N.Z. Malt Whisky Co The South Island Single Malt

This New Zealand single malt is aged 18 years in ex-bourbon casks. Nosed from the bottle it is sweet with toffee, vanilla, and toasted oak. In the glass there is a slightly soapy quality. Light, sweet, floral aroma. Quite pleasant.

Fairly light on the tongue. Sweet at first but then becomes very tannic, bitter and sour. The notes on the bottle describe its character as "sweet honey and burnt wood", which I would call a fair assessment. There is definitely a smoky note running through the honey sweetness. The flavour is decent but something doesn't sit right with me. I get the impression that the whisky is too light and the oak has taken over. The whisky fades with a strong taste of old, musty wood.

I feel that this is a nice enough whisky but I'd be interested to try it at a younger age. It reminds me a bit of Glen Breton single malt from Canada. It has a nice flavour but the bitterness of the oak throws it off balance.