Another short flight of world whiskies


June 13, 2024

Another short flight of world whiskies

Gone are the days when "world whiskies", that is, all non-Scottish whiskies, were relegated to a kind of ghetto on the shelves of our wine and spirits merchants, tucked away at the end, covered in dust, and only prompting raised eyebrows or shrugs. This included Irish and Japanese whiskies! Only a few bourbons stood out a bit, probably thanks to Keith Richards. However, you’ll note that things were different in Italy, always ahead by about twenty years

In any case, things have changed enormously. Just look at the miserable index of Whiskyfun, which now groups thousands of world whiskies on a single page, whereas, at the time, there were so few that the same page housed, and still houses, also rums, cognacs, and armagnacs. We’re going to try to improve that soon, although it’s going to be quite a big job. Well, we’ll see...
Anyway, we’re going to start this session with a French whisky, as usual. Better yet, a whisky distilled twenty minutes from Château WF.

G. Miclo 2013/2024 (46.2%, Version Française, La Maison du Whisky,150 bottles)

Here we are in Pays Welche, the French-speaking part of Alsace, which encompasses just three or four valleys in the Vosges. Maison Miclo is very well known in the region and even internationally for its fruit brandies, but they have also been producing malt whisky with great seriousness for nearly fifteen years. Colour: gold. Nose: there is a spicy and fruity duality, with quite pronounced cocoa notes followed by fruity notes reminiscent of some of the house's specialties, such as small berries (serviceberry), quince, and even Williams pear. Having tasted this malt at various ages, I find that being over 10 years old does it the greatest good. These quinces are particularly beautiful. Mouth: the cask influence is marked but very well integrated, with lots of cinnamon and a little touch of varnish (I repeat myself, but I like it). One might almost recognise another Alsatian specialty, plum/quetsche tarte covered with ground cinnamon. Gradual return of the cocoa notes thereafter. Finish: medium length, still that famous plum tarte but also some marzipan and a bit of caraway brandy. Did you know that caraway grows a lot in Pays Welche! Comments: they even make caraway eau-de-vie, but it remains very marginal. In any case, this whisky is very successful, and I promise I’m not saying that just because I, too, am of Welche origin. Twenty animal pelts! (that’s a vaguely local curse).
SGP:561 - 86 points.
PS: it seems a bit like an ex-vin jaune cask.

Mackmyra ‘Indentitet’ (48.7%, OB, Sweden, +/-2023)

No age statement, but we do learn that it was smoked with juniper and aged in Swedish oak - couldn’t be the other way ‘round, could it? I believe it was their original recipe if I remember well. A sauna in a bottle ;-). Colour: pale gold. Nose: a bit like smoked salmon that has stayed a little too long in the smoker, but I must admit I love smoked salmon. It’s a simple, narrow style, yet very demonstrative. Increasingly, there’s grapefruit peel, and a new sauna-like note straight out of Ikea (do they even sell sauna cabins at Ikea?). Mouth: really amusing, a sort of very dry aquavit, quite quickly drying but very funny. Sawdust, cardboard, ashes, little lemons, and, wait, caraway? Again? Finish: long, imbued with smoked wood, but always amusing. Juniper right at the end. Comments: could we use it for massages?
SGP:376 - 82 points.

Since we are in Sweden...

Askeim 8 yo (57.7%, OB, Smögen, Sweden, 2024)

Long story short, this is unpeated Smögen made with old barley strains and comes with Nordic legends, etc., but with much moderation. No worries, this is not Ardbeg (as far as stories go). Colour: straw. Nose: well, it's a magnificent nose but it seems to suffer a bit from the 'Highland Caol Ila' syndrome, that famous unpeated Caol Ila which still had a tiny bit of peat. I'm not going to give you a full sketch, but tea connoisseurs, for instance, would never use a teapot accustomed to pu-ehr to brew very fresh oolong. It would only smell like... pu-ehr. In short, there’s a hint of smoke, but more like their neighbours (seen from here) Highland Park, I would say. Except it becomes increasingly fatty and rich, a bit like a macerated white wine. Slight touches of raw turnips. With water: sunflower oil, mashed banana, yellow flowers, wet chalk… Mouth (neat): I find this to be a great success, it's oily, slightly salty, somewhat exotic (guava), and especially full of fresh breads from all over the world, with lots of seeds and grains. And yes, it’s a bit smoky. Thick texture. With water: formidable. It’s so clever to release this at 8 years. Finish: long, with a return of the raw turnips. Much saltier aftertaste. Comments: reminds me of the HP 10 they no longer make, for which I was often criticised for my very high rating. Except that here, there’s 17.7% more ABV. Great success in balance, lovely precision. They should consider watchmaking as well.
SGP:562 - 90 points.

In any case, it’s certainly not Under-Smögen. While we're at it, just to be sure...

