Belgrove Cask Strength Rye Whiskey Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: C+

Updated March 24, 2014

Peter Bignell’s Belgrove Distillery occupies a niche that is presently unique not just in Australia, but in international whiskey. Bio-Diesel, farm-to-still whiskey is unusual enough, but what makes Belgrove special is that is one of two distilleries making 100% rye whiskey in a place that isn’t in North America, and the only one in Australia.

Yet distilling spirits was only legalized in Australia in the early 1990s. While Australian whiskey has been attracting some serious attention in the mainstream media lately, and many expressions from Down Under have won international awards, the industry as a whole could be described as still finding its way. Belgrove’s rye is a case in point, as this Belgrove Cask Strength Rye demonstrates.

The Rye
Compared to Belgrove’s standard rye, this stronger stuff is much more colorful. In the glass, it has a glistening, reddish amber appearance. That isn’t surprising, given that this is the same juice, but bottled at 58% abv (some entries say 59%, but my bottle said 58%).

The aroma for this cask strength is nice, with no bite to it. Vanilla mingles with a current of licorice and tobacco for a scent that is both very rye and very mild.

The flavor is a different story, with strong woodiness that dips into astringency. Because of that, it’s hard to tell if the little bit of a bite is due to the heavy wood character or the elevated alcohol content. The rye spice is there as well, simmering in caramel with a whiff of smoke. The finish goes down long, warm, and smooth, with a spicy afterglow.

Given the finish, I suspect the slight bite on the palate is wood, not alcohol. Another thing that makes Belgrove unusual is that its aged ryes are a blend of small barrel and big barrel whiskey. My guess is the overly woody side of both this whiskey and the standard rye comes from small barrel stuff that stayed in the barrel for too long, but that is just a guess. The upside is that taking the alcohol content up improved the whiskey quite a bit.

Ultimately, I think Belgrove’s rye whiskey is built on a sound foundation. Their white rye is an enjoyable unaged whiskey and a good foundation. I think a little more tinkering with how much of what gets used and how long it spends in the barrel will fix things up nicely, but as it stands right now, Belgrove’s Cask Strength Rye is just OK.

The Price
The Belgrove Cask Strength Rye comes in 500 ml bottles and goes for 199 AUD ($178)