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Category Archives: Beyond Scotland

That Boutique-y Whisky Co – New Core Range

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No Whisky Show is truly complete without the dynamic duo of Dave Worthington & Sam Simmonds. That Boutique-y Whisky Co is just a “must go”! 

At London’s 2023 Whisky Show, you could spend the entire day at their wee stall! This year, they introduced their new core range along with three different features:

  • Land of Oz
  • American
  • Cinema expressions

We somehow managed to stick with just a partial sampling of the Core Range, Oz, and Cinema… however that took rather a large amount of restraint!

Starting with the World Whisky Blend (fabulous and affordable!), the good folks at Atom Brands aka That Boutique-y Whisky Co, decided it was time to have something a bit more regular and dependable for fans. Shifting from 500ml bottles of unique expressions with sometimes only 100+ bottles in existence where you could “blink” and they are gone, their new core range can be found in “industry standard” 700ml bottles, all at a traditional strength of 45.8% in batches of approx 1,000 liters, with the intention of being much more accessible.

Naturally, there had to be something a bit cheeky about the approach with Emily Chappell’s labels! With a nod to traditional scotch whisky which often featured deer… in this case, the age of the deer was linked to the age of the dram… except of course for the Canadian whisky, it simply had to be a moose! Dave also shared the bottle colours are meant to reflect the northern lights too. 

Which was exactly where we began, the good Canuck that I am! 

Canadian Corn 8 year 45.8% (GBP 38)

Big bold and sweet aromas, caramel toffee sweetness, nutty, and more! And on the palate? Even more of that dramatic desert with some cracking ginger spice. Yet even with all the big bold aromas and flavours, it was in harmony and not overwhelming. A fun, fabulous sweet treat with a punch.

What more do we know? It was matured in 100% Oloroso casks. As for official tasting notes?

  • Nose – Fruity muffins, buttery oak, opening up into sherried goodness: raisins, prunes, dates, drizzles of runny toffee and toasted nuts.
  • Taste – Big, bold, and fruity! Toffee ripple ice cream, wafer, and popcorn join toasted almonds and cooked peach, white cracks of black pepper nestle in the depths.

Where did we go next? We then shifted to the oldest offering in this new core range – the 30-year-old blended grain!

Blended Grain 30 year 45.8% GBP 75

As bold and youthful as the Canadian corn was, we shifted to a genteel dame with the blended grain. On the nose, it was a friendly ‘breakfast dram’ with delicious buttery pastries, honey, and a hint of marmalade, some cream with vanilla. Then on the palate? Soft, even creamier, and far too easy to drink. This one was dangerous in its deceptively easy style. Yum!

What more do we know? It is a blend of refill casks of ex-Bourbon hogsheads and ex-Sherry octaves. As for tasting notes?

  • Nose – Honeycomb, red grapes, immensely buttery biscuits or shortbread, waxy orange peel, polished oak and a touch of floral spring breeze.
  • Palate –  Thick, textured with rich butterscotch, freshly baked cookies with still-soft chocolate chunks, hints of cedar and white pepper in the finish.

Next up was the Speyside….

Speyside 12 year 45.8% GBP 45

If the Canadian was big and bold, the Grain genteel and intoxicating, the Speyside was a sherry delight with substance!

On the nose, we found crunchy chocolate caramel with roasted nuts, some fruity sweetness too, and a puff of smoke. It had real substance on the palate – this was no lightweight! Warm and full of classic sherry dark fruits combined with a hint of salt. Far too drinkable too!

What more do we know? It is a combination of all-new Oloroso casks.. with the official tasting notes:

  • Nose – Caramelised nuts and chocolate mousse, flamed orange peel, cinnamon, earthy density, punchy cassia, and smoky oak.
  • Taste – Fruity, chewy and spicy. Tangy cranberry, salty jerky, oily walnuts, an absolute belter of a Speyside whisky. Complex and quaffable.

We held off on checking out the Highland 18 year and Islay 8 year. I’m sure they are equally worth checking out. Our overall conclusion for the trio we tried is that each is, in its distinctive way, simply too easy to drink. Which I supposed is exactly what they were aiming for with this more accessible range – bravo!

