Old Kempton Ex-Port Cask Single Malt Whisky (500ml)

This is part of Old Kempton’s Classic Range, which are all extra-small-batch, and usually also from smaller casks. Old Kempton’s wash is 100% Tasmanian-grown and malted barley, made a short drive away at Cambridge. Distiller Rob Tyson works very closely with the brewer from the outset to ensure it is made to measure. Like all the Whiskies at this distillery, the wash was then double-distilled in squat Knapp Lewer copper pot stills (made in Hobart). The spirit was then aged for five to six years before blending and bottling. The casks are sourced from Seppeltsfield and Yalumba in South Australia, and had previously housed Tawny Ports with an average age of 30-40 years. The shaving level depends on the age of the barrel (the older the deeper), but the toast is always medium, and the char is always heavy.

This is almost a Christmas-pudding-themed Whisky, and there’s plenty of complexity to be found. There’s a profusion of raisin character, blended with buttered grains, toasted almonds, cacao nibs and an almost lactic element.  The finish is supported by the late arrival of soft oak tannins and hints of dark chocolate and coffee grounds.