Beenleigh 16 yr. - Raising Glasses "Yowie" - 68.3%
One of the oldest independent bottlings of the Beenleigh Artisan Distillery, Yowie was made with the indigenous S. Pombe yeast (discontinued in 2010) which produces low output but loads of rich flavor compounds. Aging was split - 11 years in Australia, 5 years in the UK. Blend of column and pot distillation (from molasses). No additives.
Raising Glasses is an independent bottler of rum and whisky out of Massachusetts, focusing primarily on single casks. They provided this sample for review.
Notes: Dry, savory, and herbaceous on the nose - echinacea, sandalwood, oak, menthol, hay. The structure on the palate is fantastic, delivering on every beat of it's 136.6 proof. A honeyed and slightly medicinal base grounds everything while the top-notes drive - fresh and dried florals, lemon, eucalyptus, cherry blossom. The heat final starts showing in the finish with long and lingering florals.
Pour This For: Anyone tracking down EMB (Bog Estate) marks out of Clarendon will appreciate the dry and floral profile integrated with bold wood spice.
Score: 8 (Stash One) One of my favorite top-note heavy pours in recent memory. The structure is gorgeous.
Rating System
10 - Reevaluate The Budget
9 - Stash Two (If Able)
8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)
7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers
6 - Solid - Above Average
5 - Acceptable For The Situation
4 - Not Vocally Complaining
3 - Anything Else To Drink?
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour