Wolfburn tasting evening at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, May 30th 2019: Whisky #1 Nose: Fruity and floral, with a very subtle musky note. A full nose focused on a few primary aromas but showing excellent integration and body and a certain amount of grip. There is a very light peaty hint that becomes more apparent as the whisky rests and opens, and a faint mist of brine. Palate: A spicy sweet arrival that suddenly explodes in a flash of peppery-spice heat in the development. This lasts a few seconds, and then rolls away as quickly as it appeared. There are a few sour-spice notes but these are balanced by a light honeyish nougat sweetness. The texture is very clean and crisp and over time a cereal presence becomes apparent. Finish: Medium. The palate falls away leaving a pleasantly mild sweet spice note. This is not a particularly complex whisky but that is not meant as a criticism. It has a crisp clarity of profile, a brisk, exuberant presentation and it is certainly not a lightweight. It has good structure - the nose has weight and presence that exceeds your expectations of a 3-year old whisky, and the palate has a satisfyingly youthful character. It has some similarity to Kilchoman 100% Islay. Northland has gone through some changes and is now quite different to early batches. Most importantly, maturation now takes place entirely in refill American oak quarter casks sourced from Laphroaig. You can just barely perceive the character of smoky whisky in the background, and once you know the cause you can almost believe you sense a whiff of Laphroaig. However what the casks actually contribute (besides accelerated maturation) is texture and body – the Laphroaig character is just a gauzy background curtain. Adding water makes little difference and I’d recommend taking this very pleasant whisky neat. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)