Despite the cancellation of Tasmania's Dark Mofo Festival due to COVID-19, the Devils Distillery went ahead with a follow up to their 2019 'Winter Feast' tribute - this time with strikethrough text on the front label. Three years in small ex-bourbon casks followed by an 18 month finishing in a 200L ex-bourbon cask previously used to mature maple syrup makes for a dark coloured, woody malt. Initially you get some of the characteristics of over-aged Armagnac on the nose, before American oak pushes through sweeter scents of vanilla, cocoa, caramel and light sticky date. It's Bourbonesque on the palate too, starting out with low-key fruity malt and vanilla wafer flavours, finishing with maple drizzled buckwheat pancakes and fading with fresh cut oak. One of 379 bottles.
In classic Australian style, this whisky has absolutely rippled flavour out of its cask. However, while I was expecting spiky youth in the spirit and the abv, it drinks with a maturity and ease that belies these facts. I have since bought two bottles. Absolutely delicious and as good, if not better, than it’s Scotch peers
Nose: A rich herbal aroma intertwined with bonfire smoke, evoking imagery of a seaside campfire. Notes of sea salt, struck matches, and subtle roasted orange peel linger behind the smoky veil.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied with a distinct oily texture. The high proof delivers a robust entry, blending sweet spices with peat, accented by a faint trace of sulfur.
Finish: Long and warming, with persistent ashy smoke and briny sea breeze. Hints of matchstick and a delicate iodine note round it out.
With Water: The aroma reveals pronounced wet sea salt and brine, with the smokiness softening into a rounder profile. Vanilla and oak emerge prominently. On the palate, the sweetness persists, with the peat becoming less intense, giving way to caramelized oak and fruit notes.
A gentle giant. This old grain whisky doesn’t try to shout, but it has plenty to say if you’re listening. A soft, elegant dram with aged sherry cask influence, balancing fruit, leather, oak, and just a whisper of tobacco. If you’re chasing subtle complexity over brute strength, this hits the mark.