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The Whisky From Cask Number 1

In every distillery there is a special feeling about the first cask that is filled.  It was no different at Nonesuch Distillery.

We knew that the making of the whisky and filling Cask 1 would result in really special memories for us so we decided that the whisky -

1. had to meet the high quality that we set for ourselves in order to maintain the lofty standard set by the founders of the whisky industry in Tasmania
2. be something exceptional and distinctive.

After a lot of debate and even more research the decision was made to create a spirit that would, in effect, be a high quality "Bourbon".  That demanded a grain mix of corn, malted barley and rye. 

One drawback that worried us was that term Bourbon is a trade protected term and cannot be used unless the whisky is made in the United States.    

But (as Shakespeare wrote) "What's in a name?"   

We decided to concentrate on making the best "bourbon-like" whisky possible and to worry later on about what to call it .

Frustratingly, we soon discovered that when using a high ratio of corn (our recipe required 72% corn), the mash process required equipment that was more specialised than we had in our little distillery.   

That threatened to derail our plan.  But just down the road was the amazing craft beer producer Double Head Brewing owned and operated by the talented Ty and Amanda Capaci.

As a modern brewery Double Head Brewing had just the equipment needed and, as happens in our wonderful community, they came to our rescue.

Ty and Amanda changed their own production schedule and they brewed and fermented a wash for us using our grain recipe.

It is not overstating the case to say this whisky would not have seen the light of day without Ty and Amanda.

This is the only time Nonesuch has not produced its own wash and, due to the loss of Ty and the subsequent closure of Double Head, this particular whisky cannot and will not ever be reproduced.

So, back to the question "what would we call this whisky style in Australia?"   

We have decided on the term "Single Grain". 

Single refers to whisky from a single distillery and Grain refers to the use of a mix of cereal grains. 

We have distilled this whisky in our bespoke copper pot still and that results in a whisky filled with character and flavour.  

The Cask 1 Whisky is -

• (we believe) the first "bourbon style" whisky produced in Tasmania
• a single cask release
• aged in a Virgin American Oak cask
• made up of only 44 x 500ml bottles at 48% a.b.v.

 All our whiskies are special in some way to us here at Nonesuch.  There is usually a memory associated with each one.  Maybe that memory is about distilling the spirit with a great guest or a memory a joke shared during the mash-in.  Sometimes it is a memory of what was happening somewhere in the world as we distilled or something taking place outside the distillery on Rayburn Farm.

Memories of the talented Ty and the big-heartedness of him and Amanda,  the fact that this was our first cask and that it tastes amazing makes this whisky really special to us.  

Now we have to convince our founder, Rex, to release it and not consign it all to his own personal stock.

Keep an eye on the Nonesuch newsletter for updates.  We trust you will bear with us as we work on Rex and also work out the fairest way of releasing what is a very distinctive and very special batch of Nonesuch Whisky.

Nonesuch Whisky - The Spirit is Out Of The Cask

We have had a really exciting time recently as the very first cask of whisky was decanted and is being readied for bottling.
Our in-house tasting team have determined that the bottling strength for this particular whisky will be 48% abv as, at this strength, the characters present best.

So Far So Good - Raising Awareness of Mental Health

Raising awareness of Mental Health is something near and dear to us so when Sydney based Art Director, Amy Roser, made us aware of the project she had underway to address this issue we were immediately on-board.

Amy is curating an exhibition titled "So Far So Good" with 100% of the profits going to support the amazing work of charity One Wave (pictured) along with another very active charity, batyr,.

Both One Wave and batyr have approached the work of raising awareness of issues such as depression and anxiety in unique and engaging ways.  

Please have a look at their websites to see the great work they are doing.

How are we supporting Amy and So Far So Good?

Our first undertaking was to support the opening of the exhibition by donating some of our award winning Dry Gin and Sloe Gin to be served on the night and to be used as rewards for people pledging funds on the group's Pozzible page.

Our second decision was to donate five dollars ($5.00) from the sale of any of our gins on our website PLUS give a five dollar discount to the person buying the gin.

This donation will apply to any purchase made via our website before 1 Nov 2018.  Use the code sfsg at checkout to activate the donation and discount.

