36 Short 40% is a marvel in Australian creation, and has set, in my opinion, a new standard for Australian whiskey.
One of the joys of Aussie home brew is that your fruitier and more oak notes can dance at a younger age due to our hotter climate compared to the Scottish or Irish counterparts. And this whiskey truly shines in this department.
Immediately on the first sip, I taste cherry and vanilla, a beauty of flavours only found in wine and wine casks, while the bourbon heart warming comes true, no smooth in mouth, warm in chest, this feels akin to a dessert almost, a sweet treat to end a hard week. The more I have the more I enjoy the noted pecan profile to truly elevate the experience. The aroma even with the glass mostly empty continuously teasing the senses, leaving a yearning for more.
This reminds me a lot of sherry forward scotches, think Aberlour, or Macallan, this whiskey should go down in Australian whiskey history as one of the pioneers, just like Macallan for sherried whiskey, while Starward stood for several years as my personal go to for home country pride, I believe that some good things do come from South Australia now. And I'm proud to own bottle number 650 of Batch number 2.
Beautiful in colour, light in mouth, I could absolutely see myself enjoying my weekend with some beautiful rosemary lamb, a charcuterie board and aged cheddar, and potentially even some dried figs and apricots.
I may find myself often spending the extra coin to replace my Jameson with this beauty.
