Malts from around this troubled world


February 28, 2022

	Malts from around this troubled world
	To paraphrase Napoléon on Champagne (although some historians claim that he never said anything close to that, or that Churchill actually said it), whisky, either you deserve it or you need it.

Brenne 'Ten' (48%, OB, France, +/-2021)

Basically, just like Bastille or a few other brands, the first light and sweet Brenne NAS were French whiskies made for the US, and virtually no one in France was aware of their existence, let alone drinking them. Now this 'premium' expression might be rather different, let's see. Please note that it won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition 2021. I swear. Oh and why 'Ten' and not 'Dix'? Colour: white wine. Nose: sour oak, green walnuts, vin jaune, a little coal smoke, mashed celeriac and turnip, and even… drumroll please, manzanilla! Highly surprising, in a good way. Mouth: adios manzanilla on the palate, this is rather some hottish plum spirit with rather a lot of gritty sawdust and peppered green tea. Then cider apples and just green oak, plus white brandy, what they would call 'blanche' in Armagnac. Tough guy. Finish: long, harsh, getting bitter and gingery. Comments: I'm not sure the distillate was ready to put up with this much new oak. Having said that, I'm rather a fan of the manzanilla-y nose.
SGP:371 - 72 points

To Finland…

Teerenpeli 'Kaski' (43%, OB, Finland, sherry casks, 2021)

Bottled in March, 2021, from 100% sherry casks. We enjoyed a recent 'Kulo' a lot (WF 86). Colour: light gold. Nose: starts bready and chalky, then come a little liquorice wood, mustard and horseradish, then charcoal and roasted raisins. Some kind of earthier liquorice arising after a few seconds, which I find lovely, then bags of old walnuts. Solid nose. Mouth: starts very peppery and earthy, leafy as well, but gets then rounder, with some mocha, roasted sesame, pecans and bitter chocolate. Perhaps pistachios. Really to my liking, it doesn't even really suffer from its lightish strength. Finish: very good, if not very long. A little gunpowder (why now?) and bitter almonds. Even a drop of lapsang souchong and some cigarette ashes. Comments: a singular style that I enjoy.
SGP:352 - 85 points

Masthouse 2017/2020 'Single Malt' (45%, OB, Copper Rivet Distillery, England, 2000 bottles)

I'm afraid I had never heard of the Copper Rivet Distillery before. It is single-estate malt whisky and was distilled in a column still! I believe they would call it a single grain in Scotland. Colour: straw. Nose: light, on white asparagus, coconut, vanilla and sunflower oil. Which is absolutely not unpleasant, mind you. Mouth: a fine little 3 years old that would rather feel a little 'Irish blend' if you ask me. Soft oiliness, more sunflower oil, a delicate vanilla-led oakiness, overripe apples, watermelon, touch of acacia honey, coconut balls, toffee apple… Finish: not that short, curiously malty (was it a short column?) and with biscuits and brioches. More green tea from the oak in the aftertaste. Comments: yet another excellent surprise. Feels more 'Lomond' than 'Coffey' in my little book. By the way, the Distillery is located in Kent, right between Canterbury and London.
SGP:451 - 84 points

Irish, he said…

Cooley 18 yo (58.16%, W.D. O'Connell, Ireland, PX series, cask #144105, 2020)

It was a PX finish, not full maturing. W.D. O' Connell are Irish independent bottlers from Waterford county. Do they have some Waterford too? Colour: gold. Nose: loaded with ripe gooseberries, the expected pink bananas, starkrimsons and, best of news, no obvious PX at this point. With water: panettone (so, with raisins) and earl grey chiming in. Awesome, flawless. Mouth (neat): totally on wine gums and jellies. If Haribo are ever starting a whisky distillery, this is probably what they would produce; and we'd all love the end result unapologetically. With water: firmer, with more sweet herbs, more cakes as well, liquorice allsorts, banana foam and other guilty pleasures. Finish: long, sweet and fruity. Lime tea and honey. Comments: superb drop. I believe it is not always easy to tell the difference between these batches of Cooley and some of the Bushmills.
SGP:641 - 89 points

Since we're in Ireland…

Midleton 'Very Rare 2022' (40%, OB, Ireland)

Midleton 'Very Rare Release 2022' (40%, OB, Ireland)

A famous series within which they keep bottling their jewels at 40% vol., which, I find, is almost a statement. Obviously, this one's brand new, and is a self-blend of 12 to 33 years old whiskeys, possibly not all pure-pot-still as they wouldn't tell you it is. I mean, not a pure pot still whiskey. Colour: gold. Nose: I remember I used to find these Very Rare lightish twenty years ago, but this time I'm rather finding this 2020 edition extremely complex and rather akin to a Meursault from a good vintage (and from a good house, check Anne Boisson!) Higgledy-piggledy, I would say mango peel, fresh hazelnuts, angelica, citrons, touches of sorrel and coriander, toasted maize bread, lemon balm, biscuits, butter cream, that insane cake called Paris-Brest, a little chalk… Give it time, it is endless. Mouth: no, I mean yes, this is bottled sin. You would almost believe it was a good idea to bottle this at 40% vol. (do not shoot). Peaches, melons and mangos vie for the leading part, heather honey's coming out too, then we have a little proper sugarcane syrup, a little peanut butter, orange blossom, baklavas, ripe bananas… Finish: good, it is, indeed, fading away a little fastly now, which just makes you want to pour more. Tsk tsk, nasty trick. Comments: this baby delivered much more than I was expecting, while I've long been thinking that those 'Very Rare' were just pricey under-Redbreasts.
SGP:641 - 91 points

