10 Year Old American Oak barrel #84
When we talk about whisky, the barrel should get a lot of attention—and this one certainly deserves it. This whisky has spent ten years maturing in an ex-bourbon American oak barrel, developing its rich caramel, vanilla and gentle oak character. But its story began long before the spirit reached the barrel.
Our spring rises naturally from deep beneath the property, emerging in a cool fern gully surrounded by towering native trees. Tree ferns arch over the water, while the dense canopy keeps the gully shaded, green and protected. It is a quiet, almost hidden place where clear water bubbles gently from the earth.
Before reaching the surface, the water travels through natural fractures in ancient Jurassic dolerite, developing its own subtle mineral character along the way. We use it exactly as it comes from the spring—there are no chemicals to remove and no need to strip, treat or neutralise it.
This water plays a major role in our whisky, from mashing and fermentation through to bringing the matured spirit down to bottling strength. It contributes to its natural sweetness and the soft, rounded viscosity you feel on the palate.
After ten years in ex-bourbon American oak, this whisky smells like warm caramel bubbling on the stove. On the palate, it is soft and silky, with caramel, light vanilla and deep fudge, followed by gentle oak and the brighter high notes of American oak. Hints of fresh barley and toffee apple remain, connecting the mature whisky to where it all began.
Ten years in the barrel, millions of years through the rock