Cape Byron Viognier Cask

When you think Byron Bay these days you think the home of Chris Hemsworth and other celebrity palls like Zac Efron and Matt Damon. But you should be thinking of Cape Byron, a whisky distillery co-created by one of Scotland’s most awarded Master Distillers.

Cape Byron Distillery was co founded by Byron Bay local Eddie Brook, and Scottish master distiller Jim McEwan, known for a long tenure at Bowmore and some innovative work with the reopening of Bruichladdich Distillery. When you think of Jim McEwan you should be thinking of things like the iconic Octomore series.

The Viognier Cask is Cape Byron’s their third whisky release and the first of a new ‘small batch’ series. With a title like that you can expect there to be limited numbers of this expression – there are only 1,150 bottles available for purchase.

It was aged for a minimum of three years in a combination of American Oak ex bourbon barrels, as well as Australian Viognier casks. The casks are French Oak but the wine is made in Australia at Inkwell Wines, which is a certified organic wine producer in McLaren Vale.

It’s bottled at 46%, and it’s worth mentioning that the barrels are aged in an area that is exposed to a combination of sea breezes and rainforest air.

Cape Byron’s previous release was a Chardonnay Cask which I have already reviewed and rated, so I had high hopes for this release.

Whisky Tasting Notes

Bottle of Australian single malt whisky from Cape Byron Distillery in Byron Bay. Whisky pouring into Glencairn whisky glass.

Appearance: Deep golden colour with thick, slow running legs.

Nose: The distillery tasting notes do state ‘tropical fruits’ on the nose and I actually picked that up straight away. There’s ripe pineapple, a little bit of apricot, all with a faint note of the white wine notes coming through. The nose was quite complex and strong, especially for a whisky at 46%,

Palate: The first thing I noted here was the fantastic texture of the whisky, which I think is the Jim McEwan influence. First impression is that of butter – thick, oily and it coats the mouth like a buttered French treat. Spiced fruit flavours like stewed apples start to come through, as well as some faint hints of stone fruit.

Finish: Incredibly smooth! The buttery texture just coats the mouth and allows the flavours to linger for such a long time.

My overall impression is that this is a full-bodied whisky in terms of flavour, without the alcohol burn. It would be perfectly enjoyable for single malt drinkers who like a sweeter whisky but don’t necessarily want a sherry bomb, and could even be a great entry whisky for white wine drinkers, as the white wine influence is noticeable.

It has the signature Cape Byron style whilst still being its own whisky, it’s well-balanced and very much on par with the Chardonnay Cask.

What’s next for Cape Byron

I mentioned that this is the first of a new “small batch” series. Some of the other expressions marked for this new series are whiskies aged in:

American oak ex-bourbon barrels that have also contained Mac, Cape Byron’s macadamia liqueur.
French oak wine casks hand-selected by industry expert and Master Distiller, Jim McEwan – known colloquially as ‘The Cask Whisperer’.

They are definitely a distillery to keep your eye on and the Viognier Cask is one to try to get hold of if you can. They haven’t priced it out of the market either as it’s retailing for around $150, which I feel is on par for the quality.