AMBER LANE FEATURED IN HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION’S NEW SPIRITS GUIDE
Amber Lane Distillery is one of just a handful of Australian whisky distilleries to feature in the Halliday Wine Companion’s new spirits guide.
The renowned drink reviewer is now offering comprehensive reviews & ratings of the best Australian-made & international spirits, including whisky.
Spirits are scored according to the international 100-point system, to ensure clarity & consistency. As with wineries, distilleries are assigned star ratings, based on the scores they’ve achieved for their products throughout the year.
Judge Fred Siggins described Amber Lane as having a “careful and considered approach to distillation, cask selection & blending.”
“Distillery founders Rod Berry & Phil Townsend take their whisky seriously - and it shows in the glass. One of Amber Lane’s main distinctions from other Aussie single malts is the use of imported Spanish sherry casks, as well as locally produced Apera casks. The result is a more complex fortified wine influence than most. As a young-ish distillery, Amber Lane is already producing some really solid whiskies - the future looks bright for the brand.”
Here’s a snippet of the feedback given for some of Amber Lane’s drams:
Noble Lane (95/100)
I love whiskies matured in sweet white wine casks, so naturally, I'm an advocate of Australian whisky distilleries using wonderful sweet white wine casks to mature whisky & balance ex-bourbon casks. Whiskies like this are, unfortunately, rare. However, with Noble Lane as one of Amber Lane's core products, this whisky will allow more Aussies to try the style. The flamboyantly welcoming nose of frangipane, Passiona & marzipan is what this style of whisky is all about, so we're off to a good start, & with time in the glass, the high-alcohol is nicely subdued. Oak & grain are also present, balancing the fruit & florals. This is a cracking whisky & something I hope Amber Lane keeps as part of their offering moving forward.
Liquid Amber (94/100)
Liquid Amber is designed to showcase the character of Spanish Pedro Ximénez & 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 & the dustier, dryer timber of Australian fortified casks at play here. Liquorice & dried rosebuds dance around with pear drops on the nose, with good integration & 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!
Apera 100 (93/100)
Trail mix & candied orange on the nose with plenty of rich oak & cherry cola. Surprisingly, at such a high ABV, the alcohol is quite gentle if you leave it in the glass to open up for a few minutes before diving in (always a good idea with high-proof spirits). The palate explodes with various fruits and flowers - a riot of sweetness and fun. Again, the alcohol is super well-controlled, and the finish is clean with no burn, a real achievement at this strength. For lovers of cask strength, fortified wine matured single malts; this is a real winner.
Water (90/100)
This whisky has been bottled from a single fortified wine cask, so lacking the bourbon-cask influence of the distillery's core releases, it has a lot more powerful, old oak on the nose with notes of antique furniture, roasted walnuts and vintage brandy. There's a nice buttery cinnamon note in there, too, but oak is the dominant player. Great texture & sweetness through the palate show how slow dilution has helped to integrate all that oak into the spirit with no sharp edges. On the finish, the oak dominates again with powerful tannin, daring you to return for another sip of sweet liquid. If you like big oak, this whisky would be a wonderful addition to your shelf.
Equinox (88/100)
Matured in a combination of Spanish Pedro Ximénez barrels, Australian apera barrels & American bourbon barrels, this whisky shows careful blending of different cask types, something Australian distillers have paid precious little attention to until recently (with some notable exceptions). It's nice to see careful batch creation has been at the heart of Amber Lane's approach since day dot. This whisky is full of flavour & vibrance, wanting to jump out of the glass at you, which is what you'd expect from something at this relatively young age. But after a moment to let the alcohol settle, notes of honied fruit and forest-floor oak waft out of the glass, along with green apple and orange blossom freshness. The PX casks show their jammy hand up front, leading to apricot jam softness and creamy texture through the palate and finish.
View Amber Lane’s Halliday profile here.