We dig into the samples from the Whisky Tour of the World from Gravity Drinks as soon as extra. This set incorporates 24 samples of whiskies from everywhere in the planet. Launched forward of the festive season, it’s now nonetheless obtainable on-line.
We’ll go to Germany, Austria and Finland, beginning with Beverbach Tri-Cask, a single malt whisky from Hardenberg distillery in Germany. They produce it with the traditional pot nonetheless / double distillation methodology and mature it in Kentucky bourbon casks, new American oak and German Napoleon oak barrels. I believes this refers back to the age of the Annweiler forest the place the oak was grown.
Beverbach Tri-Cask (43%, OB 2024)
Nostril: mild with a pronounced sourness. Inexperienced apples, lemons, unripe pears, merely on the identical stage because the youngish layer of cereals. Then some grassy / minty notes and a touch of grappa or vodka. Contemporary oak shavings within the background, fairly dosed.
Mouth: fairly a pointy onset. There’s nonetheless a agency sourness (unripe peach, citrus and pear) which strikes in direction of ginger with metallic overtones. Then some delicate vanilla and light-weight honey sweetness from the wooden. Extra uncooked cereals now (porridge, whit bread), together with white pepper and only a trace of marmalade.
End: on the brief aspect, with extra cereals and a lightweight nuttiness.
This appears to get good opinions (principally from German magazines I have to add…) however to me it doesn’t stand out from the ample newish distilleries. It’s mild, with none necessary shortcomings, nevertheless it stays a really younger and impartial (boring) spirit.
Now we transfer to Austria. Distillery Krauss produces Sulm Valley Whiskey, a bourbon-style whiskey (therefore the ‘e’) made principally from an historical corn selection that’s grown particularly for them in Sulm Valley. The spirit matures in new toasted American oak casks. Though the distillery web site mentions an ABV of 48%, my pattern states 46% ABV.
In 2022 they gained the award for Greatest World Whisky on the Las Vegas World Spirits Awards. An award which was then usually falsely talked about as Greatest Whisky within the World, which is clearly not the identical…
Krauss Sulm Valley Whiskey (46%, OB +/- 2024)
Nostril: a fairly typical mixture of dry oak shavings (Ikea pack type) with mashed banana and mildly candy corn. Then hints of latest leather-based satchel luggage, with rising layers of orange and vanilla.
Mouth: plenty of candy corn now, with honey and vanilla. The again to mashed bananas (and banana ice cream) whereas oak spice grows stronger. Aniseed, white pepper. The woody element is kind of loud although.
End: medium size, totally on wooden components, with agency pepper and nutmeg. Faint hints of roasted espresso beans too.
An attention-grabbing Austrian tackle American whiskey. It’s not as candy as I anticipated, which is nice, however then it additionally adopts the blatant woodiness of its American exmple. Not fully crucial, however not unhealthy both. Rating: 75/100
Final one for in the present day: the Rye Malt from The Helsinki Distilling Co. The distillery began in 2014 as the primary distillery within the metropolis in over 100 years.
Their Rye Malt expression is an excercise to steadiness the smoothness of barley and the spiciness of rye. It’s bottled in numbered releases, at all times a small batch of a handful of casks, aged round 3-4 years, however at all times totally different. This being a pattern particularly produced for Gravity Drinks, I’m unsure whether or not it equals one of many batches that’s obtainable in giant bottles.
Helsinki Whiskey – Rye Malt (47,5%, OB 2024)
Nostril: scorched plywood and recent oak shavings. A brand new sauna? Then loads of rye bread. Beneath there are some aniseed, caraway seeds, hints of apples and bitter berries. Additionally inexperienced bell peppers, a faint floral edge and a lightweight whiff of vanilla.
Mouth: sweeter than anticipated. Toffee notes and sweet sugar, with yellow apples. Additionally a flippantly artificial sweetness, just like the glue of a put up stamp (properly, those that you just wanted to lick your self). Gentle biscuits. Then again to anise, juniper. Extra malty than the nostril, however total nonetheless a bit too woody and tough.
End: medium, fairly inexperienced and mildly bitter now, with grassy notes, younger wooden and a few rye spice.
I discover these hybrids arduous to attain. I like a few of its elements, however down the highway it doesn’t actually come collectively but. A distinct mindset is required in case you’re approaching it from a malt perspective, and possibly extra time is required, with much less lively wooden. A distinct rum cask model is obtainable from The Whisky Alternate. Rating: 78/100
