What happens if someone had a good idea then somewhere along the way, it fell apart, the experiment neglected and nearly lost forever?

Read on…

Hammer Head 23 years 40.7%, Czech, Pradlo distillery

• Colour – Pale
• Nose – Bright fresh citrus, dry fruits, hint of bourbon
• Palate – Mild chewy yet dry oak, a tinge of sour, lack of depth… re-tasted after 20 mins and had a flash of masala paan
• Finish – What finish?? Really nothing much at all…

Blind tasting reactions:

• Guessed may be around 40% as had no ‘punch’ on the tongue, age of around 10-12 years, likely not a blend
• Declared an evening no-nonsense malt, easy on the palette

You can be forgiven for not being instantly familiar with this single malt from the Czech republic. Back in 1989, Pradlo distillery decided it was high time to make a proud Czech single malt. With only Czech barley, water from the Bohemia region, aged in 100% Czech oak. The one concession made was to use a ‘hammer’ mill masher from Scotland, a thus a single batch was produced.

Then the Berlin wall fell and everything changed. Any further production stopped and the distillery was more or less forgotten. Til 23 years later it was ‘rediscovered’ and someone again got a bright idea and decided to make some money selling this mystery malt.

The result? A curiosity piece, a great story and a remarkable slice of history all neatly wrapped up in bottle more than a memorable malt. However, it did manage to pick up an award along the way…

Here’s what others have to say:

• Billy’s Booze Blog
• Alcohol Professor
• Malt Review

Glen Breton, Hammer Head, Nikka from the barrel, Mortlach (Whisky Lady)

Other samples in the ‘world whisky tour’ were:

• Canada – Glen Breton 10 year
• Japan – Nikka From The Barrel
• Scotland – Mortlach 15 year (Gordon & MacPhail)

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