I’ve tasted Overeem whisky before, and liked it very much (both sherry and port at the high abv and lower), It’s a top notch small (and I mean small) craft distillery, so when Neil and Joel asked me to join an online virtual visit to the Overeem distillery I was keen to hop on the bandwagon. Sadly the samples were shipped a bit late, and Israeli mail was slow as usual, meaning I never got to participate in the twitter event, but what do you know: a few days after the event took place, I got the impressive package… it contained a lot of goodies : A wheat beer brewed by cascade brewery who makes the mash for the distillery (yes, they do not ferment their own…) , a bottle of pure Tasmanian spring water, a sample of the new make, a sample of the sherry cask, and a sample of the new ex-bourbon cask , and a wee bit of sherry cask wood which is Uber cool. In addition they also send two cool samples of peated barley, and some Tasmanian Peat. A brilliant set, no doubt. I set out to try the beer the day after, and then the spirit, and the ultra interesting Ex-bourbon.
Overeem New make Spirit, 63.7%
Nose :a lot very nose. Yeasty and sweet with tons of baked pear and apple. Lemongrass and bits of ginger sweets. Vanilla pods.
Palate: very sweet and creamy. Some bug vanilla and milk chocolate with bits of honey nut.
Finish: pear drops, chocolate mouse, vanilla and banana bread.
Quick thought
This is indeed one of the yummiest new makes I’ve had recently, It’s very pure, no off notes, so sweet with water with all that vanilla and chocolate. It really is a lovely spirit, and if that is the beginning of it all, no wonder the whisky turns out to be brilliant too. Impressed.
Overeem Bourbon Cask cask OHD-065 , 60% abv , £187
Nose : Fresh and creamy with lots of vanilla and barley sugars. Some coconut, toasted oak and banana bread as it develops it gets a bit grassy and further notes of apple skin.
Palate : baked apples and vanilla fudge with spices and some honey on top. Lots of sweet notes going on here as well as some coconut and fresh sweet dough. With water more spices come into focus, mostly pepper cinnamon and hints of ginger. It’s really a classic sort of ex-bourbon profile, with a peppery tang.
Finish :The finish is medium with dry oak, cinnamon apple , and cocoa with a sprinkle of ginger powder.
Bottom line:
This is top notch stuff, it’s lovely and feels mature, and well rounded at this tender age. Being high in abv, it does benefit from water (I’ve tried cutting it with the Tasmanian water as suggested), and with water its becomes even spicier and richer. I’d love to see this whisky priced differently. I know this is a craft distillery, and that only so many bottles are made yearly, with great care, but frankly 180 quid and more for a young whisky such as this (as good as it is) is way over the top, for me. Let’s hope Overeem cranks up on production, and starts distilling and aging more spirit, so we can all enjoy more of it, and be able to afford some.
It’s a touch decision between this and the sherry / port versions, both were lovely. I’d say this is up to you to decide, depending on your personal preference. Anyways, craft whisky at its best. Go Go Tasmania!
Score: 87/100
Samples provided by Overeem UK.