The wandering storm bird. Said to be the souls of lost sailors, these roaming aeronauts glide endlessly over the vast and sometimes inhospitable Southern Ocean. Seen as an omen of both good luck and bad, these occasional visitors to our shores perfectly embody grace endurance and fragility.

Bakery Hill is a new Australian venture into the generally exclusive world of Whisky production. We say exclusive, because few distillers outside of Scotland have yet managed to create a whisky that approximates to the quality or style of the Scottish original, or when they have, the whisky has usually relied upon the importation of key ingredients from the ‘homeland’. Bakery Hill’s Single Malts, despite their youth, are very promising initial efforts, and as the spirits spend longer in barrel, one can anticipate some very interesting results. As with classic malts, Bakery Hill uses only malted barley [ from Tasmania ], yeast and water to achieve its flavour and aroma. No caramel is added in order to enhance the appearance. Barrelling at Bakery Hill is done using select second fill American Oak Bourbon barrels. French Oak casks are also used for the production of the classic double wood style. "The malt development on the palate is quite beautiful. A soft distant smokiness adds excellent weight to the lilting malt-oak richness." 46% Alc./Vol. - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2004.

A mix of first fill ex-Bourbon and first fill ex-Sherry casks were used to create this rich, lightly smokey malt.

Note: Product has come from a private collection and as such may have some minor scuffing/scratches/handling marks. Actual product pictured. Whisky is big business in Japan with Scotch whisky being especially popular, yet with their own history of brewing and sake production, it's only logical that the Japanese are now making whisky too. What began as a conscious imitation of Scotch, now has a style all of its own, and since commercial production began in the early 20th century, the quality has been steadily improving. Today, most of the malt whisky produced in Japan is for blending but Japanese distillers generally don't trade casks in the manner that Scottish distillers do. Consequently, it's up to each distillery to produce a diversity of styles that will form the base components of 'house blends' that offer unique and complex flavour profiles. Some Japanese blends will even include a percentage of Scotch whisky, rather than whisky from rival local distillers. This jealous reluctance to exchange is considered one of the major obstacles holding the industry back from the prominence it deserves: In a number of blind tastings recently organised by Whisky Magazine , which have included Japanese single malts in the lineup along with malts from distilleries considered to be among the best in Scotland, on more than one occasion, the results have had Japanese single malts scoring higher than their Scotch counterparts. After a long absence from the Australian market, we've finally managed to secure some world class Japanese whiskies from the Nikka distillery, Japan’s second largest whisky producer after Suntory. Now owned by the brewer Asahi, the company was originally set up by Masataka Taketsuru, who built Yoichi distillery in 1934, having previously spent two years studying the art of distilling in Scotland. (He also developed the now famous 'Yamazaki' distillery in Kyoto for Suntory which he managed for ten years). Yoichi typically produces rich, peaty and masculine malts. The whiskies get their distinct aroma and body from direct heating distillation, in which the pot stills are heated with finely powdered natural coal - a traditional method that's hardly used today, even in Scotland. Tasting note: Nose: Pronounced, astonishingly fresh, dry, peat. Palate: Mint creams, then orangey. Finish: After the creaminess, the peat surges back. Clean, sweetish, soft smokiness. Comment: This is a wonderful whisky at 10 Years Old. I love the almost shocking hit of heavy peating. Rating: 9/10 . - Michael Jackson, www.whiskymag.com

Unusual ageing cycle in wood, Lengthy & very fruity

The 'Special Vatting' peaty malt Whisky is a vatting of three single cask whiskies distilled in Scotland, each one having aged over 12 years in oak. Reduced to 45% alc./vol. Beige amber tint. Fragrances of Sherry, leather, tobacco, fruity wood. Silky texture, powerful and very length in mouth. An elegant vatting gathering mellow and sherry whiskies enhanced by the peaty younger whisky.

A rich and vibrant whisky that delivers beautifully intricate flavours of malted caramel, vanilla and raisin, the prefect addition to the table this festive season. For the third year in a row it has received the 2019 Jim Murray's Whisky Bible award, it's truly the perfect addition to the table this festive season. Available online or in select stores. Winner | 2019 Jim Murrays Whisky Bible The Third Year In A Row.