Saturday, September 6, 2014

THIS WEEK @ THE MALT AND VINE

Bakery Hill Single MaltWhiskey

This Friday from 5ish til 7ish
with Master Distiller David Baker

Robert Parker, the world’s most influential wine critic, set the cat amongst the pigeons in the late 1980’s by declaring that the Australian Wine Industry was “going through a protracted adolescence”.  It was a wake up call from the outside on an industry which produced millions of litres of cheap, well made and cheerful plonk, yet as Parker pointed out, we could, when given a chance, produce truly outstanding wines. 
The problem being most the Australian buying public refused to pay more than a pittance for even our best wines, while more than happy to pay in the hundreds to French wineries for wine of similar quality.  Mount Mary, Hill of Grace, Jasper Hills and even the esteemed, Grange Hermitage sold for a fraction of the cost of Jabolulet’s La Chappelle, Burgundies Vosne Romanee’s or a first growth Bordeaux.  While the world bought up our best wines for the bargains they were, we at home struggled to find a market for the very same wines.

Fast forward 20 years and we have the exact same equation at play with Australian Whisky, the rest of the world can’t get enough and is lapping it up, more importantly is scoring it on the quality presented and giving it the respect it truly deserves.

Read the tasting notes in Jim Murrays Whisky Bible for master distiller, David Bakers Bakery Hill Whisky’s and its peppered with words of true love, “extraordinary depth and charisma”, “there is a teasing gentleness to the smoke which borders on eroticism”, “show this to anyone and tell them its not an Islay and they will not believe you.”

These are truly memorable whisky’s which David has only one problem with, the world wants them and he cant produce enough to satisfy the growing demand.  When Tassy’s Sullivan’s Cove won a prestigious award as the worlds best, all David needed do was sit back, smile and point to the fact that his Whisky’s average a higher mark in Jims Bible than the worlds best.  They really are that good.

David is in our store on Friday for a tasting of his beautiful, melodic Peated MaltWhisky, he is a treasure trove of knowledge and so generous with his lifetime’s passion for one of the greatest spirits the world can provide.  If you have plans for Friday that don’t include a visit to the Malt and Vine between 5 and 7, break them and come see why the rest of the world is beating a path to the door of a wonderful distiller nestled in the foothills of Melbourne.  This is one very special tasting.

I will let David’s own words sum it all up

“At Bakery Hill distilling is not just our profession it's our passion.”