What next? Well… join me as we dive into a selection from Australia!

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More Minis – Nc’Nean, Tipperary, Gulliver’s 47

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Continuing my wee whisky mini explorations, I turned to a combination of two different sets… mixing up countries and styles!

For Nc’Nean, this mini came after I’d already purchased a full bottle with thoughts to bring it back to Mumbai for the Whisky Ladies. I knew it would be young but had been impressed with meeting the women leading the way with this fresh new independent distillery – committed to sustainable production, carbon-neutral, using recycled glass for the bottles, and most importantly passionate about crafting a fine dram in harmony with our planet.

Nc’Nean Single Scottish Malt Batch 7, 46%

  • Colour – Light gold
  • Nose – How delightfully fresh, fresh barley, light orange citrus
  • Palate – Initially prickly then gentled, quite young and active, some ginger, tinned pineapple, honey sweetness with something a bit rustic, tannins belying a wine cask influence? If yes, it was subtle and balanced
  • Finish – Waxy, a touch bitter like roasted nuts, light spice, a touch of orange oil

The challenge with tasting minis is that sometimes it simply isn’t enough! I was glad that I have a bottle to explore another time at leisure with friends.

I then shifted gears from Scotland to the Emerald Isles…

Tipperary 8 year Red Wine Cask Finish, Cask RC00117, 59.5%

  • Colour – What colour! A bright ruby
  • Nose – Bold blackberries, spice
  • Palate – Brash, a bit harsh and spicy, with some strong oak undertones, tannins and juicy red berries, like chewy red gummy bears
  • Finish – Sweet and tart at the same time, oak spice chasing

If Nc’Nean had a subtle hand, here there was no mistaking the use of a red wine cask with the Tipperary. So heavy, I wondered if it could have been finished in a decidedly “wet” cask leaving some wine behind? There is nothing shy about this whisky!

Whilst the Irish distillery is undisclosed, the folks at Tipperary have started their own distillery and in time will be putting out their own whisky. In the interim, this bottling of another is retailing for Eur 68.

And then on to a third country – England – with a lightly peated dram from The English Whisky Company:

Gulliver’s 47 Single English Malt 47%

  • Colour – Pale white gold, nearly translucent
  • Nose – Fresh sea breeze and smoke, angel food cake, citrus, layers of soft peat
  • Palate – Delightful! Gentle sweet peat, apples, buttery, lovely malty, most
  • Finish – Sweet tobacco leaf, lingering cinnamon

I really enjoyed this one – rolling around the palate – the peat was subtle yet satisfying. A rather nice dram.

What more do we know? It was aged in bourbon casks from Jim Bean, with the brand inspired by Samuel Gulliver an explorer who brought wines, spirits and liqueurs from around the world back to 18th century Britain. You can find this for Eur 60.

What fun to mix and match tasting from two new distilleries and one brand with a distillery to be!

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Paris Whisky Live 2022 – Arlett

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After spending some time wandering around the Scotland section and a stop by India too…. we happily returned to close our day at Paris Whisky Live in the French section. Distillerie Tessendier As the story goes, the Tessendier family has been distilling for generations. Their latest project is a “vintage-styled” whisky brand that pays tribute to the 1950s and more specifically the matriarch – Arlett – mother of Jérôme and Lilian.

This was my last stop at the festival, so hope I can both be forgiven for the limited notes and delay in sharing impressions. 

First off – the bottles themselves are works of art and the colour remarkable too! As for the liquid gold? 

Arlett Single Malt 45% 

  • Nose – Started off with sour cream, then sweetened, young yet promising, yummy pastries
  • Palate – Lots of baked goods, apple sauce
  • Finish – Tobacco and leather with a touch of oak, very round finish
  • Water – Creamy oats 

Matured for a mere three years, we overall found it delicate, layered with real promise.

Arlett Mizanura 48% 

  • Nose – Resin, woody, caramel apples
  • Palate – Nice spice, peppery, more apples
  • Finish – Lovely and sweet
  • Water – Creamy soft brie cheese

A clear shift from the dessert-like core expression – this was also fruity yet with some savory elements too.

