Kinglake Goodbye Popeye

Review

After trying a few of their small batch whiskies from the Kinglake Distillery, the Goodbye Popeye stood out as a distinctly unique and incredibly enjoyable dram. It spends 17 months in an ex-rye cask before another 18 months in a Rutherglen Tawny cask, and you can taste both. We loved the tawny port influence, which gives it that toasty sweet flavour, while the rye brings just enough spice to balance all that sweetness. Jammy fruit, burnt orange and dark chocolate all come through, with a touch of smoke in the background, and the balance between the wood and the fruit was impressive. At 50% ABV it has plenty of punch, but it never felt hot or harsh to us. It's hard to believe it's under three years old. As a limited release it may be hard to find, but it scored so well that we had to include it for those lucky enough to stumble upon this rare but excellent expression where Rutherglen Tawny Port meets Australian whisky.