A rather peculiar name; designed equally unconventional with its octagonal shaped bottle and rather dark themed premise – The Sexton! By definition, a Sexton is a person that looks after the church premise and also works as a gravedigger, seeing one just before they move over to the afterlife.

Alex Thomas, creator and master blender of the expression, chose this name with much thought. Growing up, Alex’s parents and her grands opened up a bottle of single malt for every special occasion, even at times when their near and dear passed away. It was a means of celebrating life and the legacy that the person left behind. Keeping with that tradition, she wanted to create a whiskey that echoed that very same thought, one that would best celebrate life with ones loved ones, including all those special occasions. And with that, the name Sexton was born!

The expression is made from 100% locally sourced Irish malted barley, sans any peat or its influences. Once mashed and fermented, the wort is triple distilled in traditional copper pot stills and then aged in a combination of ex-olorroso sherry butt barrels for roughly four years and carefully tailored to achieve the desired flavour profile.

ABV : 40%

Eye : Burnished | Artificial Colouring (E150a)

Nose : Caramel and nail polish, interleaved with rasberry,  plums, and floral nuances. Red apple crumble, cereal with a mild woody char and some white pepper.

Taste : Sweet on the palate, with vanilla, grapes, and plums. Dried fruits with a mild cardamom like spice, some honey, and rasberry flavoured chocolate.

Finish : Medium | Caramel and lush dried fruits, with a whisper of cardamom tea.

The Sexton is quite heavy for a rather young triple distilled single malt whiskey. It boasts of dried fruits and lots of sweetness emanating from its influence with the olorroso Sherry butts. It might tend to be rather sweet, but it still seems quite loaded in terms of depth. Fairly complex with a subtle spice, the whisky is a surprise for something that doesn’t cost a kidney.

At AUD $54 (duty free) or AUD $80 (local liqour store), it does stand toe to toe with its Irish peers. Certainly not as common as your Jamesons, Bushmills, or the Teelings; this one comes to me as an underdog that delivers good bang for buck. A welcome surprise, one that I enjoyed and found to be a great tuple, especially for those who would like to venture into the Irish Single Malt scene or wish to celebrate those special occasions without breaking the bank!

Slainte Mhath!

PS : The bottle, though uniquely shaped, doesn’t give you the most pleasant experience when pouring a glass. The very same good looks give it a clunky and cumbersome feel when performing the act!