Arlett Tourbe 43% 

  • Nose – Smoky then mild peat
  • Palate – Charcoal and soft wood
  • Finish – Cinnamon

Their last was a peat expression – using Scottish peat. Here we thought it would be the kind of dram to end your evening… and with that we ended our evening and fabulous whisky weekend!

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St Kilian Berry Metal Cocktail – with peat??

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Sometimes you are just in the mood for a refreshing cocktail – especially on a warm summer evening! However, using an intensely peaty berry-infused liquor isn’t intuitively the “go-to” standard base…

However, that’s exactly the kind of experimentation you can expect from the folks over at St Kilian. So when we saw the cocktail suggestion for St Kilian Grave Digger – Berry Metal 40% Liqueur, we had to try it!

It came to us as #8 in a recent St Kilian tasting set – part of their December 2022 launch of some new expressions. On its own, the Berry Metal liqueur is an incredibly potent burst of berry “wow!” with a peaty kick.

So then we simply had to try it in a cocktail. They provided a recommended recipe – something they called a St Killian Berry Tonic. It is simple and straightforward, and most importantly, we just so happened to have everything needed.

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Deconstructing the St Kilian Signature Edition ‘Thirteen’!

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A Single Malt simply means malts from the same distillery. Unless it is specifically designated as a “Single Cask”, it could mean wildly different types of casks used in order to achieve the desired outcome.

In the case of St Kilian’s Thirteen Signature Edition, it is a mix of five different virgin casks – put differently, these are all “fresh” casks that never held any other liquid like Bourbon or Sherry before being used to mature the whisky. Master Blender Mario Rudolf chose Palatinate and Hungarian oak combined with “unique” woods like wild robinia (mock acacia), chestnut, and cherry. The oldest whisky was approx 6 years and the youngest 3 years. All used Scottish peat smoke malt with 54 ppm – hence this falls into St Kilian’s peated range.

In Scotland, there are regulations that stipulate that only Oak wood may be used, however, the rules are considerably more relaxed in countries like the USA, Ireland, or Germany. This enables considerable experimentation – from apple wood chips to chestnut! This expression clearly falls into the “experimental” category!

So how did we go about exploring this tasting set? We began by calibrating our palates – cracking open the delicious Classic “Mild & Fruity” 46% (the lone black bottle ie unpeated whisky) before shifting to peat with the balanced Peaty “Rich & Smoky” 46%. It was a perfect way to start!

We then tasted the ‘Thirteen’ to get a feel for the combination before going step by step through each component and then revisiting the ‘Thirteen’ again. What a super cool concept – sharing transparently the five different elements that go into creating the Signature Thirteen expression.

So let’s take you on our tasting journey…

Signature Edition ‘Thirteen’ (2016/18/19 – 2022) 53.9%

  • Nose – Yummy! We were immediately greeted by maple glazed smoked bacon, a campfire with fatty bacon, charred peppers, cherries, a hint of wood
  • Palate – Quite a contrast – cinnamon bark, bittersweet, light ginger, some peppers, oak, mild peat, and overall quite dry
  • Finish – A spice burn, slightly ashy
  • Water – Makes a big difference – brings out the fruit and cream, shifting from dry to juicy.

Overall we found the nose really quite wonderful, with the palate having a curious yet interesting character. This is no “easy” dram but certainly one to experience!

32% of Thirteen: Virgin Hungarian Oak (2016 – 2022) 61.3% Ungarischer Eiche

We began with the largest component – virgin Quercus Petraea aka Hungarian Oak.

On the nose, it had a fresh and clean approach – like shaved wood that then deepened into a nutty aroma – particularly Brazil nuts. As for the taste? Warm and really quite fabulous, joined by a prickly spice. Surprisingly smooth and mature for a mere 6-year-old – and that too at cask strength!

We speculated that this may also be a base for their Peated Rich & Smoky – at least we found elements of what we enjoy in that blend also in it. What a promising start!

27% of Thirteen: Virgin Chestnut/Kastanie (2019 – 2022) 53.4%

We moved on to Chestnut – a wood that outside of Scotland, some whisky distilleries are increasingly exploring as an alternative to Oak – at least for some time. I’ve tried several experiments from Sweden’s Agitator to Ireland’s Method & Madness to Germany’s Aureum.

