Velvet and Memory: Sullivans Cove 18 Year Old American Oak Ex-Bourbon TD0131

Some whiskies speak in hushed tones, yet their presence is undeniable. The 18 Year Old American Oak Ex-Bourbon, drawn from Sullivans Cove's single cask TD0131, is one such spirit. It does not posture, it does not plead for attention, it rewards those who linger, those who listen. This is Tasmanian whisky at its most mature and self-assured.

Distilled in August 2006 and bottled in December 2024, this single cask spent over 18 years resting in a 200-litre American oak ex-bourbon barrel. Just 172 bottles emerged from its slumber, each filled with whisky that had travelled the long road of time with patience, grace and quiet transformation. Bottled at a considered 47.5 percent, it maintains both integrity and poise.

From the first swirl, it is clear this is not your typical ex-bourbon affair. The nose is warm and enveloping, rich with brown sugar and stewed peaches, layered over buttery biscuit crumb and just-sliced apple. There is something nostalgic here, cherry cola and marmalade, the scent of sweet shops in the sun, offset by tropical flickers of passionfruit and shortbread. It is bright and grounded, youthful and wise.

The palate is where this whisky truly comes alive. It opens like a fruit orchard in late summer, ripe and golden, before a savoury seam of dried rosemary and thyme lends structure. The fruit deepens, dried cherry, blackberry jam, fruit pie cooling on the windowsill. Then, a wave of sticky richness arrives, coconut rough, charred pineapple, rocky road. The texture is plush and dense, a slow-moving tide of flavour that coats and lingers.

The finish is long, plush and indulgent. Think dark chocolate and rum-soaked raisins, plums, sticky date and walnut. A faint, sophisticated salinity, like olive brine, provides contrast, before the final echo, lavender-scented chocolate and a trace of jam-filled lamingtons, all carried on a pillowy, full-bodied finish that leaves you lost in reverie.

Presented in a handmade solid oak case and accompanied by a certificate signed by the distillery manager, this is more than packaging, it is ceremony. The bottle itself is part of a ritual, one best shared with fellow obsessives or reserved for moments that warrant silence and awe.

TD0131 is a whisky that exists outside of fashion and beyond category. It is generous, luxurious and deeply expressive. For the collector, it is an heirloom cask from one of the most awarded distilleries in the Southern Hemisphere. For the drinker, it is an invitation to slow down and let flavour tell the story. A whisky not just of age, but of intimacy. A velvet memory in a glass.