I filmed this full livestream replay inside the Stillmaker & Sons barrel room on the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, tasting two upcoming 6-year-old single malts matured entirely in dry Apera (Australian “sherry”) casks: Cask 6 at 47% and Cask 8 at 57%. Alongside Mike Martin (Stillmaker & Sons) and Mark from Brisbane Whisky Scene, we dug into the cask origin story (including how Mike lucked into a connection with MacWilliam’s), why Stillmaker committed to waiting for a proper age statement, and what actually changes when you bottle at 47% versus letting a cask sit at a higher “sweet spot” strength. On Cask 6, I kept coming back to that oily, robust, almost “unheated Highland” vibe—fruit cake, Christmas cake, and a surprising custard-like texture that Mike described perfectly with his “zuppa inglese” cake memory. Then Cask 8 turns the dial up without turning into ethanol heat: it drinks more like “more flavour” than “more alcohol,” with a thicker, more viscous mouthfeel and a finish that just keeps going. We also chat distillation style, why every barrel tells its own story, and the practical side of non-chill filtration (including how they manage flocculation).