Smögen 12 yo 2011/2024 (56.6%, OB, Sweden, bourbon and sherry, 1,716 bottles)

Made from barley grown on the distillery’s own estate. I realise, in discussing this with friends who know nothing about whisky (yes, we have those), that many believe Scottish distilleries grow their grains on their own estates. Colour: full gold. Nose: oh dear, I aimed too high for the Asheim, so what am I to do with this superlative Smögen? Especially since there’s no reverse gear at Chateau WF. Right, let’s crack on… Superb, precise, a perfectly straight line, fresh bread, seaweed, baker's yeast, apples, and amusing touches of cress. Small land cress. With water: full fresh pumpernickel. Mouth (neat): horribly rich, massive, peaty, spicy (turmeric), saline, with classy coffees, possibly from the sherry. With water: plenty of small fruits and peppery herbs. The little cress reappears. Finish: very long, saline, both fresh and rich. Very peaty. Comments: Smögen pushes us too high, but there’s nothing we can do about it. I find it one of, if not the most ‘textured’ malts of the moment. What structural richness! We could almost go to 91, certainly with a non-sherry version, though the sherry is very well integrated here.
SGP: 567 - 90 points.

One enjoys him/herself quite well in Sweden...

Agitator 4 yo 2020/2024 (58.1%, The Whisky Jury, Sweden, First Fill Wave Stave Barrel, cask #2028)

What the fudge is a ‘First Fill Wave Stave Barrel’, you may ask? Just ask them, it's 'cut in such a way that there is more ratio wood-spirit and thus resulting in faster maturation'. Wood technology in action. Colour: full gold. Nose: fine, on cakes, marzipan, macaroons, and a growing petrol note, with whiffs of ashes, scoria, engine oil, linoleum... Is that what WSB does? (After STR, looks like the next best thing is WSB, hope it’ll never be FSB). With water: acrid smoke, wood ashes, carbon, burnt tyres... Mouth (neat): it’s certain, it works, it’s very salty and tarry, but also quite bitter. Some rather nice notes of salted lemon though, it feels like a tequila shot a.k.a. tekpaf a.k.a. a margarita for thrill-seeking youngsters. It works fairly well with the peat but remains somewhat binary, if I may say, it doesn’t go too deep. With water: a little too much cask impact. Concentrated mint and fir resin. Finish: long, thick, resinous. A hectolitre of fir liqueur and verbena in the aftertaste. Comments: to be honest, this style might well convince youngsters to take an interest in whisky. Between a shot of Jäger and a shot of this, there’s no hesitation. For my part, I think I’ve outgrown it, but thanks to the Jury and Agitator for introducing me to WSB. Seriously, it’s very interesting, and my aim has never been to halt 'progress'.
SGP:486 - 80 points.

We'll choose something nice for the last whisky; we've already had quite a hectic time...

Wire Works ‘Small Batch’ (46.2%, OB, White Peak, England, STR & Bourbon, 4,323 bottles, 2022)

A lightly peated batch. We’ve really enjoyed the previous Wire Works we could try, and the bottles are lovely enough to double as wine decanters later on. Colour: gold. Nose: it’s really fresh and quite floral, very gentle, with notes of scones, sponge cake, rum babas, honeysuckle, and dandelion flowers. These modest little flowers smell so delightful! I also detect acacia flowers and the honey the bees make from them. A very light ‘STR’ note, reminiscent of gentle ginger cookies. Rest assured, they haven’t STRised barrels from Château Latour. Mouth: it’s really good, certainly youthful, but balanced, though slightly spicy and mildly bitter. Green tea, a hint of rubber, a bit of cork, but the peat balances it all out. Finish: quite long, with a touch of bitter oranges. Comments: pleasant, we’ll be tasting more Wire Works soon.
SGP:463 - 83 points.

I rather fancy actually ending with a Nantou, because we have millions to taste (almost) and because we’ve never had the time to do the mega Nantou vs. Kavalan session that we wanted to organise. I think we'll never get around to it.

Nantou 6 yo 2017/2023 (58.1%, OB, TTL Omar for HNWS & Whisky Lovers HK, virgin oak, cask #01160208, 185 bottles)

Nantou/Omar is crafted by the Taiwanese state monopoly. One might wish our own state monopolies in France were occupied with whisky-making rather than striking every other morning. Colour: copper. Nose: we're veering very close to bourbon territory here, with delicate hints of acetone, plenty of varnish, followed by overripe bananas, caramel and toffee, gorse, vanilla pods, and Taiwanese (naturally) black tea. Adding water: not a dramatic change, just slight notes of coconut, brioche, and rosewood. Mouth (neat): the wood is quite forward, but oddly, it works. Loads of spiced herbal teas, ginseng, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, and even saffron. With water: it teeters on the edge of being overly woody yet maintains a delightful balance of fruitiness and spiciness, reminiscent of bananas with mild curry. Finish: long, with caraway and sautéed bananas, a touch of agave syrup. Comments: a very good young whisky, marked by its bold woodiness which flirted with the limits throughout but ultimately came out extremely well, though it’s been quite a ride.
SGP:651 - 86 points.