We found it more subtle than anticipated. On the nose, it was like new fresh chestnuts before roasting – green and unripe – fragrant with a hint of fruit and only the lightest touch of sweet peat. Whereas on the palate? Quite interesting, with a substantive texture with a light spice spike at the back. Then it finished with herbal elements with a touch of bitterness.

Overall we found this one quite mild with a smooth warmth that lingers. Rather nice!

27% of Thirteen: Virgin Wild Robinia / Wilde Robine (2019 – 2022) 61.8% 

We moved on to a wood called “Wild Robinia” – an Eastern European timber, considered a “mock Acacia” – a tropical timber, native to Africa, Australia, and South America.

We had no idea what to expect, however, suffice to say, this one was VERY different and hard to describe. The aroma was a bit elusive whereas the palate? Hmmm…. It was strong, forceful with an “in your face” harshness, heavy bitter roasted nuts. Curiously, it reminded us a bit of a strawberry stomach medicine.

Though we had only 2cl between the two of us, we found this one definitely needed a dash of water. Certainly helps… however overall this one wasn’t for us – at least as a stand-alone.

We struggled to understand why to add something so brash as the Wilde Robine into the mix… until we finished tasting all five elements and revisited the Thirteen.

11% of Thirteen: Virgin Palatinate Oak / Pfälzer Eiche (2018 – 2022) 60.6% 

We then moved on to a more traditional wood – Oak – more specifically Palatinate Oak from SouthWestern Germany.

Ahh… nice! Back to more traditional aromas – mild and fruity like a fruit stew. On the palate, we found sweet spices, warm with a mild almost “numbing” astringency on the finish.

This was a return to more familiar territory. And whilst it was a smaller portion of the Thirteen, we thought perhaps it added some of the fruit!

3% of Thirteen: Virgin Cherry/Kirsche (2018 – 2022) 61.7% 

We closed our “deconstruction” exploration with Cherry wood. St Kilian has some company experimenting with this wood – both Teeling and Woodford Reserve have expressions that are partly finished in Cherry. Reputed to be more porous than oak leading to intense flavours.

So what did we find?

Woooaaah! Smells like Cherry wood, freshly chopped, green, carnation flower, dank, musty… and on the palate? Varnish, so dry it made one almost “pucker up!”, more of that carnation, green and unripe fruits, wood polish, bitter cherry cough syrup\. Followed by a smokey finish.

On its own, this wouldn’t work but we could see how this whisky would add an interesting counterpart.

100% Signature Edition ‘Thirteen’ (2016/18/19 – 2022) 53.9% Revisited

We reflected on each of the five elements. On their own, we could see real promise in both the Hungarian and Palatinate Oaks and also the Chestnut… On its own the WIld Robinia didn’t work, however, with the revisit, we could understand how it added depth to the character. Similarly, the cherry solo would be too intense however with just a touch, that distinctive aroma augments rather than detracts.

Clearly, this is an example where the sum is greater than its parts! What a fabulous experience to have an opportunity to deconstruct the St Kilian Signature Edition Thirteen!

SINGLE MALT WHISKEY THIRTEEN FACE 1

Here is what the folks at St Kilian have to say:

The special thing about the smoky Signature Edition THIRTEEN is its unusual composition. Because it is a composition of five different wood species. Thus, in addition to Palatinate and Hungarian oak, unique woods such as wild robinia (false acacia), chestnut and cherry were used. Distillates from 2016, 2018 and 2019, made from 54 ppm Scottish peat smoke malt, matured in the five virgin-fresh wood barrels to create a full-bodied, color-intensive single malt with a strong character.

And their official tasting notes:

  • Appearance – Amber
  • Aroma – Intense fruit notes of ripe cherries and apricots harmonize with creamy vanilla, fine peat smoke and a juicy BBQ note, complemented by aromatic wood tones and spicy oak.
  • Taste – Juicy apricots, red cherries and sweet vanilla cream combine with warming notes of wood, finely spicy oak, white pepper and a hint of ginger, subtly wrapped in aromatic peat smoke.
  • Finish – The creamy, spicy blend of dark fruit jam and fine tannins has a pleasantly long lingering finish with warming peat smoke, subtle dry ash notes and a hint of cocoa.

