Reviewed at our "Rum Pool on the Basin" tastings July 2011 by 50 tasters, by average rating it Score 8.16 Came Second. NOSE: Bananas, classic rum, brown sugar, Scotch, playdough, butterscotch, linseed, Xmas pudding, sultanas, mint, menthol, pistacio nuts, ironing, charr, caramel, plastic, luscious. PALATE: Brown sugar, builds, nice feel, rich, burnt caramel, metals, chewey, wood, alcohol, anaesthetic kava, dark chocolate, good width FINISH: Burnt orange, nice with beer, bourbony, sweet, then goes bitter chocolatey, spicey, toffee apple, very sweet, medium. ;RWS/DMM

Reid+Reid - Reid + Reid Reverend Dawson?s Gin is named after one of New Zealand?s leading prohibitionist who also happens to be the great, great grandfather of Stewart and Chris Reid.

Reverend John Dawson was the Gerneral Secretary of the N.Z. Alliance from 1909  - 1925. During this period Dawson became widely known because of his assiduous parliamentary lobbying and campaigning in favour of total prohibition.

This gin is distilled using the ?one shot? method to produce a classic dry gin focusing on juniper and citrus flavours.

Tasting Notes: Piney juniper with zesty citrus characters. Fresh and bright on the palate with a textural and aromatic finish.

Amrut Fusion X (ten), a special, limited-edition single malt whisky was launched on the November 25 in honour of the 10th anniversary of Amrut Distilleries. Amrut whiskies are a connoisseur’s delight. Especially for the discerning patron is the Amrut Fusion X. The Fusion whisky has been matured in sherry casks imported from Spain, for four years. While the base remains the familiar Fusion, its treatment gives whisky lovers a whole new flavour profile to enjoy. On the first sip, the whisky gives you marzipan, vanilla, and citrus on the palate, followed by peat that comes through and lingers on. I sampled it neat and a little later with a cube of ice and enjoyed the lingering peat flavours. 

Amrut Fusion X is a collectable. It is a very limited bottling of 1010 bottles released internationally.

The Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay is pale straw with a green tinge in the glass. The nose is lifted, elegant and complex with honey nougat, pineapple and lemon notes. The palate is restrained and complex with some creaminess coupled with natural acidity. Notes of lemon pith with hints of lime and toasty vanilla carry on to a long, dry finish.

This heavily peated single malt Scotch whisky is jam packed with coastal air and bonfire ember notes with plenty of power behind it. Not for the faint of heart, this one.

Colour - Glows like a barley field of shimmering gold

Nose - Elegant and refined. Soft delicate honey notes are entwined with vanilla spice, creamy caramel and cinnamon. Then suddenly… the growl of bonfire smoke, sea spray, cardamom and tar rope hits you. The beast is awake!

Taste - You can feel its immense power as it pours onto your palate like a violent thunderstorm. You need to brace yourself. Its “natural strength” is untamed and ferocious. Yet, seconds later - this beastly peaty, fiery spirit is soon soothed by the warmth of your tongue. Almost immediately a calmness, a stillness pervades as seductive notes of moist banana cake, thick treacle, mocha with whispers of sweet pineapple , ginger and cumin finally come into play to give you an unforgettable aftertaste. Everyone has a little beast in them - this one more than most.

High quality gingerbread liqueur  from French artisan producer Briottet. All the Briottet range have proper 'real' fruit (or in this case, cake) flavour integrity - they taste like the fruit/cake itself, not some confected approximation. Highly recommended!

Cointreau: a masterpiece crafted through the unique distillation of all-natural sweet and bitter orange peels, resulting in a crystal clear liqueur that strikes the perfect balance between sweetness and freshness. For more than 30 years, the finest orange peels are carefully selected by our Master Distiller, Carole Quinton, to create the definitive orange liqueur.

From the distillery.

This exquisite single malt has been crafted from a combination of unpeated and peated spirit and four cask matured for at least twenty one years in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, virgin oak casks and Bordeaux red wine casks. During long maturation Benriach’s sweet Speyside smoke mellows and integrates with the fruit, malt and oak. After twenty one years, rich layering develops into an elegant honey smoke, enriched through multi-layered cask maturation. The whisky from each cask type, imbued with particular flavour characteristics, is then expertly married together to create a rich and elegant single malt, layered with lush orchard fruit and toasted pine wood with a honey smoke finish. All in perfect balance.

NATURAL CASK-IMPARTED COLOUR     ABV 46%

A sumptuous peaty number from Benromach owned by the independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail. This is very bourbon forward with aromas of apricot custard pastries and tobacco smoke leading to billowing peat smoke and toasted coconuts on the palate that has a finish that is long, spicy and fruity.

A very special "Imperial Gueuze" inspired blend of selected barrels from our library. One third each of spontaneously fermented 8, 6, and 4 year old barrels create a perfect marriage of funk, fruit, acidity and sherry-like aged flavours. We barrel aged our first beer in 2010 since then we have built up maybe the largest barrel programme in the Southern Hemisphere . Here we produce many different sour beers, some traditional, some not. - Soren Erikson - Brewer 

8% ABV

Paloma New Zealand Barrel-Aged Barleywine is a rich, smooth, nutty, strong ale that has been aged for ten months in French oak wine barrels that previously held New Zealand Whisky Co's Double-Wood Whisky for many years. Like all our beers, it is made with New Zealand-grown malt and hops.

14.3% ABV.

Bright polished gold in colour.

The nose shows bright vanilla syrup and poached pears, dusted with sweet barley grist, that combine with oak spice and candied peel to create a warm contrast.

Ripe yellow plums and nectarines on the palate infuse with vanilla, ginger and tangerine peel leading to wild flower honey and stewed barley 

The finish is exceptionally luscious and long with rich, dark sugars and warm oak spice thanks to the dark rum cask. A truly exceptional example of the marriage between cask, maturation and spirit.

This red is predominantly a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend, with smaller proportions Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot to add further complexity and interest. Cherry/plum flavours and the suppleness of Merlot combine with the blackberry/blackcurrant flavours, structure, and freshness of Cabernet Sauvignon to produce a serious yet eminently drinkable wine. 

Each individual vineyard parcel was harvested separately and gently de-stemmed prior to fermentation. Gentle daily pumping over of the skins during fermentation helped extract a soft, complex structure. Extended maceration on skins following fermentation helped to further integrate and soften the tannins. Following aging in stainless steel tanks, and a short time in seasoned French oak, the individual blocks were blended to create the ideal wine. The Wine:

The best of breakfast in your drink. Using Raglan Roast beans, we have made this smooth, round gin with notes of chocolate, tobacco and coffee.

Pairings: East Imperial Royal Botanic or East Imperial Grapefruit Tonic

Triple distilled then matured for over eighteen years. The result: a refreshing Lowland Single Malt whisky with the added infusion of ripe citrus and green tea, the warmth of toasted almonds and the signature smooth, delicate Auchentoshan taste.