Dongwei Distillery and Lyle Lovett

Dongwei (63.9%, OB, cask #C.01, 2nd fill barrel, bottled 2024, 106 bottles)
A distillery began in 2014 that makes use of gasoline fired distillation, six row north western Chinese language barley and Chinese language peat. Apparently this one was made to intentionally have a barely soapy character – undecided why that might be, nevertheless it sounds each completely mad and utterly fascinating… Color: shiny straw. Nostril: certainly, there’s something fragile and feathery, like outdated face cream and hand lotion, dried lavender and violets. It’s like one of many extra mild variations of Eighties Bowmore in some respects. There’s a relatively brittle and dry smoke fading out and in too, that additionally comes throughout as elegantly coastal at instances. With water: camphor, clay, sandalwood and seashore sand with plasticine and solar lotion. Mouth: certainly, some cleaning soap is right here. It’s not insupportable ranges, we aren’t in Eighties Edradour territory and reaching for the issue 50 toothpaste. However there are distinct flavours that conjure lavender, violets and fragrance, with wee hints of fairy liquid. With water: rice wine, some barely stale notes, salty porridge, hints of waxed canvass and soda bread. Some additional generic ‘soapy’ notes’. End: fairly lengthy, carbolic, drying, salty and soapy. Feedback: how on earth do you rating a whisky like this? To intentionally make this type of profile is extremely provocative and virtually a philosophical problem. To me, cleaning soap is a flaw, and I’ve to say, I don’t significantly get pleasure from this whisky, however I discover it technically spectacular that somebody has created a type of Chinese language Eighties Bowmore tribute dram. I’m going to attain it purely as if it have been a soapy dram in its personal proper, by itself deserves as a whisky, however I additionally begrudgingly commend the distiller for being so loopy! 
SGP: 452 – 65 factors. 

Dongwei (62.8%, OB, cask #C.15, bourbon, bottled 2024, 109 bottles)
This one must be peated, and hopefully not soapy… Color: gold. Nostril: wonderful, clear and tightly focussed peat smoke. Feels relatively wealthy, creamy and thick, with some beautiful notes of wooden smoke, paraffin and pine resin. Love this relatively concentrated, syrupy and camphory character. With water: extra coastal and a tad extra ‘Scottish’ maybe, with crushed seashells, seawater, medical embrocations and bandages. Retains a wonderful sense of density and weight. Mouth: nice arrival! Very peaty, filled with concentrated tarry notes, additionally a number of natural traits corresponding to outdated natural liqueurs, verbena, wormwood and eucalyptus. And a really resinous, fir wooden character that runs all through. With water: extra creaminess and spice traits from the wooden come by way of right here, which together with the peat, manifests as a mixture of coconut cream, fir wooden resins, natural ointments and wooden smoke. Additionally exhibiting wee notes of oily kippers and creosote. End: lengthy, very tarry, peppery, with extra fir woods and hardwood resins, camphor and natural extracts. Feedback: significantly very spectacular whisky. Feels just like the stability of local weather, oak, peat and distillate has actually been struck brilliantly. I’d additionally say it’s so distant from cask C.01 that it begins to make that bottling look more and more very intelligent by comparability.
 SGP: 466 – 88 factors. 

Dongwei (62.8%, OB, cask #C.22, STR barrique, bottled 2024, 152 bottles)
A mashbill of espresso malt and crystal malt this time. Color: orangey amber. Nostril: extra excessive in profile this time, a giant sense of bitterness, full on artichoke liqueur, salted liquorice, then tea tree oil, inexperienced walnuts, orange cordial and almond paste. Very huge and relatively excessive whisky. With water: richly on wholemeal breads, sport meats, pure tar extracts, hardwood resins and natural cough mixtures. Just like the peated one, it offers an impression of fullness of texture and fatness. Mouth: once more actually fairly full on with huge bitter notes of artichoke liqueur, espresso, espresso grounds, very darkish chocolate, cheng pi, aniseed liqueur and mole sauce. I’ve to say, it’s excessive, however there’s one thing undeniably spectacular concerning the texture and fatness of the entire profile – would that be right down to direct firing? With water: enhances these chocolatey vibes, notes of chocolate sauce with chipotle chilli, camphor, aniseed, shoe leather-based, mushroom powder, BBQ sauce and biltong. End: lengthy, again on black salted liquorice, outdated Burgundian pinot noir, camphor, sooty notes, boot polish and darkish chocolate dissolved in espresso. Feedback: it’s whacky and undeniably excessive at factors, however I can’t assist however discover this spectacular nonetheless. I favor the peated one, however that is nonetheless excellent. 
SGP: 472 – 85 factors. 

