The off white shaped sails, the metal architectural wonders that towers over carpets of blue ; and a green velvety patch that lies in the girth of the city. Sydney certainly had a lot more zing, energy and the bustle, but at the same time was crowded with older structures and narrow arteries that seem to lend the city a cough. Keeping that aside, they sure had some great cafes that could give you a caffeine fix, a lot more greenery and quite the sinusoidal landscape compared to the rather flat topography Perth had to offer.

My pleasure of traveling to the eastern city meant I had to pick up something that was very local (NSWish) in the rather limited time I had, and what found its way to my tumbler was Coastal Stone’s Xplore.

The Xplore is a blended whisky made from un-malted barley with a smaller proportion of wheat and malted barley, the latter to help with the fermentation process. The spirit is distilled at their Northern Beaches distillery and made from a blend of whiskies that are matured in a combination of ex-bourbon American and ex-Australian Shiraz barrels ranging anywhere between 225 and 500 litres.

The bottle is clean and a pleasant handful, with some interesting textures around its side; an inspiration from the coastal waters of Sydney. The expression is the distillers entry level and was intended to be quite malleable, either neat or paired with other drinks as a cocktail.

Abv : 40%

Eye : Old Gold | Natural Colouring, Non Chill filtered

Nose : Vanilla, with floral notes, honey and charred melons. There’s some green pear, earthiness and a subtle spice.

Taste : The sweetness of vanilla, paired with dried fruits, olive brine and cantaloupe. White pepper and char are soon accompanied by a rich caramel sweetness with hints of red apples.

Finish : Short to medium | Sweet with faint hints of red apples and stone fruits with a pinch of pepper

This one isn’t fancy, but it does offer an experience albeit a more tropical dominant palate paired with a touch of spice. I expected a stronger maritime influence but that was at a minimum. It isn’t complex, nor does it have a lot of depth but it fairs well, especially the sweetness that re-emerges towards the end.  Being very one directional, I can see why this one’s more of a cocktail pairer and not a standalone player. 

At AUD $69, it isn’t really cheap for an entry level whisky. I felt the American oak got much more air time with the whisky, with the wine casks unable to induce that much needed diversity.  I am however keen to try some of the older siblings from the distillers stables. And until then…

Slainte!