Kurio Whisky. It’s Like Cherry Jam Had a Love Child with a Campfire, and I’m Obsessed
You know how sometimes you meet a whisky and it’s all gruff and intimidating, like a brooding ex-boyfriend in a Harris Tweed jacket? Well, Kurio is not that whisky. Kurio is the fun one at the party. The one who turns up in velvet loafers, tells scandalous stories about Tasmanian cherries, and then politely asks if you’d like a splash more.
Lark Distilling Co. launches Kurio
Launched by the clever folk at Lark Distilling Co., who have apparently decided that normal whisky is far too beige for 2025, Kurio is their brand-new blended brainchild. And let me tell you, it is not here to sit quietly on a dusty shelf next to a cigar box and someone’s grandfather’s regret. No. Kurio is here to dazzle, intrigue, and possibly convert the gin crowd.
Their debut release, charmingly named Crimson Jam, tastes exactly like it sounds, if cherry preserve went to finishing school in the Alps. It’s been finished in Tasmanian cherry and sparkling wine-seasoned casks (because obviously) and I can confirm, with zero hesitation, it’s absolutely divine. Fruity but not sticky. Smoky but not like your jumper after bonfire night. It’s the whisky equivalent of Black Forest cake at a Parisian dinner party.
Chris Thomson is the Master Distiller
According to Master Distiller Chris Thomson, who frankly deserves a medal and/or a Netflix special, “Kurio is for people who crave flavour that excites and surprises.” And honestly, yes. Yes, I do crave that. I’ve had enough of drinks that taste like lightly toasted cardboard. Give me jammy depth, give me custardy dreams, give me chocolate with a PhD.
Tasting notes for Kurio
The nose? Bursting with red fruits and just a whisper of smoke, like a cherry tart baked in a forest cabin by someone wearing cologne.
The palate? Black Forest cake doing a tango with nutmeg and apricot.
The finish? Cherry jam, creamy custard, mocha, and just the tiniest bit of cheek. If this whisky were a man, you’d swipe right, marry him, and follow him to a whisky-fuelled life in the Tasmanian hills.
Now, some brands say “drink it your way” and then judge you when you add ice. Kurio genuinely means it. Want it neat? Gorgeous. Highball? Fabulous. Old Fashioned? Knock yourself out. Chuck it in a cocktail with a grapefruit twist and a cinnamon stick? Live your truth.
At $120 a bottle, it’s in that sweet spot of “I’m treating myself, but I’m still going to pay rent.” And for a blended whisky with this much personality, it’s genuinely a steal.
“Whisky for the curious, by the curious”
Kurio’s motto is “Whisky for the curious, by the curious,” which makes sense, because this is not your average dram. This is whisky with a wink. Whisky with a playlist. Whisky that turns to you after one sip and says, “Let’s make questionable decisions, but tastefully.”
Would I recommend it? Oh yes. I already want a second bottle. And possibly a perfume that smells like the finish. 8% version boasts a whisky-forward gusto, crafted for those moments when only the boldest spirit will do. Dive into a deluge of spice, citrus, oak, vanilla, and toffee, all ready to be savoured as you celebrate the everyday and the extraordinary alike.