Dongwei (66.9%, OB, cask #C.31, Mongolian oak, bottled 2024, 126 bottles)
Don’t suppose I ever tasted something from Mongolian oak earlier than, however their web site counsel that they use this wooden kind to attempt to discover the chances of ‘extra Chinese language traits’ which I believe is a really good endeavour for a Chinese language whisky. Color: gold. Nostril: wooden resins and runny honey, some hints of caraway and fennel seed too, however actually additionally a bit of closed off by the excessive alcohol. With water: some inexperienced wooden, inexperienced peppercorn, rosewater and even a delicate trace of Gewurztraminer. Nonetheless a way of wooden spices and sappiness about it. Mouth: relatively sappy and syrupy, wooden varnish, lime leaf, coconut and floor ginger. Fairly a little bit of oak spice, however a balancing creaminess of texture which carries it properly whereas additionally fortunately masking the excessive ABV considerably. With water: a much wider spiciness emerges, very punchy now, with a lot of dried cabinet spices, pink peppercorn and even a touch of Szechuan pepper (however that could be the ability of suggestion). Just a few preserved yellow fruits in syrup additionally peeping by way of. End: lengthy, however very spicy and a bit of scorching. Feedback: most likely my least favorite (other than the soapy one, nevertheless it’s more and more clear that was some sort of deliberate experiment) nevertheless it’s nonetheless evidently some top quality distillate with distinctive oak affect. 
SGP: 571 – 84 factors.   

Dongwei (62.3%, OB, cask #C.19, 1st fill bourbon, bottled 2024, 118 bottles)
We’re being a bit random with our order choice right here, however that is Whiskyfun, not Whiskyorder! (what?) Color: deep gold. Nostril: a beautiful nostril of acacia honey, wormwood, gorse flower and fairly a couple of shiny cereal notes and different components that counsel pure sweetness, corresponding to lemon barley water, flower nectars and fruity muesli. With water: juniper, oak spices, cedar wooden, creme brûlée and a few beautiful notes of fennel and tarragon. Mouth: wonderful focus and syrupy high quality, an actual sense of texture and plenty of fruit salad juices and honey impressions. Some barely dusty pollen notes, white tea and candied citrus peels. With water: pineapple, pine wooden resins, some inexperienced fruits corresponding to cider apple and gooseberry, but in addition a barely firmer, extra peppery facet rising. End: medium, getting a tad drier and spicier now. Feedback: the end dragged it down a bit of, however total I’d say that is one other instance of the place the basic cask varieties all the time appear to ship the extra pleasant whiskies – wherever they’re used on the planet. 
SGP: 461 – 85 factors. 

Dongwei (63.3%, OB, peated, cask #C.28, ex-rye cask, bottled 2024, 146 bottles)
A closing peated one to complete. Color: deep gold. Nostril: a richer, deeper and extra strong smokiness, bonfire and BBQ smoke, with wooden ashes, tarred rope, pine resin and camphor. Additionally hints of coal smoke and lanolin, which provides a tender medicinal undercurrent. With water: creamier and barely extra farmyard in character, earthier, sootier, some roasted greens corresponding to parsnips, and nonetheless fairly a persistent wooden smoke notice. Mouth: once more, very huge whisky! Reasonably tarry, very dry and thick smokiness, a lot of creosote and roof pitch – virtually Ardbeggy at instances. Then some dried black olives and hessian. With water: relatively mashy, like sipping peated wort, then smoked sea salt, tarry rope, ointments, mercurochrome and smoked olive oil. End: lengthy, on a deeper and barely sweeter smokiness, with a couple of maritime traits like dried seaweed showing. Feedback: one other very strong peaty one, however was this Chinese language peat? I most popular the primary peated one by a notch, however that is nonetheless wonderful. 
SGP: 466 – 87 factors.