“It’s hard to talk about previous releases sometimes, reminiscing fond memories from days gone by. But hey, that’s the reality of small batch whisky - it’s a true joy that can never last. Our first edition of the Smoky Wedding Double Oak was one of these batches that laid the foundation for many future releases. Not only a combination of grain (the malt from Flinders peat vs the malt from Scotland peat), but the very first combination of cask types from Furneaux Distillery.

Eager to release mature spirit in our early days, I was tasting casks in anticipation of their decanting date. I had two different batches that were coming up on their birthday at the same time. One was a group of ten 20l ex Tawny casks filled with 40% Flinders Peated spirit; the other was one 100l ex Bourbon filled with a Scottish peated new make – an experiment laid down at Launceston Distillery. The 20’s were just over 2 years old, and as they tend to be at that size, very rich, sweet and spicy. The 100 on the other hand was just under 4 years old, and while it held a very strong and bright iodiney peat profile, it was light in body. Thus the two were destined for each other.

I blended the two, let them breathe for a couple of weeks during dilution, and ended up comfortably at 48% ABV. It was one of our meatiest releases yet. The delight with this combination of casks is that you get the best of both worlds; the rich dried fruit and cooking spices of a French Oak fortified wine cask, and the bright caramel sweetness of an American Oak Bourbon cask. On the nose you could tell immediately that this was going to be a complex whisky. You didn’t pick up much peat on the nose, rather the darker fruit notes; raisin, date and a syrupy toffee note. This whisky produced a lot of lovely fats and oils, with thick legs trickling down the glass. On the palate it was an explosion. Sweetness dominated, like a smoked redskin lolly, candy and fruit is permeated with that quintessential iodine-y peat flavour. However the finish carries most of the peat profile. As the sugars carried in the liquid disappears, the palate is left with a lovely lingering smoke, with the memory of those sugars making it a very moreish drop...Ah well, que sera sera, until the next SWDO!

AWARDS: ADSA Silver Medal, Whisky Waffle “Isle Of The Drammed”, Oz Whisky Review Top 10”