Water of Life – Overeem Cask Strength expressions
Founded fifteen years ago by Casey Overeem as a hobby business and what effectively constituted the fourth distillery in Tasmania, Overeem Distillery has established itself as a veritable heavyweight not merely on the firmament of distilleries on terra australis but also on international terrain based on their commitment to not cutting corners and putting quality first and foremost.
Using only Tasmanian grown barley, which is then fermented extensively before matured in a specifically created environment for casks, Overeem’s process is based on a slow and meticulously thought through approach.
With a core range comprised of two Port Cask matured expressions and two Sherry Cask matured expressions, I have grown to love Overeem’s cask strength expressions, the lion’s share of which have been matured for up to six years in 100 litre French oak casks, with recently American Oak and Bourbon Casks having been introduced to the fold.
Overeem’s Sherry Cask deep golden coloured Matured Cask Strength expression tickles the nostrils upon approach with its melange of caramel, raisins and cinnamon with top notes of chocolate, middle notes of coconut and notes of vanilla.
On the top of the mouth the ABV of 60% materializes with a bit of a burn, before cidery, mixed cinnamon spicy nuances blend in with pineapple and green strawberry notes. The reverberating finish is characterised by sweet and bitter flavours reminiscent of charred almonds and cocoa.
A special variant of Overeem’s Sherry Cask expression if the Cask OD-474, which was selected at random to end up being accolade decorated at the World Whisky Awards 2022. Not unlike the regular Sherry Cask expression, the nose is dominated by dark chocolatey and sweet spicy, raisin aromas and what the scents promised, continues seamlessly on the palate, where dried fruits merge with elegant hits of spice and cinnamon before leaving me smacking my lips due to the nutty, candied caramel flavours.
The aromas of the Port Cask Matured Cask Strength win me over instantaneously with its smoky, tobacco, herbaceous black tea aromas blending in with a bit of an ocean smell.
On the palate, this little number unfolds its big oily character via umami and balanced, slightly salty savoury flavours, culminating in distinct notes of burnt toffee and butterscotch.
The long sweet finish lands firmly in chocolatey and slightly spicy territory, with the faintest hint of smokiness which makes me lust for another dram.
The highlight when it comes to Overeem channelling its alchemy in the realm of cask strength expressions, however, is the 12 Year Old Bourbon Cask Matured variant.
Matured in ex-Heaven Hill 200 litre casks, this drop is a rich tour de force when it comes to layered complexity: It starts with a slightly sweet, coffee bean nose, backed by orange peel and brown sugar molasses.
On the palate things get interesting as molasses meet American Oak to then take a detour into mildly nutty and mildly spicy liquorice territory with bright acidic highlights, which finish on high notes of coconuts and tropical fruits.
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image from company website
