After exploring That Boutique-y Whisky Co’s new “core” range, a trip down under with their Australian “Return to Oz” range, we closed our explorations at London’s 2023 Whisky Show with their new Cinema expressions!
We didn’t get through them all, however, each was distinctive and worth sampling!
Here is what we tried:
- Italy’s Puni 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.1% for GBP 75
- Sweden’s Mackmyra 9 year old (2023) Batch 3 46.8% for GBP 100
- Australia’s Corowa 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.8% for GBP 100
- Scotland’s Aultmore 13 year old (2023) Batch 18, 50% for GBP 75
So where did we begin?
Puni 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.1%
My eye immediately spotted the Puni – it had been years since I sampled anything from this Italian distillery. Normally I’m meticulous about capturing some kind of impression – even if it is just a few words that trigger evoking some kind of memory weeks and sometimes months later when I take the time to write up what I found. In this case? Nothing! So you will just have to tolerate my sharing with the good folks at TBWC have this to say:
PUNI is the first Italian whisky distillery, located high in the Italian alps, in an environment well suited to growing cereal crops. The distillery takes its name from the local river, Puni. Their striking distillery design, a 13-metre tall red brick cube is unusual, as is the combination of three malted cereals in their mash bill recipe. This release uses their three malt mashbill, and has been matured in an ex-bourbon barrel and finished in a Pinot Noir Cask, which we’ve then finished in a Sherry cask, so this is a fruity little number
Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘The Good, Bad, and The Ugly’
And their official tasting notes?
- N: Malty, Digestive biscuits topped with blackcurrant jam. More sweet notes follow, with hints of wild strawberries and some nutty, woody spices.
- P: The malty biscuit notes are followed by a fruity sweetness, nicely balanced with some woody spices.
- F: A medium length finish with some chilli chocolate.
Mackmyra 9 year old “Duka Upp Til Fika” (2023) Batch 3 46.8%
Thanks to a lovely Swedish whisky-tasting companion, I’ve had the pleasure to explore quite a few Mackmyra’s over the years and even go on a tour of the distillery. Whilst they have a real range – largely split between their “Elegant” (aka without peat) and “smokey” styles, they have quite a range of experimentation. If you really pushed me to describe, I would default to calling it a “Ccandi” style – thinking of minimalist wood furniture, with clean lines, something fresh producing an overall quite pleasing effect.
Then to explain this time it would be with roasted green tea? Hmm…. either it will completely work or be a total disaster! My reaction? It is worth trying. There was subtle fruitiness, fresh cedar or pine on the nose yet also something a bit bitter. On the palate, it was harder to describe. Some herbal elements and something else that could not be captured by a mere sniff and swish.
What more do they have to say?
Now this is something very interesting for the original ‘Nordics’ distillery; Mackmyra were founded in 1999 and have really led the way in the Nordic whisky scene. This is a 9 Year Old Swedish Single Malt that has spent time in a cask that has been seasoned with Hojicha Green Tea. Hojicha is a Japanese green tea that originated in Kyoto 100 years ago. Unlike traditional green teas, Hojicha is roasted after the leaves are steamed.
Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘The Seventh Seal’
And TBWC official tasting notes:
- N: Signature Mackmyra notes of banana and pear initially. This is quickly followed by an earthiness of petrichor and some fresh cedar notes.
- P: Fresh and fruity. Light and nimble. A tropical fruit salad of papaya, not fully ripe banana and hints of coconut, vanilla, and caramel flavours, with some chilli spices.
- F: As the spiciness fades some sweet, drying, herbal green tea notes come through.
Would I agree? Why certainly!
Corowa 4 year old (2023) Batch 2 46.8%
This was my first intro to Corowa distillery. Founded in 2010 in New South Wales, it is in the heart of prime Australian wine region! No surprise then that they chose to use local Australian wine casks to mature their whiskies. In this case – Muscat.
My tasting notes are brief but clear! I found quite an organic “farm-like” quality to this whisky. Sweet yet also quite minerally. On the palate it was surprisingly smooth yet also came with a kick. Yes this sounds like a contradiction but that’s what I discovered! Bold fruity flavors and a lot more of that mineral element.
And what does TBWC have to say?
Our second cask from Australia’s Corowa distillery is a 4 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, that’s been matured in an ex-Muscat cask. Muscat vines have been cultivated in Australia for about 100 years. Several different types of Muscat grape are grown as wine grapes and several different wine styles have been developed ranging from crisp dry whites, to rich late harvest sweet wines and the unique and world renowned fortified Liqueur Muscats.
Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘Mad Max’
As for their official tasting notes, here you go!
- N: Bitter chocolate, molasses, Medjool dates, figs, with hints of white pepper, flint, and wild fennel
- P: Big, bold, and fruity! Dried fruits; raisins figs, dates. Malt loaf, and a mineral spice with a hint of ginger too. This is really tasty!
- F: Longer than I was expecting, with that mineral flinty spice and some bitter chocolate nibs…
Well, I would certainly concur with all the mineral references! From a fuzzy memory, the balance also seems to jibe with my experience.
Aultmore 13 year old (2023) Batch 18, 50%
Aultmore’s can be quite summery drams yet with substance – this was no exception! It was fruity and citrusy fresh, throw in some baked goods – simply delicious on the nose. Whereas on the palate, the sweetness was there but also yes – call it the power of suggestion – something a bit soapy too! Then a hint of bitter – again just enough to remind you this dram is not a complete lightweight!
What do they have to say?
Aultmore malt has always been revered by blenders as the perfect whisky to build up a blend. Our 14 Year Old has spent 11 years in a refill ex-bourbon cask until we got our hands on it, and Dr. Whisky had this re-racked into a first-fill bourbon in 2019 for reasons that can only be disclosed in the secrecy of ‘Bath Night.’
Recommended movie for watching while sipping this whisky: ‘Fight Club’
And their tasting notes?
- N: A soft oiliness; peanut oil perhaps? Panettone, macaroons, grist, digestive biscuits. Followed by some citrus notes; grapefruit and lime
- P: Pilsner lager with a wedge of lime, summer grasses,a little green tea bitterness. I like this!
- F: Medium length, chalky, grassy, with some pepper lingering.
Wow! And what fun! I love how they chose to not only introduce their new core range as a “constant” but to also have 3 distinct sessions throughout the day. Whilst we missed one, I figure catching 2 out of 3 isn’t bad! Can’t wait to see what these folks do next!
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