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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (virtually) every day tastings. Santé! |
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June 13, 2024
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One other quick flight of world whiskies |
| Gone are the times when “world whiskies”, that’s, all non-Scottish whiskies, have been relegated to a sort of ghetto on the cabinets of our wine and spirits retailers, tucked away on the finish, lined in mud, and solely prompting raised eyebrows or shrugs. This included Irish and Japanese whiskies! Only some bourbons stood out a bit, in all probability because of Keith Richards. Nonetheless, you’ll observe that issues have been completely different in Italy, all the time forward by about twenty years |
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In any case, issues have modified enormously. Simply take a look at the depressing index of Whiskyfun, which now teams 1000’s of world whiskies on a single web page, whereas, on the time, there have been so few that the identical web page housed, and nonetheless homes, additionally rums, cognacs, and armagnacs. We’re going to attempt to enhance that quickly, though it’s going to be fairly a giant job. Nicely, we’ll see…
Anyway, we’re going to begin this session with a French whisky, as traditional. Higher but, a whisky distilled twenty minutes from Château WF.
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G. Miclo 2013/2024 (46.2%, Model Française, La Maison du Whisky,150 bottles) 
Right here we’re in Pays Welche, the French-speaking a part of Alsace, which encompasses simply three or 4 valleys within the Vosges. Maison Miclo may be very well-known within the area and even internationally for its fruit brandies, however they’ve additionally been producing malt whisky with nice seriousness for almost fifteen years. Color: gold. Nostril: there’s a spicy and fruity duality, with fairly pronounced cocoa notes adopted by fruity notes harking back to among the home’s specialties, corresponding to small berries (serviceberry), quince, and even Williams pear. Having tasted this malt at numerous ages, I discover that being over 10 years outdated does it the best good. These quinces are significantly stunning. Mouth: the cask affect is marked however very properly built-in, with numerous cinnamon and slightly contact of varnish (I repeat myself, however I prefer it). One may virtually recognise one other Alsatian specialty, plum/quetsche tarte lined with floor cinnamon. Gradual return of the cocoa notes thereafter. End: medium size, nonetheless that well-known plum tarte but additionally some marzipan and a little bit of caraway brandy. Do you know that caraway grows rather a lot in Pays Welche! Feedback: they even make caraway eau-de-vie, nevertheless it stays very marginal. In any case, this whisky may be very profitable, and I promise I’m not saying that simply because I, too, am of Welche origin. Twenty animal pelts! (that’s a vaguely native curse).
SGP:561 – 86 factors.
PS: it appears a bit like an ex-vin jaune cask. |
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Mackmyra ‘Indentitet’ (48.7%, OB, Sweden, +/-2023) 
No age assertion, however we do study that it was smoked with juniper and aged in Swedish oak – couldn’t be the opposite approach ‘spherical, may it? I imagine it was their unique recipe if I keep in mind properly. A sauna in a bottle ;-). Color: pale gold. Nostril: a bit like smoked salmon that has stayed slightly too lengthy within the smoker, however I have to admit I like smoked salmon. It’s a easy, slim type, but very demonstrative. More and more, there’s grapefruit peel, and a brand new sauna-like observe straight out of Ikea (do they even promote sauna cabins at Ikea?). Mouth: actually amusing, a kind of very dry aquavit, fairly shortly drying however very humorous. Sawdust, cardboard, ashes, little lemons, and, wait, caraway? Once more? End: lengthy, imbued with smoked wooden, however all the time amusing. Juniper proper on the finish. Feedback: may we use it for massages?
SGP:376 – 82 factors. |
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Askeim 8 yo (57.7%, OB, Smögen, Sweden, 2024) 
Lengthy story quick, that is unpeated Smögen made with outdated barley strains and comes with Nordic legends, and so on., however with a lot moderation. No worries, this isn’t Ardbeg (so far as tales go). Color: straw. Nostril: properly, it is a magnificent nostril nevertheless it appears to endure a bit from the ‘Highland Caol Ila’ syndrome, that well-known unpeated Caol Ila which nonetheless had a tiny little bit of peat. I am not going to offer you a full sketch, however tea connoisseurs, for example, would by no means use a teapot accustomed to pu-ehr to brew very contemporary oolong. It could solely odor like… pu-ehr. Briefly, there’s a touch of smoke, however extra like their neighbours (seen from right here) Highland Park, I might say. Besides it turns into more and more fatty and wealthy, a bit like a macerated white wine. Slight touches of uncooked turnips. With water: sunflower oil, mashed banana, yellow flowers, moist chalk… Mouth (neat): I discover this to be an important success, it is oily, barely salty, considerably unique (guava), and particularly stuffed with contemporary breads from all around the world, with numerous seeds and grains. And sure, it’s a bit smoky. Thick texture. With water: formidable. It’s so intelligent to launch this at 8 years. End: lengthy, with a return of the uncooked turnips. A lot saltier aftertaste. Feedback: jogs my memory of the HP 10 they now not make, for which I used to be usually criticised for my very excessive ranking. Besides that right here, there’s 17.7% extra ABV. Nice success in steadiness, pretty precision. They need to take into account watchmaking as properly.