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Shelter Point – Canadian whisky stash!

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There I was back in November 2020… sitting in Nurnberg on a rather cool, miserable, overcast day… missing being ‘home’… both my India home with my amazing spouse (especially as it was our birthday week!) and my Canadian home with family and friends.

So what’s a gal to do? Buy a whisky birthday present, of course! That’s exactly what I did. A Shelter Point trio that was patiently waiting at my parent’s place in Winnipeg ever since…

  • Shelter Point 5-year “The Collective” (2020) 46% (375 ml)
  • Shelter Point 7-year Single Cask, Triple Grain (unmalted & malted barley, rye), 5th Edition (2020) 43%, Bottle 205/288 (750 ml)
  • Shelter Point Montfort District Lot 151 Single Grain Whisky (2020) 46% (375 ml)

At the time, I never imagined it would take until late May 2023 for me to finally make the trip to Canada! By that point, the initial trio were joined by a further quartet:

  • Shelter Point “Smoke & Oak” (2021) Batch #1 46% (375 ml)
  • Shelter Point 6-year “Double Barrel” (2021) 6th Edition 46% (Coastal Black’s Blackberry Wine) (375 ml)
  • Shelter Point 6-year “The Forbidden” (2021) Batch #2, 47% (375ml)
  • Shelter Point 10-year Artisanal Cask Strength (2021) 57.8% (750 ml)

Now I have a problem of plenty! It was a tough call to select which made the final cut for the journey to Germany. Will some or all of these eventually continue their journey to India for the Whisky Ladies of Mumbai? And how long will we need to wait to hold a session? Will it be another year (or more) til some of these beauties make their way into a glass?

When I have the answer, you will have the answer. Til then… Slainthe!

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St Kilian Classic + Peated – Balanced + Beautiful!

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I love tasting sets! It is such a terrific way to explore different whiskies – a teasing taste that tells which you want to have more and which was enough to just have that one experience!

In the case of two recent St Kilian tasting sets, their new “standard” expressions are so enjoyable that as soon as I return from Canada to Germany, they’ll be ordered to share with folks back in India (yes – I lead a slightly complicated life, geographically speaking!).

These notes are from a tasting experience in Winnipeg, Canada, where we began our St Kilian experience with this pair:

  • Classic – Mild & Fruity 46%
  • Peated – Rich & Smoky 46%

Naturally, we began with the “Classic” aka Mild & Fruity.. which indeed lived up to its name!

I’ve tasted this particular expression both in Germany and Canada – loved it both times! Here is an amalgam of both experiences:

  • Nose – A happy sunshine aroma – first whiff and yum! It had lovely warm white peaches, apricots, ripe pears, yellow plums, raspberry cream, baked banana bread, red licorice… it reminded us just a little bit of a bunch of juicy fruity gourmet gummy bears! Accompanying all the delicious fruits were some light sweet spices
  • Palate – Delicious! Silky smooth and more like a fruit spirit than whisky! Yet richer, with some depth of character giving a firm fabulous foundation to the experience! We found some lovely baked pear tart, caramel drizzled banana cream pie, marzipan, toffee, and vanilla cream with just a hint of something deeper, adding an oak spice and fruit interplay
  • Finish – A fabulously fruity and desert-like finish, chased by honey sweetness

In short – yum! It was a veritable fruit basket! The aroma at one point reminded me of a Raspberry soda – the kind that you specifically get at a Parsi wedding! It’s exceedingly “sippable”, with the only danger being an empty glass!

This is MY kind of St Kilian – fruity, fun, and fabulous!

MILD FRUITY FRONT 1So what goes into creating an expression like this? The folks at St. Kilian shared that their Classic is a combination of different ex-bourbon casks (70%) and Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks (30%).

