Rock Town 3 Years Old 2011 B3.1 Little box of treasures (53.9%, SMWS, Charred Virgin Barrel, 238 Bottles, 2014)

• Rock Town Distillery
• SMWS Cask No. B3.1 Little box of treasures
• 53.9% ABV
• £55 buy from SMWS
• Score: 84/100

What they say:

Cask No. B3.1 Little box of treasures

The Panel experienced a huge hit of vanilla, followed by intense wood spice, cherry lips and rich creamy custard. Heady autumnal fruits abounded as a spiced pumpkin pie baked in the oven. The spirit simply oozed beautiful resinous sweetness. To taste, sweetcorn, fresh wood, really juicy! with oranges, lychees, papaya and guava. Comforting spices and melted butter accompanied fragrant gorse and cedar. Water increased the spice and added raisins and barley sugar sweets. Citrus notes balanced the butterscotch richness while subtle Pastilles Vichy (aniseed flavour) intrigued. To finish, we found beeswax, honeycomb, fresh wood shavings and Dolly Mixtures.

Age: 3 Years

Colour: Concker tea

Flavour: Juicy, oak & vanilla

Drinking tip: Expect power…

Outturn: 238 bottles

What I say:

Sampled at SMWS Queen Street 24st January 2015. I was looking for something a little different and still trying to tick off SMWS codes as part of my challenge to sample something bottled from every one. The bar staff suggested this unusual little bourbon number B3.1.

Colour:

Burnished copper gold (12/20), medium tears

Nose:

Maple syrup, vanilla essence, ginger and nutmeg spices, brown sugar, suede shoe leather, cereal grains wheat, barley, maize

Taste:

Brown sugar, maple syrup, camp coffee, beeswax, wood polish

Finish:

Short-medium length, drying tannic leather and neutral sweet maple syrup-flavour

Overall:

Hot, spicy and a little fast and furious, I found myself adding a little water to this to get real enjoyment from it, however once tamed by a drop or two this revealed some really fascinating flavour and character for a bourbon of only 3 years of age.