Wolfburn Langskip

Wolfburn tasting evening at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, May 30th 2019: Whisky #5 Nose: Big, sweet floral and fruity. Butterscotch and toffee with fruit aromas. There are some hints that remind you this is a young spirit (the slightly hard and almost gritty notes). On the whole this is very much like the Northland expression on steroids. A slightly soapy aroma is the only off note. Palate: Sweet and smooth with a somewhat hot arrival from the high abv (however there's no intrusive ethanol note). Some vanilla and the characteristic Wolfburn spice character is still present but it's now well into a supporting role. The texture is oily and quite thick. There is a briny intrusion but the main fault (if indeed it is a fault) of the palate is simplicity. There is no substitute for maturity, and this spirit needs more time in the cask to achieve greatness. Finish: Medium/long. The spicy notes are the main feature, and they gradually fade into a sweet aftertaste. Langskip (i.e. "longship") is a cask-strength release matured exclusively in first-fill bourbon casks for 5 years. It's a big, spirit-forward whisky as the casks have not had enough time to exert a lot of influence. Water opens the palate, increases sweetness and refreshes the spice notes, but it tends to reveal the simplicity of the profile at the same time. The only faults with this whisky are due to youth - it is a bit narrow of profile, short-lived and falls apart quickly. However what is present is all of a very high order. Obviously a young distillery needs to release product as soon as possible, and make no mistake, this is a good whisky, but I'd love to taste this with a further 5 years of maturation when it has gained some composure and authority. At that time it will probably be quite awesome. "Good" : 85/100 (4 stars)