Highwayman Blackest Friday 500ml
An absolute ripper for Black Friday 2023, this micro-batch single malt comes to you from none other than Australia’s legendary Highwayman.
AustraliaColour Dark walnut
Nose Fresh vanilla bean with blood plums, cardamom, burnt brûlée and roasted nuts.
Palate Black cherries alongside toffee apple and fried banana, caramelised brown sugar and smoked dried spice.
Finish Toasted vanilla marshmallows with floral berry reduction and sweet peat smoke.
Overview
Taking hands-on craft to its extreme, produced end-to-end by Dan Woolley, every drop of Highwayman Single Malt Whisky is perfected in service of flavour. Dan uses the highest quality barley in a long, slow fermentation and careful distillation over five weeks, to ensure the spirit produced can pair perfectly with his rich and mouthwatering cask regimen.
Dan, the Man behind the Highway, sources his peated malt directly from Scotland. Dan says his peat is “nothing like Islay, but has a hint of saltiness that gives it the really nice earthy, salty-savoury DNA that Highwayman is known for.”
On the whisky scene for a couple of decades now, Dan’s career has spanned across the globe with his work for Japan’s Yamazaki, Maker’s Mark in the US, and Scotland’s Benriach. But it’s in Australia that he’s really been able to hone his whiskymaking skills, inspired by the godfather of Australian whisky we all know and love, Bill Lark. Dan acknowledges the impact his close relationship with Australia’s most well-known and respected whiskymaker has had on him, not just as a professional in the whisky industry but in his own personal life: “He’ll hate me saying it but I really do look at him as being my surrogate father after my father passed away 20 years ago.”
With malts that are clearly an homage to our nation’s modern whisky industry, it’s no wonder Highwayman has become a cult brand in Australia.
Highwayman Blackest Friday is a particularly unique release; three quarters of the peated single malt has received a triple maturation in first fill, ex-Bourbon casks, while the other quarter matured in a 100-litre first-fill French Oak Apera cask. These were then married to make this punchy Club exclusive, just in time for Black Friday.
The undulating layers of fresh vanilla bean, burnt brûlée and floral berry reduction are woven together with a final breath of peat smoke, and delivered at a natural cask strength of 55% ABV. This dark liquid is also completely unfiltered to deliver maximum flavour. As Dan says: “It’s about as pure a whisky as you’ll ever get from barrel to bottle.”
“The Grim Reaper is there as a warning – treat it with respect or it will disrespect you.”
Created exclusively for The Whisky Club, this hand-bottled micro-batch was extremely limited. Highwayman Blackest Friday was only available on Black Friday, 24 November 2023. and has now sold out. Not a Member? Join free now to get your hands on our upcoming releases.
Bottle size: 500ml
THE SPECS
Price: $249.00
Age: No Age Statement
ABV: 55%
Maturation: Triple Bourbon finish married with first-fill Apera (peated malt)
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Highwayman Whisky's History
Highwayman Whisky is a testament to the relentless dedication and unwavering commitment of the indomitable Dan Woolley.
For the past decade, Dan has been a prominent figure in the world of whisky, proudly serving as one of Australia's most sought-after Whisky ambassadors. His journey as the quintessential Highwayman of whisky took him on countless adventures, traversing thousands of miles with a bag full of liquid gold, captivating and educating whisky enthusiasts along the way.
During this time, Dan gained an exclusive backstage pass to iconic distilleries globally, weaving through the landscapes of Scotland (especially Islay), Kentucky, Tasmania, and Japan. This journey not only deepened his hands-on understanding of production but ignited an unparalleled passion for the art of whisky maturation.
In 2016, Dan embarked on a personal odyssey, laying down his own spirit in carefully selected casks. The first ten batches were sourced from his favourite distilleries across Australia, then taken to coastal Byron Bay, NSW, where they matured gracefully under Dan's watchful eye. Simultaneously, Dan began acquiring the necessary equipment to bring his distillation dreams to life. Through a serendipitous alignment with Lord Byron Distillery, production of new make spirit on his own still commenced in 2018.
Fast forward to mid-2020, and the culmination of Dan's life's work took the form of Highwayman – a symphony of flavours crafted for whisky lovers to savour. The inaugural bottlings, a testament to his passion and expertise, flew off the shelves within minutes.
Now, a new chapter unfolds in Highwayman Whisky's story, marked by the release of the first-ever 100% Byron Bay single malt whisky. The process is a meticulous dance where local barley is milled, mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged in an exquisite array of oak casks, all meticulously orchestrated at the Lord Byron Distillery. Handcrafted in micro batches and bottled at cask strength, this pure expression of artistry stands as a testament to Dan's vision and passion.
Distillery Facts
Region: New South Wales
Origin: 7/4 Banksia Dr, Byron Bay, NSW 2481
Founded: 2016