This is a recent revival of an old scotch distillery (one of the largest during it’s time) located on the far north of the Scottish mainland. It’s a story I am glad exists as it’s a nice way to continue the sad story of a scottish distillery closing down. The whiskey itself though is quite nice which is a very critical plot point in that story.
However as you may have noticed there was not a year in the text above. Apparently I was one of the first in a hundred or so people in the States to try this, but it’s not just recently imported. Since the project for the revival was about 4 years ago this makes sense to be without vintage, and I look forward to growing older and seeing how this progresses.
What they Say: “Bottle: On the nose you’ll find fruit and malty aromas with just a hint of peat. On the tongue, sweet and nutty flavours are present which coat the palate to leave a very slightly pleasant flavour of smoke. It is a joy to drink – I hope you enjoy every drop. Shane Fraser – Distillery Manager.
Box: The Sea-wolf…
Wolfburn’s motif is taken from a drawing by Konrad Gesner, the 16th Century linguist and zoologist, and appears in his work, “The History of Four-footed Beasts and Serpents’. In Gesner’s day the wolf was a common sight in the far north of Scotland and on the coast it was said to have a supernatural relative: the sea-wolf.
According to the lore of the time, the sea-wolf did, “liveth both on sea and land.” Gesner’s woodcut is thought to show the creature walking on water, but this is not the limit of it’s gifts: the sea-wolf also brings good luck to all those fortunate enough to see it. ”
Taste: 6.0 – It’s soft and malty at first, you can sort of taste the prelude to the more smoky/peaty/briny aftertaste before it really comes in full.
Aftertaste: 7.0 – Here though is where the smoke, and the taste promised by the smell arrive in force. The best part of this is how long it melds and lingers in your chest.
Burn/Smooth: 5.0 – This is not a mellowed whiskey, and you do get some burn. However the warmth keeps pace with that lingering taste.
Aroma: 6.0 – You never know how much of this is just the water or added flavor, but it really does have a pleasant sea-water and malt smell that’s not just low tide.
Honesty: 7.5 – Their literature actually went on further, but most was just a verbose section of the bottle. While their story, bottling, and that sea-wolf help it majorly keep the writing concise people. Aside that though it does very well here.
Mixability: 7.0
W/ Rocks: 7.0 – Add a bit of ice, and the aftertaste is everywhere. You lose some of the smoke, but you get more of that sea-water flavor. This is what you want for sushi or other seafood (not fried)
Value: 4.5 – I got this slightly on-sale, but it was worth the buy for me. However for being an immature scotch it’s a bit steep.
Google Shop Average: $60
Website: http://www.wolfburn.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 6.0
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Metric Score: 43/70 |+| Metric Average: 6.14 |+| Reviewer Average: 6.0
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Final Thoughts: I bought this because of the tasting, but I am looking forward to getting some mussels, steaming them up, and drinking a nice big glass of this with some large ice.