AMY ON SO FAR SO GOOD IN HER OWN WORDS:

So Far So Good is a text-based group show that aims to get people talking positively about mental health. 100% of profits are going to One Wave and Batyr, two local mental health non-profits. Dealing with personal stuff can be a really isolating experience so I am really passionate about starting up a dialogue with a big group of people and celebrating those who champion the mental health space every day.
I have 13 artists, a poet, the St O’Donnell boys on the music, a VR company, a number of brands, and loads of friends on board to help me realise the project – it opens on RUOK? Day and it’s already been a big success in terms of bringing a community together to acknowledge something that often gets swept under the rug. Stay tuned… I guess this is my ideal collaboration, just quietly. Tough but rewarding… and meaningful.

Suffragette Cocktail

This cocktail was advertised in Pittsburg (USA) in 1909 and the ad that appeared then is certainly cringworthy by the standards of today.

The advertisement stated that –
• One makes a man listen to the suffragette case,
• two makes him think the cause has some merit,
• three makes him a convert and
• four makes him go home to do the dishes.

To make this cocktail you will need -
• 30ml sloe gin
• 30ml dry vermouth
• 30ml sweet vermouth
• Dash of orange bitters
• Lemon

Put the sloe gin, dry vermouth, and sweet vermouth in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until well chilled. Then strain into a cocktail glass and Garnish with a lemon twist.

Gin Fudge

We naturally enjoy our Gin in an array of amazing cocktails but we also enjoy creating fantastic foods using Gin.

This recipe caught our eye and we loved the fudge so much we just had to share it.

Have fun and enjoy it.  

You will need -
2 cups of white chocolate chips
8 cups confectioner's sugar
1 cup Nonesuch Dry Gin
zest of 2 limes (optional)

To make -
Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. 
Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at medium power for until melted, stirring well at regular intervals.
While the chocolate is melting, place the confectioner's sugar in a large bowl. Whisk the gin into the sugar. The mixture will look like icing.
When the chocolate is melted, quickly pour the chocolate into the sugar and gin mixture and stir very well. Scrape the chocolate, gin and sugar mixture into the prepared baking pan. Spread evenly. Work quickly, as white chocolate sets quickly when mixed with liquid.
If desired, sprinkle lime zest on top and gently press into the fudge.
Let the fudge set at room temperature just until firm, about 30 minutes. Lift from the pan and cut into squares. Let set fully for another hour. If the fudge is still too soft, place in the refrigerator to firm.
Makes 60 one-inch pieces.

(Thank you Yummly Rich Recipes)

GIN AND TONIC ICY POLES

These are just the thing for the coming summer days.  

A gin and tonic is one of the most refreshing alcoholic beverages to sip on during warmer months so these "adult only" icy poles just perfect for a barbecue or for a picnic or just when you need to cool down.

You will need -
100g caster sugar
80ml Nonesuch Dry Gin
50ml cold water
Juice of 1 lime
225ml tonic water
Slices of cucumber and/fruit (optional)
Icy pole molds and sticks

Method -
Put the sugar and cold water in small saucepan and stir over a low/medium heat (don't let it boil) until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool completely.
When cool, put the sugar syrup in a medium pouring jug with the gin, lime juice and tonic water and mix.
If you are adding fruit or cucumber slices put a slice into each of the molds.
Pour the mixture evenly into the molds, add the sticks and put in the freezer. Freeze until solid (ideally overnight).

Breakfast, Brunch and Gin

You know how it is. You are having a group of friends over to your place for that mid-morning meal and, while you know that you can be brilliantly creative in the kitchen, what to drink is an issue.

It is unlikely that orange juice or coffee alone is going to add a "wow" component that makes the whole experience memorable and you keep seeing that bottle of gin in your peripheral vision.   But is it too early for Gin? When is the right time?

The right time is now and thankfully there are plenty of ways to enjoy a gin with brunch that really compliment what you are enjoying food-wise.

Here is one of our favourites that will help bring out your inner morning person.

Nonesuch Brunch Cocktail
Ingredients:
40ml Nonesuch Dry Gin.
2 tsp. Orange marmalade.
20ml. Fresh lemon juice.
15ml. Simple syrup.
Lemon Peel.

Method
Add all the ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice.
Shake, then strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with a strip of lemon peel and enjoy with buttered toast on the side.