78.92 Peak sherry (Australian Exclusive)

Description

From the team

Cask 78.92 Peak sherry — it really says it all in the name; this is a dense dram with walnuts, a melange of Armagnac-soaked dark fruits, and a touch of camphor. This bottle was selected by the local team to celebrate the 2025 Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship — and we received the entire cask! This is a 50/50 maturation split of five years in ex-bourbon wood and five years in a 1st fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead. A well-integrated, big sherried dram from this well-loved Distillery Code. This bottling launched at the Whisky Champs on July 19 and the overall consensus was that it was a dram worthy of its name.

Tasting Panel notes

At first nosing the Panel detected prunes, plums and various other sticky dark fruits soaking in armagnac. We then felt it developed more towards spicy pumpernickel bread, pumpkinseed oil and heavier notes of camphor. Water brought out salted dark chocolate, hessian and classical sherry aromas of rancio and walnuts. The palate was wonderfully dense and full of old-school sherry characteristics such as sweet plum jam, strawberry wine and walnut oil. A few wee meaty touches also showed through after a while. Water made it wonderfully rich in the mouth, adding notes of beefy gravy, dried cranberries and more preserved dark fruit vibes. This was matured in a bourbon hogshead for five years before being transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.