St. Agnes Camborne Shiraz Cask Batch No.001 Single Malt Australian Whisky (700ml)

First edition single malts from an historic Australian distiller.

Owned and run by the fifth generation of the Angoves family, St Agnes is Australia’s oldest family-owned continuously operating distillery. They first started laying down casks of new make whisky in 2015, produced via their historic brandy pot stills. The formula here echoes a similar South Australian whisky venture, Yalumba's Smith's Angaston, which also made use of an old brandy still. Just like Yalumba (also family owned), key to Angove's success will be a vast array of casks on hand that have previously contained brandy, apera, rare fortifieds and premium wines. Four beautifully presented first edition single cask expressions are now on offer and the quality is sure to be high. Each is diluted to an optimal ABV: Tawny Cask (51.8%), Sherry Cask (47.6%), XO Brandy Cask (46.3%) and Shiraz Wine Cask (46.2%). Further releases featuring different casks are also in the pipeline and Angove says the team are aiming to release older expressions. For the time being, Richard concludes, "We think these casks have hit a good spot and we’re really happy with them... The whiskies are classically South Australian – rich, full, stylish, smooth, and long."

Notes from the producers... Colour: Light orange. Entry: Strawberry and vanilla ice-cream sundae, followed up with a hint of lightly roasted nuts and caramel malt. Finish: Juicy cherry pie, liquorice and Rhum Agricole complexed with a whisp of bacon and smoke. Wine and oak tannins meld together for a seamless mouthfeel and mellow drying finish. 46.2% Alc. Vol.