EXTREMELY RARE Glenfarclas Scotch Whisky and Drumshanbo Irish Whiskey now at Sense of Taste!

It’s extraordinarily rare and Sense of Taste has secured the full Queensland allocation of the triple distilled Drumshanbo Single Malt Irish Whiskey, 2021 Galánta release.

Galánta means elegant, delicious and charming in Irish, and this limited whiskey is all that and more. The first Single Malt Irish Whiskey distilled in Ireland’s western province of Connacht in more than 107 years.

Every precious drop has been distilled by Brian Taft and hand bottled at The Shed Distillery of PJ Rigney, Drumshanbo, Ireland.

Distilled exclusively from 100% malted Irish barley, it’s been aged since 2014 in select ex-Kentucky Bourbon casks.

On the nose, expect a wealth of golden caramel with wood-filled notes of nut and roasted coffee. As for taste, a delicious balance of honey, roasted nuts and hints of sweet apple, followed by a warmth of spice to excite the palate. The finish lingers, a dance between pot-spice and sweetness.

Still on whisky and, in particular, the rare and highly sought-after variety, Glenfarclas Family Casks are in stock at Portside Sense of Taste and online.

We have the 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992 and 2003 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Summer 2021 releases in stock. 1962 you say? Yep, I was blown away too. Each release in the Family Cask collection is bottled from a single cask.

Glenfarclas is one of the few Scottish distilleries that is privately owned. Since 1865, the distillery has been owned and managed by just one family, the Grants of Glenfarclas. Glenfarclas uses traditional distillation methods and sources water from springs of the Ben Rinnes. Each bottle in the Family Casks collection contains its own unique story and complexity of aromas.

The Grants personally travel to one family-run Bodega in Spain to select the finest European oak casks, previously used for the maturation of fine Oloroso sherry.

Pooley Wines, produced from vines grown on the banks of the Coal River in southern Tasmania, are selling well.

Not really a surprise given the family-owned vineyard is regarded as one of Australia’s leading cool-climate producers.

Pooley Wines was established in 1985 when Denis and Margaret Pooley planted seven rows of Pinot Noir and 10 rows of Riesling on their 16-hectare farm at Cooinda Vale as part of their retirement plan.

Three generations of the Pooley family have continued maintaining the Cooinda Vale vineyard and in 2003 expanded operations with the purchase of a second vineyard, Butcher’s Hill.

Denis and Margaret’s granddaughter Anna Pooley returned to the family business in 2013 as winemaker. Along with husband Justin Bubb, they have received critical acclaim for their wines.

We have the Pooley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and Pooley Cooinda Vale Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in stock at Portside and online.

Pooley has a reputation for incredibly pure Pinot Noirs. The Pooley Pinot Noir shows the beauty of the Pooley house style – a combination of fruit from the different vineyards owned by the family – beautifully finessed to bottle by the talented hands of Anna.

The Pooley Cooinda Vale Pinot Noir has abounding complexity and energy in the glass. Autumnal aromas while the palate is lifted with continuing notes of sour cherry, red currants and poached strawberries underscored by dried herbs, amaro and a wisp of smoked white pepper.

The chardonnays are exceptional as well. The single vineyard Cooinda Vale Chardonnay’s palate is elegant and refined, showing pristine citrus and grapefruit seamlessly integrated with the lightly toasted oak providing texture. With incredible length and line, this wine has the structure and bones to be long lived.

Of the Pooley Chardonnay, Anna says it shows “plenty of generosity and depth of character with a lean acid profile and seamlessly integrated oak’’.

 

Parker Coonawarra Estate has a reputation for producing wines of outstanding quality and longevity, and we have three of their top wines new in store at Portside and online.

We have the Parker Coonawarra Estate Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, Kidman Block Shiraz and First Growth 2018.

First Growth is only produced when the growing season is showing exceptional fruit quality and a particular vintage is deemed to have exceptional ageing potential. The inaugural First Growth was released in 1988 and, in 2010, Parker’s First Growth entered the Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine as “Excellent’’, installing the marquee in the top tier of Australian wine.

The terra rossa over limestone soils of southern Coonawarra have long been a sought-after location to grow the finest of red grape varieties, the extended ripening period in this area provides wonderful fruit expression, depth and complexity.

The Kidman Block Shiraz is lifted and pretty with notes of blackberry, mulberry, black tea and spice. Long, full and rounded with fine tannin and a vibrant yet powerful finish.

The Terra Rossa Cab Sav is a Coonawarra Cabernet that always looks classy. Big rich cassis, blackberry and raspberry fruit ripple with an appealing suggestion of leafiness.

Keep an eye out for back vintage Parker Coonawarra Estate releases coming online soon.