Hello Mr. Duckett!
We took your advice this week and cracked open a bottle of the Convict Release. Absolutely fantastic!
Like I said, Werthers original and whipped cream … and the toasty yeast is just a beautiful finish!
I hope you’re enjoying exercising freedom with the convict!
Kind Regards,
Brooke Hayman
Whisky + Alement
From Twitter
Andrew Derbidge @SMWS_Whisky
“Convict Unchained”: It’s 72%. Great neat, but I added a wee splash of H2O eventually. Becomes sweeter, softer, & sublimely refined. Winner.
@KingsbarnsDist: VAT out of HELL by @heartwoodtas palate: malty, rich, silky, full bodied, oaky. Finish: High strength comes through & warms one deep inside!
From Twitter
Andrew Derbidge @SMWS_Whisky
“Convict Unchained”…big, bold, & beautiful! Huge nose; high ABV but soft & smooth delivery; sweet, balanced flavour…and VERY Aussie! 🙂
Explosive As It Is Extraordinary!
And There’s Two Versions…
When this dram came across my desk late last year, I really thought that Mr Tim was out of his mind.
“How much alcohol did you say? Are you completely mad?”
And then I cracked the sample
Oh My Giddy Heart.
Un-f%$^&ing believable!
** Big Bang No 1
Heartwood Convict Unchained 500ml 71.9%
This is Australia’s Most Extraordinary & Explosive Single Malt!!
So be warned.
This man, Tim Duckett, seems to have got it oh so right! His Heartwood range to date has been exciting as it they been thrilling as they have been certainly challenging. All of his whiskies so far, have been at cask strength and with the latest offering, at extreme cask strength. But the inherent sweetness of oak and malt he gets from his whiskies really do require and deserve a higher strength alcohols.
While Tim has had a big hand in the distilling process, it’s in abilities in handling of oak where his undoubted skill lay. As the key factor in all this, is that just knows how to use oak along with time to get the best out of his spirits. And importantly, he’s not afraid to re-rack and play around with a wide variety of oak and barrel size with his spirit in order to meet his exacting standards.
And the biggest surprise of all? All of his whiskies are Tasmanian! So to his latest offering, The Convict Unchained. This brute comes in at a massive 71.9% abv that’s bigger than the very visceral George T Stagg. Sweetly fruited and dare I say a subtly complex nose, hints of wood varnish, crisp malt, barley sugar, honey and slightly resinous oak but clean as a whistle. And of course alcohol, it’s there, it’s intensive and yep, it works.
And then you taste it – Oh My God – a very sweet and viscous entry, soft pulpy malted barley and very creamy oak with a big dash of sherried dried fruit flavours and then the clean, intensive spirit let’s rip and it just drives these flavours and enormous texture down the palate. At the end, it finishes, clean, crisp with a subtle dried fruit and oak finish. This whisky just has monstrous length and enormous flavour. And it is so bloody well balanced!
So it works. That’s the killer for me.
The Convict Unchained is extremely limited.
From Graham Wright
(The Odd Whisky Coy)
Tim Duckett… you’ve done it again!
Brand new for April 2013, this is a massive, massive malt BUT very sweet and creamy.
Loads of honeycombe, sweet, biscuity malt (in fact me thinks this is the finest definition of malt in an Aussie whisky I have ever seen…brilliant).
The nose has a mouthwatering quality.
All American oak matured, but this is both classy and immensely enjoyable and the killer is that it is so highly drinkable.
And it also just so pure and clean.
Loads of malt on the palate, honey, creamy oak.
Long palate that finishes rather crisply with lingering maltiness.
And best of all…there is a distinct feeling at the end …that you really do need another glass!
From Graham Wright
(The Odd Whisky Coy)
Hi Tim,
First an apology for being so elusive.
I’m always flat out in Feb with my teaching and then trying to organise wine stuff as vintage happens.
Anyway I finally broached the Heartwood on Wednesday night and it’s very impressive!
My notes;
Neat. Good fresh spirit on the first nose with sweet lifted orange peel aromas and a little burnt sugar.
The palate is more coffee sugar and a warm very long finish.
With water it opens up and the “Terry’s chocolate orange” flavour is more intense.
There is a great length to it and a slight toffee like finish. Beautiful balance for such a young whisky, a real “hearts” sweetness and freshness to it..
Well done! What’s the sell price do you think?
Cheers
Chris
Christopher Barnes
SMWS Marketing Director
PO Box, 2416 Richmond Vic 3121.
Australia
Ph 0411 264 114
Fax 03 9428 2043
www.smws.com.au
Convict Unchained
Nose: Toffeed honeycomb, or Violet Crumble. Toasty oak. The spice of port oak influence is evident.
Palate: High ABV is not obvious – it’s cask strength, but not at all aggressive. The balance of sweetness, alcohol, wood and malt is nigh on perfect.
Finish: Consistent with the palate – everything is here and it holds its line without deteriorating.
Comments: Remarkable…..and all the more so when considering the insane strength! Just great and balanced all around, with the oak at perfect potency. Very happy and pleasing flavours.
Andrew Derbidge
Director & Cellarmaster
NSW Manager
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Is this the best Tassie whisky yet?
From that enterprising fellow, Mr Tim Duckett, this is the first ever independent bottling of an Australian whisky. And what a beauty it is. it is so rich and luscious, no pickled onion smells and perfect integration of oak, spirit and malt.
The palate is long and sumptuous and loaded up with vanilla, clotted cream, crème brulee, custard and best of all Darryl Lea milk toffee flavours.
The spirit is needed as it adds zest and life to this very rich palate.”
Graham Wright
The Odd Whisky Coy
http://www.theoddwhiskycoy.com.au
“I would never buy a tassie whisky but drinking this is the reason I joined this society. I would never have purchased a tassie whisky but thank you for sharing this with me.”
– a devout Laphroaig drinker.