  • Appearance – Light gold
  • Aroma – Multi-layered fruity notes of ripe apricots, peaches, yellow plums and plantains are combined with creamy vanilla to create a sweet blend of fruit, which is accompanied by delicately spicy oak and a delicate herbal note of fresh mint and some sage.
  • Taste – Balanced sweetness and at the same time warming with apricots and peaches, creamy toffee and spicy oak aromas, refined with a pinch of piquant white pepper and perfectly rounded off with a hint of fresh mint.
  • Finish – Creamy caramel notes linger for a pleasantly long time with fine brittle, subtly dry oak spice and a hint of fine herbs.

Overall, I would concur – our experience and the official tasting notes are quite well aligned, we just didn’t catch the herbal notes, however, we also didn’t give the whisky much time in the glass!.

We then moved on to the Peated expression, Rich & Smoky, tasted only in Canada. And what did we discover?

  • Nose – A summer campfire, with properly dried wood so it is a sweet smoke, we also found Montreal smoked meats (beef brisket or pastrami – take your pick!), a slightly saline sea breeze, a hint of brazil nut, muskat grapes… the more time it spent in the glass the fruitier and sweeter it became, revealing some of the apricots and yellow plums found in the Classic
  • Palate – Clean, mild peat with an initial “zap” that quickly mellows to become incredibly smooth. Long and balanced. A little fruit, some oak, and sweet spices married perfectly with a gentle peat.
  • Finish – Lingers with a delicious cinnamon spice

Just like the Classic, this was exceedingly balanced, enveloping in a warm and cosey embrace. It is approachable and comforting at the same time. VERY well done!

RICH SMOKY FRONT 1

What more do the folks at St Kilian have to say? Obviously, they use peat! In this case, barley malt from the Scottish Highlands with a phenol content of 54 ppm. And like the Classic expression, it is also a combination of different ex-bourbon casks (70%) and Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks (30%).

Their official tasting notes share:

  • Appearance – Gold
  • Aroma – The beguiling fruit bouquet of grilled apricots, juicy pears and ripe bananas is refined with sweet vanilla and a dash of lime, perfectly surrounded by mild peat smoke and complemented by dry ash tones with cooling mint.
  • Taste – Full-bodied, sweet and fruity with vanilla, apricots and pears, in a harmonious interplay with creamy toffee and delicate peat smoke, which elegantly underlines the warming oak spice with a pinch of white pepper and fresh mint.
  • Finish – Pleasantly warming with creamy fruit compote and dark toffee, which are accompanied by ashy smoke and a subtle dry oak spice for a long time.

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St Kilian Tasting Set – December 2022

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From St Kilian’s First Signature Edition, I’ve found these folks are on to something! What I really appreciate is how they openly share their experiments into crafting distinctive whisky!

Whilst we missed the original online tasting from December 2022, thanks to the good folks at St Kilian, 2 sets made it to my friends so that the three of us could explore together. And that’s exactly what we did one fine weekend, after a day of merriment at a Medieval fair.

The set was mostly peaty (white bottles) with three unpeated expressions (black bottles) from distinct series: Signature, Heavy Metal inspired Grave Digger, Core range (Classic & Peat), Hand-filled, and a complete experiment! None of their Bud Spencer or Terence Hill expressions were included – I still have these on my next “to try” list!

We decided to try the initial five, leaving the balance for another tasting. So, what was in the original line-up?

  1. St Kilian Buche Meets Zeder (2017 – 2022) 57.7%, 680 bottles – A curious combination of beech and cedar, we didn’t even take much in the way of tasting notes… sorry!
  2. St Kilian Classic – Mild & Fruity 3 year 46% – Utterly delightful! I’d love to see St Kilian do more along these lines! Fruity, fun & fabulous!
  3. St Kilian Signature Edition ‘Twelve‘ (2017/18 – 2022) 50.8% – Another unpeated expression, worth trying!
  4. St Kilian Hand filled – Paelzer Eich ex Moscatel (2017 – 2022) 60.2% – An experiment
  5. St Kilian Grave Digger – Fields of Blood 47% – It almost felt like we were waiting for the ‘best for (nearly) last!’ When St Kilian does smoke this way, it’s my kind of peat!
  6. St Kilian Signature Edition ‘Thirteen‘ (2016/18/19 – 2022) 53.9% – What a remarkable experience together with its deconstructed set!
  7. St Kilian Peated – Rich & Smoky 46% – Tried another evening in Canada together with the ‘Thirteen’ 
  8. St Kilian Grave Digger – Berry Metal 40% (Liqueur) – Saved to bring to Canada… described as an incredibly potent berry wow! (with a “kick”) 

