Water of Life – Limeburners and Earp Distillery
Over the last ten years, Australia has firmly established itself on the map of nations that produce quality malt whiskies. Slowly but steadily, rye whiskies created on terra australis have been making a splash on the scene with quite a few distilleries crafting their own incarnations of American style rye whiskey.
I favourite Australian rye whisky of mine is Tiger Snake, which we covered in a previous instalment so needless to say, I was enthused to learn that two new variants have been released, each of which promised to be taste-intensive expressions from a long way off.
Tiger Snake’s Eye of the Tiger clocks in at a punchy 55% ABV and being a marriage of rye and pale malts along with the fact that the twice distilled result has matured in a melange of old and new American oak casks, it promised to be a multi-layered experience.
What tickles the nostrils upon approach is on the sweeter end of the spectrum, with citrussy vanilla nuances being dominant, backed by lemon grassy highlights.
On the palate things get interesting as the malt characteristics come to the fore, carried by what the nose promised in terms of vanilla but upping the ante with spicy nutmeg, hints of pickles, counterpointed by oaky rye notes.
The finish of this small batch shows the refined way the drop has been matured with grainy, chewy sweetness and floral notes leaving their imprint. If you like Tiger Snake or rye whiskies in general, this should definitely make your must-try list.
Now, things get exciting with the next expression, i.e. Tiger Snake Cask Strength.
Based on a mash bill comprised of malted barley, rye and corn and a similar maturation process as the aforementioned Rye of the Tiger, the first aromas one catches upon approach are of herbaceous nature. In many aspects, it feels like additional facets to the core version are added with vanilla being dominant, yet flanked by silage, citrus notes and spicy-peppery highlights.
On the top of the mouth, sweetness reigns supreme before morphing into oaky rye, toffee and brown sugary territory.
The elongated finish is a beauty as it weaves its way traversing herbal, sweet and finely balanced spicy territory.
A wonderfully rich expression, with each batch being based on a single cask and an average age of seven to ten years.
Now, Limeburners Directors Cut series is the crème de la crème of what the distillery has to offer, with expressions being curated by their master distillers and chosen for their exquisite quality and outstanding taste and aroma.
I was majorly excited to be able to try a peated version at cask strength, i.e. 61% ABV from barrel M354.
Hand distilled in small batches and peat smoked with had foraged peat sourced from the Valley of the Giants in Albany, Western Australia, to then mature in second fill American and finished in a Sherry oak cask, this is exactly the decadent flavour bomb one could hope for.
I usually prefer sipping whiskies neat, but with a few drops of water this baby starts to really sing as a world of nuanced flavour is unleashed adding malty and oaky nuances to the initially spicy and fruity notes. What I love about this expression is the subtle smokiness that is the cherry on top of a drop which is to be savoured with each sniff and sip.
Another true Limeburners masterpiece.
Let’s travel from Western Australia back to Australia’s east coast, Newcastle to be specific:
Earp Distilling Co. evolved from the business George Frederick Earp founded well over one hundred years ago and saw the family business transition from being purveyors of goods to becoming creators and infuse the world of distilling with their family values.
From the get go, Earp Distilling’s approach has been to doing things differently and taking things to the next level in the process. Questioning the norms of traditional distilling, Earp focussed on creating their stills from high-quality, chemically inactive stainless steel instead of copper and setting it up so they can be run in different modes with coils to create reflux when needed, which enabled them to not have to relegate to one spirit but the option to create anything no matter if it is gin, run, whisky or liqueurs.
Earp’s set up not only ensure a stable distillation run, but more control over the consistent calibration of flavour nuances, with the added benefit that the innovative design aids to operate in a much more energy efficient manner.
Paying homage to the deities of the Greek antic with the nomenclature of their stills, Earp Distilling derives inspiration from Greek mythology and gives it contemporary relevance when it comes to how they channel their alchemy in distilling.
My first exposure to Earp’s creations was their marriage of their No. 8 Dry Gin and a six week maturation period in vintage Hunter Valley fortified casks. What tickled the nostrils was a lovely, piney aromatic scent with highlights of floral, slightly tart nuances. On the palate, juniper is the backbone on which mild, creamy cinnamon flavours blend in with cardamon, coriander and a culmination in a tangy and crisp sherried finish.
A fantastic gin infused with unique flavour nuances from the fortified casks, which gives an indication of Earp’s expertise when it comes to leveraging their long-standing relationships with leading cooperages and the sourcing of quality oak. Given that Earp seems to have a veritable arsenal of barrels ranging from Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez via ex-Bourbon to Australian vintage casks, I cannot wait for them to release their first whiskey expression.
Now, things get interesting with a spirit that is not too often found on terra australis, i.e. absinthe.
Clocking in at 60% ABV, Earp’s Absinthe Minded expression signifies their descent into the debauched backwater of bohemian times.
Based on the traditional foundation of wormwood, Earp’s delicate infusion of botanicals not only infuse the mysterious spirit with a pink hue but nice lemony, cinnamon and fennel highlights. While the traditional French absinthe ritual is fun, it speaks volumes about Earl’s refined approach that the involvement of a sugar cub is not a necessity, as sipping neat with a bit of water to trigger the louche effect is enjoyable as well.
The fact that Earp Distilling’s creations come in aesthetically appealing ceramic bottles to pay homage to the family’s core business they started out with, does not hurt either.
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images from company websites
