A few hours up North of Perth and you are welcomed with a plethora of contours on the otherwise desert like landscape that much of WA holds. The white sands of Lancelin, or the jagged tooth like limestone structures of the Pinnacles looking upto the skies, pockets of farmlands in and around countryside towns, the gorge and Nature’s Window – a unique opening formed at the centre of this large sandstone block due to wind erosion. The past few days have been time spent with the family, an appetiser perhaps to the festive season. My travel companion for the trip had to be a local expression, one from a WA owned distillery, The Limeburners Peated!

The Peated is an expression made from barley that is dried using peat sourced locally from Walpole, close to Albany, home to the distillery. The whisky is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon American oak and matured using a large solera tun, a technique used to age several of their other expressions, hence giving it an average age between 5 and 8 years. The bottle comes in the traditional Limeburners styling, with a black labelling – different, decent and very likeable.

ABV : 48%

Eye : Pale to yellow gold; Non Chill Filtered, Natural Colour

Nose : Melons and char with a mild hint of vanilla sweetness, some earthiness infused with a bit of brine and olives; savoury nuances from sundried tomatoes, and leather muddled with subtle bits of cardamom

Taste : Sweetness from the cantaloupe with floral undertones, fruity influences like those from stone fruits laced with cereal and caramel, followed by earthy, moist wood and mild citrus notes.

Finish : Peat with a touch of sweetness coupled with tropical bits

The Peat in this expression is distinct though not as relative as your average peated joes. Its presence isn’t subtle, tightly intertwined with the largely tropical influences than vividly standing out on its own. The largely one directional melon like nuances on the palate somehow gives me the impression the whisky tends to lean on the rough and edgy side of things, lacking substance.

Perhaps a bit more time to acquaint itself with the wood or dwelve in the company of older mature spirits from the solera tun might have helped redefined and possibly yield more structure to the spirit.

Bottom line – a near poor show combined with the high retail price (blame the liqour taxes) makes the Peated a pass. A bit dissapointed really, with much of the other flavours either subdued or sidelined by its more alpha flavours.

Slainte!

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