Shaman Batch #03

Nose: Beautifully dry profile to start; freshly milled grist, cider apples, biscotti, a touch of damp hay, recently toasted staves (sans smoke) and trace green melon rinds. Perhaps just the faintest hint of lemon oil furniture polish. With a warm palm to the glass, it goes on with some various and subtle chalky candies, split vanilla pod and memories of bringing pilsner wort to the boil, pre hop additions.

 

Palate: Oh, very nice, supremely drinkable; definite aperitif whisky. Follows from the nose well, and while not quite the tropical ester melange this distillate often presents, we do see a well poised flourish of juicy white flesh orchard fruits, before more of those clean, well pronounced malty elements swing in with just a tinge of spritzy citrus. The cask influence is supportive here, but much less pronounced than in previous batches; well equalisied vanilla and some warm butterscotch over roasted coconut husk.

 

Comments: A beautiful, largely un-Australian Australian malt. Something in favour of progressive maturity, structure and balance over loudness and bombast; this is not a million miles from something like a Glencadam 15 IMHO. Notably, it seems a clear evolution in style for Tria Prima. After finishing my (um, err, third) glass, I've concluded this dram could very well bookend many a fine meal. Equally suited to aperitif duties as it is accompanying a rich desert, ideally cutting through something creamy. Ooh, perhaps Basque cheesecake... Hang on, I'll be right back!"