Nose: Quite sweet – lots of candied strawberries and Iced Vovos.
Palate: Not as sweet as the nose would suggest; with some spices coming in. Berry pannacotta with cream and sour cherries.
Mouthfeel: Super thick, and quite oily. A little bit of alcohol burn.
Finish: The sweetness from the nose is back again. Dried berries and sweet desert spices. This one has a medium-long finish.
Bottled exclusively for the Whisky Freedom / NTD Spirits Covid-19 Black Gate whisky tasting that took place (virtually) on the 20th June 2020. This special-release whisky was bottled at a cask strength of 67% ABV with no colouring and no chill filtration in 500ml bottles. 20 bottles were released at this cask strength.
BG047 was aged for 4 years and 3 months – Black Gate’s oldest release to date – in a 1st fill 100L Sherry cask from McWilliams in South Australia that was re-coopered at SA Cooperage. The cask spent its entire life stored in the 2nd tier in Black Gate’s racking, and was not rotated down into the first tier.
This is a completely different whisky from what I have come to expect from Black Gate lately, but is by no means less delicious that their usual offerings – in fact this one is extremely moreish; this whisky is more akin to some Black Gates of old – and quite an exceptional example of them. This is the kind of whisky you’d want to take with you to the beach on a warm summer day – to have whilst you scoff down a Cornetto or something similar.
The Black Gate distillery is is run by the husband & wife duo of Brian and Genise Hollingworth. The distillery is located in the Central West region of New South Wales, in the town of Mendooran – which is approximately 45 minutes north of Dubbo by road, about 6 hours north of Canberra by road, and about 5 hours north-west of Sydney by road.
I’d say you should definitely grab a bottle of this, but with so few bottles made available, and only sold on the night to people who were part of the tasting, it will be extremely unlikely that you will find a bottle. I am greatly looking forward to the standard release of BG047 from Black Gate though!
Would I Drink It Again?
Total Score
Without a doubt. A superb whisky.