Wolfburn From The Stills Summer 2020 Distillery Exclusive

Whisky Tasting : The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 14 January 2021. Whisky #3 Nose: Light floral malt, nut and fruit aromas. Delicate but not shy in character. A little spirity but the ethanol presence is not intrusive. The sweeter fragrances are all immediate and “on top” with light smoke in the background, but the dry glass is very smoky, showing just how much the peat presence contributes to the foundation of the profile. Palate: Balanced entry centered on cereal notes, with a sweet creamy presence evolving – reminiscent of muesli and fruit yoghurt. Dark fruit (figs, dates), dry fruit and nutty flavours (particularly almond) in the development but it is not a heavy palate. As with the nose some excellent subtle smoke flavours appear with repeated sips but they are also not heavy – more lightly smoked ham than full-on barbecue, and certainly not maritime at all. The texture progesses into an even more oily form with time in the glass. Finish: Medium/long. Lightly smoked, like grilled tropical fruit. The finish trails into a creamy sweet aftertaste but there is a slight nip of sour "plastic-like" peat in the end. Overall this is a well-balanced but subtle whisky that repays thoughtful tasting. A hurried appreciation will lead to the impression that it is a lightweight, which is erroneous. Water brings out spicy notes but is neither required nor preferable. I’d recommend taking this one neat. The “From the Stills” expressions are normally only available from the distillery door, but as in-person visits were not possible during 2020 the distillery chose to instead make the year’s bottling available through retail channels. This is the first such expression I've tasted. It was a vatting from two sherry casks, a 7 year old hogshead and a younger (probably 3-4 year old) octave. The sherry-cask influence is apparent as dark and dried fruit notes and a pervading sweetness, but the whisky never loses balance. The distillate is allowed to take the wheel, as it should. This is, however, a little on the expensive side and as much as I enjoyed it I decided not to buy a bottle on the night. It’s a good Wolfburn, but I think they make better expressions at lower prices, as well as some excellent ones for not too much more. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)

Wolfburn is one of the more interesting Distilleries out there for me at the moment. The whole package is intriguing to me with their idea, philosophy, standards and design. I started with sample bottles of their core range which left me uninspired and actually a bid disappointed. But then I gave it another go with their special releases which they do regularly and one of those really surprised and convinced me. This one here is a single release of a special bottling as well. It is their first real peated bottling. They have a peated whisky in their core range with the “Morven” but that one is only peated because it is aged in reused Lagavulin casks. I bought this bottle while not knowing about its actual taste and also without a lot of expectations. It was mostly because of supporting Wolfburn during the pandemic. Nose: very mild but juicy both with the bright fruitiness and the peat. The peat is present but not overwhelming at all. It is nice. Feels cool and dry - like a burned down fire the next morning. Equally present is the slightly vibrant orchard fruits, some fresh mango and some mild honey notes as well. But I also get a aroma spectrum that I know from another Wolfburn bottle that I have (“No 375”) which I assume could be considered their apparent signature aromas. A bid of malty grain and also a little exotic spices (Curcuma / sweet Indian curry). A couple of more years - because it feels as young as it is (around 5 years) - but with more time this has potential to become something really nice. That is what I am hoping for. Palate: first a cold ash smokiness, not sweet, very mild, feels a bid diluted. Then it slowly gets a bid more subtle sweet. There is unsweetened granola, and an interesting hop-bitterness. Finish: medium short, the peat is there but sadly not very pleasant, it leaves a slightly disturbing bitterness in your mouth. Not sure what to make of that. It isn’t bad for sure but it really feels unfinished and not very round. Very light, simple and uninteresting really. The nose is simple, straight forward but nice, the palate interesting but feels diluted, the finish is just okay but gets a little better after some sips. But all in all it isn’t a good whiskey. I will for sure keep an eye on Wolfburn but will stay off their peated bottlings with no other cask finishes until they release their first age statements. I have high hopes but can’t really tell what their real final products will be like.