross, which is an example par excellence for marrying the maritime context of the peninsula with maple and warm vanilla oak overtones, nutty flavours and sweet caramel. The nose is informed by Biscoff Spread and yeasted dough, while the lingering finish rounds things out with cereal and sweet, tangy sultana flavours.
Paying homage to French explorer Nicholas Baudin and signifying a temporary rest point in Fleurieu’s distilling journey before launching into a new campaign, Bivouac is a vatting of second fill Tawny barrels along with Apera and PX casks, resulting in a delightful whisky with a combination of the best French and American oak barrels have to offer.
Bright copper in appearance, the nostrils are tickled by citrus scents and stovetop potpourri, which seamlessly transitions to the palate where caramel meets the richness of butter, counterpointed by a salty piquancy. The elongated finish brings it all together and leaves one lusting for another dram.
As the telling name suggests, Never A Dull Moment is a lively expression that derives its characteristics from the quintessence that Sherry casks from the Jerez region of Spain imbue.
Clocking in at 47.6% ABV, Never A Dull Moment proves to be a borderline ideal postprandial dessert dram with a flavour profile dominated by coconut, vanilla and toasted marshmallows with hints of fresh milk, all of which dance closely against a backdrop of salty, dark chocolate notes.
Delicious.
Let’s step things up a notch and move to Lost Paraguayos, which is Fleurieu Distillery’s cask strength expression, again based on a combination of Apera cask with just a dash of PX cask thrown in for good measure.
With 59.2% ABV, the rich copper coloured Lost Paraguayos expression packs quite a punch both in the alcohol as well as the flavour departments.
With a nose dominated by dried fruits, dark chocolate and a melange of spices, an avalanche of vanilla is framed by oaky malt notes on the top of the mouth. A sheer endless finish brings it all together with an elegant mouthfeel that most cask strength expressions lack.
So far, so good.
I am glad that I saved the following two expressions for the end and simultaneously sad because they are gone now:
Country to Coast #3 is a collaboration between the much fabled about Black Gate Distillery and Fleurieu. If you remotely follow this series, it would not have gone unnoticed that I love peat and smoke, especially of the Islay variety.
What we have here took me by surprise as I am not usually taken as much by Australian distilleries dabbling with peat: With new make components sourced from each distillery, each of which have enjoyed maturation in second fill Apera casks, this blend is truly exceptional.
Aromas of peat smoke reel me in, backed by stone fruity and vanilla scents, to then unleash a wonderfully multilayered complex flavour profile comprised in equal parts of the very best peat and Apera barrel characters have to offer, counterpointed by an incredibly balanced finished that manages to integrate briny coastal iodine in a way that is reminiscent of what I love about Laphroaig 10.
What a stunner.
The Lewis Carroll poetry / John Lennon referencing I am the Walrus expression signifies the newest peated Fleurieu whisky.
Again, second fill Apera Casks serve as the foundation for subtle peat nuances that are artfully enveloped in sweet malty overtones.
Given the quality of Fleurieu Distillery’s portfolio and how effortlessly they seem to hit the high notes of the claviature of flavour nuances, this is one to watch out for, especially given the limited nature of their bottlings.