So, let’s get on with the tasting, shall we? St Kilian Buche Meets Zeder (2017-2022) 57.7%

We began with the special edition experiment! As most whisky drinkers would know, Oak is the only permitted wood to mature Scotch whiskies. However in Germany, where rules aren’t so strict, several distilleries have successfully experimented with chestnut. American distilleries too have played around with Chestnut, Applewood… even a Japanese whisky has experimented with cedar cask finishes.

Why mention this experimentation? Well, with St Kilian Buche Meets Zeder, we have a cask-strength peated whisky that plays around with a combination of beech and cedar wood!

What did we think? Well… to be honest we struggled a bit with this one:

  • Nose – Woah! A chemical factory, acetone, burnt rubber, an old musty wine cellar, cork
  • Palate – Reminded us of cedar resin, pine, aromatic oils, slight hint of citrus
  • Finish – Sticks in the back of the throat, like retsina
  • Water – Better. A bit sweeter, some sour apple sauce, cinnamon, and citrus battled with the curious cedar and something else!

Whilst I didn’t find the official tasting notes, was able to track down a few further details courtesy of Whisky.com. Namely, it is approx 4 years with a combination of Barrels 1571, 1572, 1573, 1574, producing 680 bottles, and is described as:

…the combination of beech and cedar wood gives this gently smoky single malt whiskey aromas of fresh pine needles, essential oils and freshly grated lemon zest.

Hmm… We found the peat impact to be quite “forceful” rather than “gentle” on the nose, however, would agree with the other elements. And like many things, an experiment could be wildly successful or it could go very wrong. In this case, we simply had to admit, it isn’t really our style… Do you really want pine needles and essential oils in your whisky? However, you don’t know til you try!

–++–++–++–++– St Kilian Classic Mild & Fruity 3 year 46% –++–++–++–++–

Up next is a new “standard” in their core range – to be regularly available. In terms of casks, they shared that:

70% were allowed to mature in different bourbon casks and 30% in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. Together with Amarone casks, these are among the main types of casks at St. Kilian Distillers and thus guarantee long-term availability. “The 70:30 ratio of bourbon to sherry casks has turned out to be a wonderful mix for us and also offers a combination that which was previously missing from our portfolio,” says Mario Rudolf happily.

Certainly sounds promising… so what did we think?

MILD FRUITY FRONT 1

What a mixed bunch! Some we thoroughly enjoyed, some challenged us, but that’s what we love about St Kilian! They are always experimenting, always trying different combinations, and aren’t afraid to put out to the whisky world things that might make one wonder…

PS Whilst it was a pity we missed the online tasting in December 2022, it was such a treat to get this double tasting set courtesy of the folks at St Kilian. Keep experimenting and keep sharing! We may not love everything, but we admire the journey, and when there is a gem or two – brilliant!

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European Rye – Kyrö Malt Rye + Wood Smoke

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It is funny how sometimes tasting experiences cluster together. I just so happened to meet the amusing gents behind Kyrö Rye in London at the 2022 Whisky Show. Then, I spotted a few months later, a sextet of European Rye whiskies from Whic.de. As my German-tasting companions hadn’t yet experienced what this Finland distillery has to offer, it seemed a perfect way to revisit at home and see what they thought too!

Kyrö Malt Rye Whisky 47.2%

  • Nose – Dry banana and tropical fruits, sweet grains, sugar beet mash, balsa, a bit herbal and fresh
  • Palate – Banana and coffee beans… veering into sweet Sambuca! A bit like a herbal liqueur then rye bread in a glass! Smooth
  • Finish – A nice coffee finish, that became sweeter as it lingered… shifting into a sweet pine forest

Overall, we found the aromas inviting and the palate satisfying.

