Limeburners 5 yo - Batch 1 (That Boutique-y Whisky Company)

Volume: 0.5 litres | Alcohol content: 51.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

A former Pedro Ximénez Apera cask shapes this five-year-old single malt from Limeburners. Apera is the Australian term for sherry-style wines. This bottling belongs to the Return to Oz series, with which That Boutique-y Whisky Company revisited Australian distilleries in 2023. Batch 1 comprises 434 bottles and was bottled at 51.5% alcohol.

The whisky combines a weighty, dark-fruit character with chocolate and savoury spice notes. It is neither chill-filtered nor coloured. The bottle contains 0.5 litres and comes with gift packaging.

The green-and-yellow label tells an anecdote about distillery founder Cameron Syme and the then Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott: Syme refused to give him another bottle of the whisky that the distillery produces and donates to the Australian SAS. Lime-related puns and a box jellyfish also feature. The animal motif is part of the Return to Oz concept, whose labels depict dangerous animals found around the respective distilleries.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, the whisky is lavish and oily. Raisins, dark molasses and maraschino cherry syrup meet savoury ancho chilli notes and bitter dark chocolate. A hint of lavender rounds out the bouquet.
• Palate: On the palate, it has considerable body and weight while remaining balanced. Velvety dark chocolate combines with black cherry, tobacco and spice reminiscent of mole sauce.
• Finish: The rich chocolate note lingers through the long finish before the lavender re-emerges.

Distillery/Bottler:

Limeburners is the single malt brand of Great Southern Distilling Company, founded by Cameron Syme. The distillery in Albany stands on Princess Royal Harbour in southern Western Australia; distillation began there in 2005. It uses barley from the Great Southern region and water from underground limestone aquifers near Albany to make its whisky.

In Albany, the distillery ferments its wort with selected yeast strains in closed stainless-steel vessels. Depending on the season and conditions, fermentation takes three to seven days, followed by two distillation runs in copper pot stills. Its general cask selection includes second-fill ex-bourbon casks and casks that previously held Australian fortified wines. An in-house cooper refurbishes used casks so that they can remain in service for longer. A former Pedro Ximénez Apera cask was used for Batch 1.

That Boutique-y Whisky Company is an independent bottler that selects whiskies from different distilleries and also creates its own blends. Its range includes small, unusual bottlings, including whiskies outside a distillery’s usual house style. The hand-drawn labels tell stories about the producers or offer clues to the whisky’s origins.

Facts: