Description

Sullivans Cove Double Cask XO Brandy (700ml)

Volume: 700ml          ABV: 46.8%          Age: No Age Statement          Country: Australia

Cask No: DCB04a
Bottled: 23.01.2019

The Brandy

Experience the art of the blend with the Sullivans Cove Double Cask XO Brandy (Batch DCB04a). This 700ml expression is a sophisticated evolution of the Sullivans Cove brandy program, moving away from the single cask profile to create a more layered and harmonious spirit. Batch DCB04a is a marriage of carefully selected brandies matured in a combination of European Oak Tawny casks and American Oak Bourbon casks, creating a “double cask” profile that offers the best of both worlds.

Bottled at 46.8% ABV, this Extra Old (XO) brandy is crafted from 100% Tasmanian wine, double distilled in copper pot stills and aged for many years in the unique cool climate maritime environment of Cambridge, Tasmania. While single casks showcase individuality, the Double Cask series is about complexity and balance, resulting in a spirit that possesses both the deep, dark fruit of the fortified wine wood and the bright, creamy sweetness of the bourbon oak.

Our Tasting Notes

Nose: Bright and immensely complex. You are greeted by the sun-drenched aroma of candied orange peel and fresh apricots, followed by the creamy sweetness of vanilla bean and coconut. As it breathes, the deeper Tawny influence emerges with notes of toffee apple, toasted almonds, and a hint of dusty cocoa.

Palate: The mouthfeel is silky and wonderfully integrated. It opens with a burst of honeyed malt and poached pears, which quickly evolves into a mid-palate of rich fruitcake and golden syrup. The American oak provides a soft, “pillowy” texture of caramel and spice, while the European oak adds a structural drying edge of tannic tea and cinnamon.

Finish: Long, clean, and incredibly warming. The finish lingers with a final flourish of vanilla custard and dried citrus, tapering off with a sophisticated touch of seasoned oak and a hint of floral grape musk.

Distillery

Sullivans Cove whisky was established in 1994 at Sullivans Cove in Hobart, the birthplace of Tasmanian whisky. Sullivans Cove is the spot where the British first established the settlement that would grow into the City of Hobart. Being a penal colony, the locals were quite fond of a drink with 16 legal distilleries and countless illegal stills operating by 1824. However, in 1838 Governor John Franklin imposed a total prohibition on distilling that lasted 150 years and was only overturned in the early 1990s! Since then the Tasmanian whisky industry has developed into a small but significant force on the global scene. Sullivans Cove is one of Tasmania’s most successful and widely distributed whiskies, available in 11 countries and the winner of some of the most prestigious international whisky awards.

Overall Review

The Sullivans Cove Double Cask XO Brandy Batch DCB04a is globally reviewed as a “triumph of Tasmanian blending,” praised for its incredible approachability and depth. Critics have lauded its “bright, multi-dimensional character,” marking it as a mandatory purchase for those who want to see the versatility of Australian brandy when treated with the same reverence as the world’s finest whiskies.