Fittingly billed as Banded spirit, McLaren Vale gin distillery Never Never – acclaimed for producing the World’s Best Classic Gin in 2019 – has recently announced it shall be launching its inaugural whisky, assembled using aged expressions from a number of different sources before the month is out.
Available exclusively to subscribers of the brand’s mailing list beginning October 31 (1 PM AEST), Never Never’s Banded whisky consists of a 555-bottle run which, according to the brand itself, shall never be repeated.
A product that founders Sean Baxter and George Georgiadis have been hard at work finessing over the past five years, this whisky expression – likely the only true dark spirit Never Never will bottle for the foreseeable future – is crafted using spirit from six different casks, supplied by distilleries from the surrounding South Australian region.
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In consummate Never Never fashion, the resulting “band” (geddit?) of merry spirits is then given a final pass through a local Muscat barrel, yielding a nose and palette that are almost certain to delight those who like their drams on the treacle, dessert-inspired side.
Early tasting notes hint at aromas of “buttered fruit toast” and “toffee apple,” whereas the palette sashays through waves of Christmas pudding and brûlée before finally settling into a dry finish packed with “pops of pepper and cinnamon.”
Whatever the case, you can be sure that this release will sell out almost immediately: owing to Never Never’s cult-like status among spirits enthusiasts; and the fact that, with this whisky, the brand proves that it’s still committed to breaking new ground.
