Amber Lane Liquid Amber Single Malt Whisky
Liquid Amber is designed to showcase the character of Spanish Pedro Ximénez and Australian Apera fortified wines, with just a splash of bourbon cask in the batch for balance. Despite all that massive sherry influence, the nose still has a nice freshness, with the freshly-opened box of sultanas note of PX jumping out of the glass. I love the combination of restrained European oak and the dustier, dryer timber of Australian fortified casks at play here, and the alcohol is well-controlled compared to other Amber Lane releases. Liquorice and dried rosebuds dance around with pear drops on the nose, with good integration and complexity at play. On the palate, PX sweetness up front leads to a wonderful throughline of fruitcake and creamy peach lollies, with a finish of lingering, gentle tannin. Wow, this really sticks the landing! There are far more expensive whiskies on the Aussie market that don't express sherry cask nearly this well, so bravo.