Currach 'Wakame' (46%, OB, Ireland, +/-2021)

We've already tried one of those, not even sure I've already published my note. We're a little disoriented these days. It's sourced Irish whiskey finished in barrels that have been charred using wakame seaweed from the Atlantic. As long as no one ever uses gunpowder… Colour: light gold. Nose: oh, I remember, this is good fun, even if it is pretty unlikely. Bicycle inner tube, loads of caraway, loads of nutmeg too, cumin, Barbour grease, masala… I don't think anyone would get the wakame, which is not very aromatic anyway, but this very peculiar tarry and rubbery side is working very well. Perhaps for petrolheads? Mouth: so funny! You would get some salt now, some smoke for sure, something balsamic, rubbers, burnt eucalyptus wood perhaps, while you would then experience a curious feeling of pine-smoked grapefruits and curry. No, really. Finish: long, on similar notes. Salty lemons kept in coal tar, with a drizzle of Port Ellen. Who's going to try to make that? Comments: crazy but good fun. We all need fun. Bravo!
SGP:463 - 86 points

How about a Bimber?

Bimber (58.1%, OB for WFFA, England, virgin American oak, cask #97, 2020)

This is not England, this is London, baby. It is 'Single Malt London Whisky', you understand. Colour: deep gold. Nose: I knew it. Orange liqueur, Bénédictine, raisins soaked in mezcal (and why not?) and kougelhopf. Basically lovely, as they say in Vegas. With water: cantaloupe, papayas, pink bananas, cassata, peach syrup… Mouth (neat): just very smart. Spicy oranges, papayas, lemon curd, ginger cookies, limoncello. With water: a drop of rosewater, then fantabulous notes of pink grapefruit and any kinds of liqueurs or wines made thereof by very smart people in remote countries. Finish: not that long, but immaculately fruity. Comments: extremely convinced, I am. I hate to give a high score to such a young whisky, but there. I also believe that this is Bimber's best 'cask bill'.
SGP:641 - 90 points

You say we haven't left Europe today? See, we're listening…

Hellyers Road 18 yo (56.4%, OB, Tasmania/Australia, The Nectar and Kirsch Import, American oak, cask #2269.03, 197 bottles, 2021)

Tasmania? I've always been a fan of the platypus, since I was a kid. I hope they're doing all right but I'm sure that the Tasmanians are taking great care of those incredible 'other human beings'. Colour: light gold. Nose: naturally, sunflower oil, vanilla pods, salsify, buckwheat, and just 'breads'. Breads always win it. With water: a superb oily nuttiness. Pine nut, pumpkin seed, Brazil nuts… Mouth (neat): lemons, bananas, coffee, butterscotch, caraway liqueur, yellow curry, dried jujubes, paprika. Sounds unlikely? It's not. With water: takes water extremely well. I just made the mistake we all sometimes make when we get distracted, I added water twice, and yet, the baby remained fiercely straight. Stewed bananas and the softest soft curry. Finish: long and breadier. Comments: love, love, love many Hellyers Road including this one, but how are the platypus doing?
SGP:651 - 90 points

Two Brewers 'Classic Single Malt' (46%, OB, Canada, release No.26, 2021)

This from Yukon! Love it that this would have been 'mashed with water from glacier-fed streams'. That's better than Nestlé's city tap-water, no? In case you wouldn't know, Yukon's located in the northwest of Canada, close to Alaska (and far from Céline Dion, I hope). Colour: light gold. Nose: ha! Some tarry and mentholated raisins and fresh brioche, that's what I'm getting. Salmon smoked with pinewood and nectarines in honey sauce, that's what I'm getting too. Mouth: it is just incredible that this wee baby would have same-level talks with the Midleton, the Hellyers Road or the Bimber, without any complex. Perfect sweet and fruity oiliness, fruit syrups, sweet barley, pear liqueur, soft oak spices, sweet maize, sweet condensed milk and the obligatory ripe bananas. Finish: medium, softer, easy, fruity, oily, a tiny tad syrupy towards the aftertaste. Comments: extremely impressed; now Alsace -> Yukon, that's 7,226.72 km as the condor flies. Life isn't fair.
SGP:641 - 87 points

Perhaps a last one, perhaps one from the good old US of A…

Kentucky Owl 'Confiscated in 1916' (48.2%, OB, USA, straight bourbon whiskey, +/-2019)

I've only ever tried one owl from Kentucky, an 11 yo rye that had been superb (WF 87). This very one comes with a 'story' but it's so phony that I think we should maybe just try the liquid. Colour: full gold. Nose: the thing is, the liquid is very nice, actually almost perfect, with buttered sweet maize and pancakes, maple syrup, a touch of new fabric (tweed jacket straight from Pakist… I mean from Walker Slater), popcorn and nougat, Jack-Daniel's (what?), a little cellulose, varnish… Nutshell, a simple and easy-ish, yet very lovely bourbony nose. Mouth: yes, pretty good, but simpler than on the nose, a little rough, with allspice, apple wine, some sour woodiness, some coconut, cinnamon and ginger (in my wee book, that's oak that's not fully integrated)… Would tend to lose steam and become a little indefinite. Finish: medium, sour, oaky. Not too sure. Coconut in the aftertaste, never a nice ending. Comments: this started extremely well, but it all went downhill after just a few seconds. Still a very fine bourbon, it's just that I won't remember it forever. Remember what?
SGP:640 - 79 points

Better stop now. Cheers and take heart, Ukraine!

(Many thanks, Henrik and Jürgen)