Evolved from a farm contracting business and imbued with a sense of place, over the last seven years owner and distiller Josh Walker has established Timboon Railway Shed Distillery firmly on the ever expanding firmament of Australian quality small batch craft distilleries by focussing on quality over quantity with their malted barley based expressions and the spirits landscape at large with liqueurs, vodka, schnapps and limoncello also being part of Timboon’s portfolio.
Timboon’s Port Whisky Expression has been matured in a variety of American oak casks from Victoria, Rutherglen and Tasmania.
Golden in appearance, fruit cake, honeyed vanilla and blackberry aromas reel one in as they are enhanced by caramel, white musk, woody notes and dark chocolatey highlights.
Things get interesting on the palate as a delicate peppery piquancy is married with almonds, cocoa, blackcurrant, honeyed peaches and a wonderful layer of smoke, which reverberates with a hint of baked lemon tart.
The medium-length finish is an exercise par excellence in fruitiness ranging from almost cloyingly berry informed sweetness via crispy green apple sourness to tarty notes.
When it comes to premium small batch cask strength expressions on terra australis, there are few that play in the same league as Timboon’s Christie’s Cut.
Clocking in at 60% ABV, the ode to the era of illicit distilling and Inspector John Christie who at the turn of the nineteenth century tracked and captured Tom Delaney who was an illicit distiller in the Timboon area, is a tour de force in terms of bold complexity.
Aged for at least five years in ex-Port casks and reddish-brown in appearance, on the aroma front cocoa beans are entwined with creamy milk, fluffy musk, sensuous vanilla bean, rosewater and dried cranberries.
Spicy and peppery piquancy is the name of the game on the top of the mouth, flanked by oaky flavours and a juicy, tangy bitterness.
The sheer endless finish culminates in a fulminant crescendo of malt-forward port notes, raisins, pungent ripened fruits like strawberries and raspberries, as well as darker fruits such as blackcurrants and blackberries counterpointed by a wonderful hint of smoke and chestnuts.
Despite being big and boozy, a truly fantastic drop with a silky mouthfeel that still surprises with delicate nuances.
Given the quality of Timboon’s liquid emissions, it warrants a visit to their HQ to sample the expressions that are exclusive to the distillery.
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Photo courtesy of Timboon Distillery.
T • September 29, 2022