Water of Life – Whipper Snapper Distillery - Upshot

As part of our Water of Life series, we have covered whisky from terra australis in many variations, however, the focus so far has mainly been set on the east coast.

Looking at Western Australia, where the world’s remote city Perth is located, picking might be slimmer in terms of quantity but not quality.

Case in point - Whipper Snapper Distillery, an entity dedicated to hand crafting a range of premium, whiskeys with a conscience and a passion for provenance, i.e. an emphasis on sourcing ingredients locally and sustainability.

Whipper Snapper’s golden amber coloured Upshot has greeted me times over from the shelves of distinguished liquor merchants, yet it was not until recently that upon opening a bottle, an appealing melange of vanilla, toffee notes, spicy undertones, bit of acetone and cedar tickled my nostrils.

Texture-wise, the drop is an exercise par excellence in creaminess that is accentuated in the flavour department by caramelly, nutmeggy, touches of steamed milk, pepper and butterscotch highlights, which seamlessly transitions into an elongated finish that again is delightfully heavy on vanilla, pears toffee and underlying sweet maple syrup flavours.

Clocking in at 43% ABV, the hybrid of grains, corn, malt and wheat that comprises Upshot could be classified as a very Australian version of a well-calibrated, very accessible, smooth Bourbon that has something to offer both for the uninitiated, uneducated palate as well as the aficionado.

Upshot’s flavours are breathing out quite nicely, youthful but well-polished with a lovely progression and an ideal drop to transition into summertime.

Word around the campfire has that Whipper Snapper has recently brought forth a Quinoa Whiskey, which given how thoroughly impressed the staple of their line-up left me, sparked both my curiosity and imagination and I hope to be able to feature the drop soon as part of our series.

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photo from company website