SGP:562 – 90 factors. |
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In any case, it’s definitely not Underneath-Smögen. Whereas we’re at it, simply to make certain…
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Smögen 12 yo 2011/2024 (56.6%, OB, Sweden, bourbon and sherry, 1,716 bottles)
Created from barley grown on the distillery’s personal property. I realise, in discussing this with mates who know nothing about whisky (sure, we’ve these), that many imagine Scottish distilleries develop their grains on their very own estates. Color: full gold. Nostril: oh expensive, I aimed too excessive for the Asheim, so what am I to do with this superlative Smögen? Particularly since there’s no reverse gear at Chateau WF. Proper, let’s crack on… Excellent, exact, a wonderfully straight line, contemporary bread, seaweed, baker’s yeast, apples, and amusing touches of cress. Small land cress. With water: full contemporary pumpernickel. Mouth (neat): horribly wealthy, large, peaty, spicy (turmeric), saline, with elegant coffees, presumably from the sherry. With water: loads of small fruits and peppery herbs. The little cress reappears. End: very lengthy, saline, each contemporary and wealthy. Very peaty. Feedback: Smögen pushes us too excessive, however there’s nothing we will do about it. I discover it certainly one of, if not essentially the most ‘textured’ malts of the second. What structural richness! We may virtually go to 91, definitely with a non-sherry model, although the sherry may be very properly built-in right here.
SGP: 567 – 90 factors. |
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One enjoys him/herself fairly properly in Sweden…
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Agitator 4 yo 2020/2024 (58.1%, The Whisky Jury, Sweden, First Fill Wave Stave Barrel, cask #2028)
What the fudge is a ‘First Fill Wave Stave Barrel’, chances are you’ll ask? Simply ask them, it is ‘minimize in such a approach that there’s extra ratio wood-spirit and thus leading to sooner maturation’. Wooden know-how in motion. Color: full gold. Nostril: nice, on truffles, marzipan, macaroons, and a rising petrol observe, with whiffs of ashes, scoria, engine oil, linoleum… Is that what WSB does? (After STR, seems to be like the subsequent smartest thing is WSB, hope it’ll by no means be FSB). With water: acrid smoke, wooden ashes, carbon, burnt tyres… Mouth (neat): it’s sure, it really works, it’s very salty and tarry, but additionally fairly bitter. Some moderately good notes of salted lemon although, it appears like a tequila shot a.okay.a. tekpaf a.okay.a. a margarita for thrill-seeking kids. It really works pretty properly with the peat however stays considerably binary, if I’ll say, it doesn’t go too deep. With water: slightly an excessive amount of cask impression. Concentrated mint and fir resin. End: lengthy, thick, resinous. A hectolitre of fir liqueur and verbena within the aftertaste. Feedback: to be sincere, this type may properly persuade kids to take an curiosity in whisky. Between a shot of Jäger and a shot of this, there’s no hesitation. Individually, I believe I’ve outgrown it, however because of the Jury and Agitator for introducing me to WSB. Critically, it’s very attention-grabbing, and my goal has by no means been to halt ‘progress’.
SGP:486 – 80 factors. |
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We’ll select one thing good for the final whisky; we have already had fairly a busy time…
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Wire Works ‘Small Batch’ (46.2%, OB, White Peak, England, STR & Bourbon, 4,323 bottles, 2022) 
A frivolously peated batch. We’ve actually loved the earlier Wire Works we may strive, and the bottles are pretty sufficient to double as wine decanters afterward. Color: gold. Nostril: it’s actually contemporary and fairly floral, very light, with notes of scones, sponge cake, rum babas, honeysuckle, and dandelion flowers. These modest little flowers odor so pleasant! I additionally detect acacia flowers and the honey the bees make from them. A really mild ‘STR’ observe, harking back to light ginger cookies. Relaxation assured, they haven’t STRised barrels from Château Latour. Mouth: it’s actually good, definitely youthful, however balanced, although barely spicy and mildly bitter. Inexperienced tea, a touch of rubber, a little bit of cork, however the peat balances all of it out. End: fairly lengthy, with a contact of bitter oranges. Feedback: nice, we’ll be tasting extra Wire Works quickly.
SGP:463 – 83 factors. |
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I moderately fancy really ending with a Nantou, as a result of we’ve thousands and thousands to style (virtually) and since we’ve by no means had the time to do the mega Nantou vs. Kavalan session that we wished to organise. I believe we’ll by no means get round to it.
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Nantou 6 yo 2017/2023 (58.1%, OB, TTL Omar for HNWS & Whisky Lovers HK, virgin oak, cask #01160208, 185 bottles)
Nantou/Omar is crafted by the Taiwanese state monopoly. One may want our personal state monopolies in France have been occupied with whisky-making moderately than placing each different morning. Color: copper. Nostril: we’re veering very near bourbon territory right here, with delicate hints of acetone, loads of varnish, adopted by overripe bananas, caramel and toffee, gorse, vanilla pods, and Taiwanese (naturally) black tea. Including water: not a dramatic change, simply slight notes of coconut, brioche, and rosewood. Mouth (neat): the wooden is sort of ahead, however oddly, it really works. A great deal of spiced natural teas, ginseng, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and even saffron. With water: it teeters on the sting of being overly woody but maintains a pleasant steadiness of fruitiness and spiciness, harking back to bananas with delicate curry. End: lengthy, with caraway and sautéed bananas, a contact of agave syrup. Feedback: an excellent younger whisky, marked by its daring woodiness which flirted with the boundaries all through however finally got here out extraordinarily properly, although it’s been fairly a trip.
SGP:651 – 86 factors. |
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