The French Port (Peat) single cask from Corowa Distillery, not only show cases their exceptional ability to acquire unique casks, but brings a noteworthy expression of Peat within their whisky. At the moment Corowa does not have peated whisky within their standard range, so it is great when peated single casks are released.
The dark rich colour gives you the impression of a complex and flavoursome whisky and it is not until you actually taste it, that the complexity of this liquid gold becomes apparent. It has a subtle smoke on the nose which continues to grow into peat, with dark deep fruit flavours, spice and chocolate.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Old Tawny
Nose: Fruity rich nose, with smoke following and then begins to dominate. Subtle Caramel keeps it sweet.
Palate: Great mouthfeel with chocolate, raspberry and blackberry emerging, then overtaken with Peat. Savoury spices makes the complexity grow.
Finish: Long finish with peat, fruit and caramel
| Distillery | Corowa Distillery |
| Name | French Port (Peat) - Single Cask |
| Distilled | 25 Nov 17 |
| Cask | French Oak, Port |
| Cask No. | 249 |
| Bottled | 13 Mar 20 |
| Bottles | 160 |
| ABV | 61.8% |
| Size | 500 ml |
Corowa Distillery
Corowa is a charming Australian country town nestled on the banks of the nation’s longest watercourse, the mighty Murray River. Recognised as the birthplace of Australian federation, Corowa hosted the first “people’s conference” which began the process of bringing all Australian states together to form a federated nation.
Beyond its rich political history, Corowa is recognised as a premium barely growing region that produces crops with such outstanding protein levels that were once exported to Scotland. The region’s unique climate is tailor-made for whisky production allowing each barrel to mature with exceptional flavour in a short period of time.
The historic and impressive 1920’s Corowa Flour Mill played a significant role in the town's success during the 1900s. By 2009 it had been neglected for over 40 years. It caught the eye of the Druce family who looked beyond its neglected state and set out to make it the home for their distillery. It has now been faithfully restored to be not just another tourist attraction, but a thriving heart of the community once again.
The family convinced the local Council to sell them the building for the princely sum of $1. They were determined to have their copper stills hand made in Australia, based on the deep desire to give their whisky a truly authentic Australian influence. Heavy building restoration works in 2015 saw the flour grain storage silo transformed into a spectacular distillery space.
The family then spent many months training in some of the greatest distilleries of Scotland and Tasmania to learn their craft and bring that knowledge to the Australian mainland. With a visions To build a reputable destination distillery known around the world for its premium-quality, hand-crafted whisky.
Cold nights and hot days make ideal conditions for maturing whisky and Corowa’s climate is blessed with both. The temperature changes at least 15°C each day, allowing the spirit to naturally mature at a faster rate, thus extracting flavours that distilleries in other parts of the world simply cannot match. With winter temperatures down to -7°C and summer highs up to +45°C they have the hardest working barrels in the world, bringing exceptional complexity and character to their whisky in a time-frame that is the envy of many other distilleries.
