Woven Hemispheres | Whisky Lady

My father was a chemistry professor. Growing up, we regularly visited him at the University of Manitoba’s chemistry lab. The smells, the beakers and flasks, bunsen burners and goggles, white lab coats, and more. These things were all familiar friends by association.

There is something about Woven’s approach to whisky blends that reminded me of my father tinkering in the chemistry lab. Leading enquiring young minds through the mysteries of chemical equations.

In terms of experience, hands down, the folks at Woven Whisky Makers were at the top at the London Whisky Show 2024. A year earlier, they were already making waves, however, their approach to the 2024 show fully lived up to their ambition to create fun experiences!

It was a treat to explore a few of their blends. Clearly, they are enjoying the journey too!

Woven Homemade (2024) 46.4%

I had tried their 2023 avatar and quite liked it, however, it did not make even close to the same impression as what I tried in 2024.

It was fun and fruity on the nose with toffee and something else. The palate was super balanced with a long finish – sweet and salty caramel – think salty butterscotch – yum! In some ways, it reminded me a bit of a brighter and slightly sharper Benjamin Keuntz’s Aveux Gourmands 46%.

Woven Hemispheres 50.4% GBP 55

Look up into the night sky on the prairies and one becomes keenly aware of just how small and insignificant we are… The immense sky seen from the flat land can inspire awe – especially on nights when the northern lights dance overhead.

The thinking behind this blend is simple – just two ingredients from two different hemispheres – 26% Thomson Distillery Manuka Smoked Single Malt and 74% North British Single Grain. So what was the result? We found it lightly medicinal, a puff of smoke… curious and contradictory. Citrus and herbs, and sweet wood. Interesting.

What do they have to say?

HEMISPHERES is a blend of two whiskies, worlds apart.

A tiny New Zealand maker of Manuka smoked Single Malt meets one of Scotland’s largest distilleries; urban, yet elegant.

When we tasted the herbal, smoky single malt being produced by Thomson Whisky at their tiny site just outside Auckland, we knew we had found something special. Their Manuka-smoked distillate is a living response to their unique natural environment, and as we connected with these good folks and their fresh perspective on smoke, we realised we’d found kindred spirits.

HEMISPHERES brings these different worlds of whisky together; Scotland and New Zealand. Tradition and modernity. But it’s also a reminder that no matter what the distance or perceived differences, in whisky and in life, there’s much more that connects us than separates us.

This is an oily, smoky and herbal Blended World Whisky with notes of orange, clove and honey that celebrates ever-expanding horizons of flavour.

Woven Superblend (2022) 46.1% GBP 50

Inspired by BNJ, this blend brings together distilleries from around the world.

We found it very light, whilst a bit hard to pin down to something specific, it was warm and welcoming. On the palate, there was delightful spice, well balanced and enjoyable, an oily element. and closed with a gentle sweetness.

This is the story about Superblend:

Superblend is a blend of whiskies of different origins. We start with whisky from Scotland. But that’s not where this journey ends.

A new breed of distillery from England. Germany’s largest Single Malt Distillery. An experimental project in the USA. A maverick Irish producer with rebellious spirit. Each cask chosen solely on flavour. This is whisky, free from all geographical constraints. Blended across borders.

The result is a rich, textured. blended world whisky that is so much greater than the sum of its parts.

I’ve included the composition here – with its fascinating mix of different geographies and distilleries.

SCOTLAND MALT: Loch Lomond Single Malt (6 Years) 23.9%, Campbeltown Single Malt (5 Years) 6.52%, Speyside Blended Malt (Peated) (9 Years) 4.35%
SCOTLAND GRAIN: Highland Grain (Wheat Base) (3 Years) 21.74%, Highland Grain (Malted Barley) (3 Years) 15.22%, Loch Lomond Organic Grain (Wheat) (22 Years) 4.35%
WORLD WHISKY: The English Distillery Co. Single Malt (9 Years) 2.17%, George Dickel Sour Mash (USA) (11 Years) 2.17%, MGP Indiana Bourbon (USA) (7 Years) 6.52%, St Killian Single Malt (Germany) (3 Years) 5.43%, Irish Whisky (undisclosed distillery) (13 Years) 7.61%

That’s quite a mix making for a rather interesting Woven blend.

Woven Experience N.20 “Friends in the North” (2024) 47%

What a remarkable blend – it was full of fresh pine and cedar on the nose. Quite frisky on the palate with a clean clear style that I have come to associate with Scandinavian whiskies. The finish was straightforward with a hint of saline.

Here is what they have to say about their Nordic blend:

We’d heard the stories. Scandinavian whisky makers, each crafting their own vision of excellence, creating flavours and lore. Our journey began with a question: Is there a ‘Nordic Style’? But what we found was something richer, something profoundly more human, and more delicious than we ever imagined.

Each distillery told its own tale of remoteness, isolation, and invention. After polite introductions, we geeked out on mind blowing stories delivered in a cool, matter of fact fashion – ‘it’s just how we do it’.

Four countries, countless flavours. Not one single thread, but a tapestry of warm welcomes, proud traditions, experimental whisky making, and unexpected delights.

We set out to craft a whisky. What we created were friends, and we can’t wait for you to meet them.

This is Experience N.20 // Friends in the North – composed of:

Kyrö Distillery (FIN) Rye (Alder Wood Smoke) 20.58%
High Coast Distillery (SWE) Unpeated Malt 4.80%
Agitator Distillery (SWE) Chateau Margaux 10.43%
Agitator Distillery (SWE) Lightly Peated 6.86%
Feddie Ocean Distillery (NOR) Ex Islay Qtr Cask 9.33%
Feddie Ocean Distillery (NOR) Ex Bourbon13.72%
North British (SCO) Single Grain 34.29%

There were a few familiar distilleries like Finland’s Kyrö, Sweden’s High Coast (previously Box) and Agitator, however, North British and Freddie Ocean Distillery are new to me! A most intriguing blend and well worth exploring!

And then our super special blends – made just for us! Like the shelves of the chemistry lab’s “store” of my childhood, behind a curtain was an array of different bottles filled with different elements.

We were invited to share answers to various questions which revealed our distinct whisky preferences before a blend was made based on these choices.

My festival pick for 2024 was Woven’s Homemade. After inquiring, I learned that it would become available in Germany later in October, so if I was a bit patient, I could have it conveniently delivered to my door for a few bobs less. Sign me up!

What else did we try from Woven?

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