We then moved on to their lightly peated expression

Kyrö Wood Smoke Rye 47.2%

  • Nose – A very light wood smoke, like a hint of smoke or ash in a cold fireplace, warmed into sandalwood then a delicious curl of maple smoked bacon… we then found baked ham and pineapple which then shifted into a baked caramelized banana, accompanying all of this was a rich rye bread!
  • Palate – It started off a bit peculiar, but as we adjusted, we began to enjoy it more and more. There is wood, sweet BBQ sauce, smoked ham, and a slightly singed quality that is also bittersweet, then settles into a warm sauna
  • Finish – Light spice

This was the overall favourite from all 6 ryes sampled. It had the most complex and shifting aromas, the peat on the palate was both present and subtle at the same time. It makes you think of frolicking in a field of rye to then relax in a wood sauna.

What else did we try in our “Roggen (aka Rye) Revolution” tasting set?

And if you are curious about more whiskies from Finland, I’ve had a chance to try a few!

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European Rye – Stauning Rye 48% + El Clásico 45.7% (aka Manhattan in a cask!)

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I was first introduced to  Denmark’s Stauning whiskies in 2016, thanks to aka Whisky Saga, who is an incredible authority on Nordic whiskies!

Thomas shared two Staunings – a Young Rye and a Peated 2nd Edition. Whilst interesting, they weren’t completely to my palate preferences… More recently, as part of an evening devoted to alternate finishes, we tried the Stauning Rye (2021) Mezcal Finish 46.3% which was definitely different!

So I was curious to see how the distillery has evolved and what their standard “Rye” without embellishments is like and their new “El Clasico” expression.

We decided something labeled “El Clasico” should be our starting point…

Stauning El Clásico 45,7%

  • Nose – Interesting! Old wooden furniture, plums, cedar wood closet, resinous, wood chips, apples, and grapes… very nice! It envelopes you in a warm embrace
  • Palate – Hmmm… a total contrast from the aroma… cold granite, very young, bitter with a bit of raisin, resins, and spice… joined by herbs and botanicals, quite curious for a Rye
  • Finish – Slightly bitter
  • Water – One taster added, and recommended against

We struggled with this one. How could it be so inviting, with such potential on the nose to be so odd on the palate? In short, we wouldn’t consider this “classic” style at all.

What more do we know? It turns out that Stauning El Clásico is a rye with a vermouth twist! Whilst most folks would make their Manhattan by combining Whisky & Vermouth, the folks at Stauning decided to try finishing their Rye for 6 months in a sweet Spanish vermouth cask. Curious!

How do they describe the results?

The nose is filled with the scent of apples, oranges, ripe plum, warm spices, cinnamon and roasted caramel. The lips are met with a sweet and piercing kiss of dried fruits, citrus, and crushed pepper. The warm aftertaste has bittersweet notes of vermouth that stays inside the body for a long time.

Not a classic in my books, but this helps explain the contrast between aromas and palate.

We then moved on to their standard expression, to discover it was more to our preference.

Stauning Rye 48%

  • Nose – Starts off with sweet wood (aka licorice), quite herbal, some smoked paprika, light apple crumble with cinnamon, then a hint of rye bread
  • Palate – A touch of cocoa, something slightly roasted, then grape cola
  • Finish – Nothing specific stood out

The folks at Stauning describe this as:

A liquid interpretation of freshly baked Danish rye bread. A Nordic rye whisky with dark and roasted aromas and a long fruity aftertaste.

This is a different kind of rye whisky. The combination of malted rye and barley and pot still distillation makes this a smooth, fruity and full-bodied whisky.

It was at this point my tasting companions and I concluded that we probably aren’t the target group for Stauning. We are devoted single malt explorers, and whilst it’s interesting to venture into other territories, this particular pair reminded us why we are whisky, not rye enthusiasts.

Put more bluntly – if you are looking to convert someone from Single Malt to Rye, these aren’t your best “gateway” drams. However, if you are already a staunch Rye fan, you will find something a bit different and interesting in this pair!

What else did we try in our “Roggen (aka Rye) Revolution” tasting set?

If you are curious about other Danish whiskies, check out:

Of these, Fary Lochan is the one to watch! I’ve already tracked down an original bottle of their 6-year Moscatel Finish!

You can also find Whisky Lady in India on: