The Chinese language whisky trade continues to be in its infancy. Nonetheless, with demand for whisky typically rising in China (x3 in ten years), their very own manufacturing can be browsing this wave. Will customers swap from the immensely fashionable Baijiu to Chinese language single malts?
In 2019 Pernod Ricard began The Chuan distillery and in 2021 Diageo introduced its plans for the Eryuan distillery. Each are giant scale tasks that may in all probability enhance the class of Chinese language whisky. It should in all probability additionally set increased requirements, as Chinese language rules for what is named ‘whisky’ will not be precisely strict.
Right this moment we take a look at the comparatively small Dongwei distillery, which began manufacturing in summer time 2020 (though a micro distillery had already been working since 2014). Their pair of copper stills have been designed and hand-made by the proprietor Weidong ‘Ricky’ Wei himself. Whereas being a ‘native’ mission, Dongwei already appears to make use of a lot increased requirements by solely releasing whisky after at the least six years of maturartion.
They use Chinese language grown barley (largely 6-row from Northwest China, now additionally different varieties from Hunan) with direct gas-fired distillation and a wide range of yeast and oak combos. They even use Mongolian oak and so they’re looking for a really Chinese language id with sure oak varieties as properly.
I obtained seven cask samples from 2014, 2016 and 2017, however sadly not a number of information. You may hardly discover any photos of precise bottles that aren’t blocked to European guests, as an example. Most of my data comes from their cellular web site, which appears to be simpler to make use of than their desktop model.
Dongwei 2017 (62,3%, OB 2024, first-fill bourbon barrel #19)
Nostril: good and clear. It begins on butter biscuits and a very good dose of honey and vanilla sweetness, together with peaches and oranges. Then a really good minty freshness seems, with juniper and floral hints. Lemons. Hints of rice pudding and a whiff of coconut cream.
Mouth: a number of oak spice now. White pepper, a number of peppermint, some inexperienced tea and aniseed. Beneath there’s nonetheless a candy and barely syrupy layer of brown sugar, apples, kiwis and peaches. The oaky aspect turns into resinous after some time and provides a barely bitter notice, apple pith and a few peanut oil.
End: fairly lengthy, fairly a bit drier with a harsh edge. Nonetheless loads of peppermint, inexperienced tea and oak polish.
Good begin. Particularly convincing on the nostril: very harmonious with loads of depth for its supposedly modest age. In the direction of the end the wooden is leaving a harsh fingerprint, however in all probability a very good spirit. I believe the intense mint-citrus mixture is a really oriental contact as properly (for what it’s value).
Dongwei 2017 (64,1%, OB 2024, STR barrel #22, espresso malt)
Nostril: fairly extractive and rustic even, with a number of freshly sawn hardwood but additionally a winey bitterness. Then ethereal oils, roasted espresso beans, overripe mashed bananas and really ripe pineapple. Hints of orange liqueur, drops of very outdated Oloroso and Ricola sweet. Some darkish chocolate as properly.
Mouth: very extractive once more, filled with tannins and natural extracts. Chilly espresso, multiplex, darkish chocolate brownie with undertones of golden syrup. Natural tea, loads of mint and eucalyptus, together with orange peels and a touch of caramel. Then leathery dryness, extra tannins and many aniseed. Some wooden polish as properly.
End: lengthy, with extra wine tannins and contemporary parquet. Additionally, does it make sense to dip a bag of natural tea in chilly espresso?
Difficult because of the excessive power, agency woodiness and the darkness of the espresso malt. At instances it jogged my memory of outdated New Yarmouth rum. Not precisely a soothing dram, however a powerful experiment nonetheless. Let’s simply say this might have been undrinkable however that’s definitely not the case. Rating: 82/100
Dongwei 2017 (66,9%, OB 2024, Mongolian oak barrel #31)
Nostril: a candy and agency woodiness, with honey and loads of oak shavings. Inexperienced peppers, aniseed and ginger. Creamy coconut as properly, bringing it near virgin American oak. Then it turns into barely aromatic, on rose petals and loads of varnished notes. Water brings out lemon notes.
Mouth: a drying entry, with a number of resinous oaky notes. There’s a candy, syrupy layer beneath, with vanilla and maple syrup bringing roundness. Quite a lot of pepper, ginger and liquorice, together with a sourness from the wooden. Citrusy notes and sandalwood too.
End: good size, largely marked by the woody notes.
They are saying this can be a milestone launch relating to their expertise with Mongolian oak. It’s fairly daring, with a candy and bitter stability that’s fairly attention-grabbing. That stated, there’s a number of wooden altogether, which makes it more durable to take pleasure in. Extra expertise is required to get a nicer stability, I suppose. Rating: 80/100
Dongwei 2016 PM-1 (62,8%, OB 2024, first-fill bourbon barrel #15, peated malt)
Nostril: a flippantly peated spirit. Some creosote, light antiseptics and camphory notes. Creamy pastry beneath, in addition to some waxy notes. Fairly coastal, nonetheless having this pepperminty edge and natural parts, perhaps eucalyptus oil. Total very subtle.
Mouth: a extra intense peatiness now, reminding me of Kilchoman at first. Stunning creamy notes right here as properly. Vanilla ice cream. Then again to mint and menthol, pine resin, aniseed and natural tea. Smoky leaves and burnt rosemary, with gin-like botanicals and a saltiness that makes you assume Hunan is by the ocean (it’s not).
End: medium size, barely extra slender. There’s a resinous / natural / metallic theme, together with peppery smoke.
The natural freshness works wonders with the peat smoke. It’s not too loud and also you’re nonetheless getting a few of that creaminess from the spirit. Fairly wonderful, though the end is a little bit harsh once more. Rating: 88/100
Dongwei 2017 PM-3 (63,3%, OB 2024, first-fill rye barrel #28, peated malt)
Nostril: even lighter peat. There’s a medicinal and resinous aspect however much less of the smoky heat that I obtained from PM-1. As an alternative the floral notes are taking on, nearly blossomy notes, in addition to some liquorice. Then mint, inexperienced apple and lemon peels.
Mouth: spicy. I’m selecting up extra of the floral parts once more, slightly than peat. Loads of gin botanicals once more, together with apple pith and a type of dustiness which will properly come from the rye casks. Then a cooling minty wave. Delicate hints of ashes and cooling bonfires.
End: fairly lengthy, with light smoke, a number of floral notes and citrus peels.
A high-quality consequence once more, however should you’re into peat smoke then PM-1 is a extra convincing profile for my part. Rating: 84/100
The subsequent two cask samples are from the early years of manufacturing (if Google Translate will get it proper, then these ought to even be the primary two barrels of the distillery). They describe this as soap-flavoured twin barrels, a “tribute to the aroma of basic whisky from the Nineteen Seventies”. We will’t consider Nineteen Seventies whisky that was soapy, the very first thing that involves thoughts is Bowmore or Glen Garioch from the Eighties. Whether or not this spirit was intentionally soapy, and whether or not this deserves a tribute, is a distinct dialogue.
Dongwei 2014 (63,9%, OB 2024, double-fill bourbon barrel #1)
Nostril: fairly floral with a soapy trace and whiffs of ladies’s powder and citrus hand cream. Lemon sherbet, violets, only a whiff of mint and a few gin botanicals. Then some moist pebblestones and a really gentle puff of salty smoke as properly, hidden beneath. To this point the soapiness isn’t immense, nevertheless it’s definitely there.
Mouth: ouch. It’s not the Bowmore model of cleaning soap, nevertheless it’s a really soapy model nonetheless. Jawbreaker sweet, violets and fragrance. Regardless of how far you attempt to assume this by way of, I discover it undrinkable.
End: slightly not.
It will need to have been some type of bizarre problem attempting to create this depraved model. I wouldn’t have proven it to the surface world, however there, mission achieved. Identical rating as this 27 year-old Auchentoshan. Rating: 58/100
Dongwei 2014 (64,9%, OB 2024, first-fill bourbon barrel / sherry barrel #2)
Nostril: the identical floral aspect, however now the pepperminty aromas are greater, and there’s a little bit extra vanilla too. It’s extra soapy than its sister cask, for my part. However it’s additionally extra fruity, like vivid citrus that’s bordering tropical fruits like ardour fruits.
Mouth: higher than cask #1, within the sense that it’s extra floral once more, with a number of natural notes, a little bit of salt and this very vivid fruity edge. It feels much less artificial than its sister, in order that’s good. Right here I don’t discover the refined smoky edge. Solely within the very finish it turns into a bit carbolic.
End: fairly lengthy, soapy and salty.
Nonetheless not very drinkable, for my part, however as a tribute to the soapy Scotches, I discover this extra nice than cask #1. Identical rating as this 25 year-old Bowmore then. Rating: 63/100
