Around the World for the second time this year


January 5, 2024

	Around the World for the second time this year
	To France, China, Mexico, Switzerland, Poland and Sweden.

There are so many new malts! Great joys ahead, no doubt plenty of big surprises, and probably some bursts of laughter too. You know our obsession, that they don't all start using exactly the same types of hyperactive casks, intended to impart more flavour to the young spirits. We'll see about that... In any case, we're kicking this off from France...

Goalong Distillery, China (Goalong Liquor)

Armorik 16 yo 2006/2023 (60.5%, The Auld Alliance, Sauternes cask, cask #8003)

Remember, Armorik, made at Warenghem in Lannion, pioneers of French (thus Breton) whisky. Auld Alliance, famous whisky bar in Singapore, with French ownership and management. Colour: gold. Nose: slightly blocked. Roasted nuts and burnt cake, plus cooked wine. With water: indeed between triple-sec and Sauternes, with some sweet beers too, apricot eau-de-vie (Swiss apricotine) or liqueur, plus some fresh panettone. Grist and orange blossom, nice combo. Mouth (neat): you do feel many iced apples (iced cider as they make in Québec) and tart oranges and apricots, plus touches of menthol and some roastedness. But it's strong… With water: pure fruity sin. Apricots and apricot jam, apples and apple jelly, mirabelles and mirabelle jam… A little oak too, clove, and rather a lot of cinnamon. Finish: some slightly burnt pastries are back. Overbaked mirabelle tartelettes (right, right). Apricots and a little brown tobacco in the aftertaste. Comments: joyful Breton whisky, less creamy and thick than I had thought.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Let's have some fun… Off to the People's Republic of China!

Goalong Single Malt Whiskey 5 yo (40%, OB, China, bourbon, +/-2023)

I knew this was coming, a neighbour also just bought an MG, imagine. This little 'Goalong' – funny name, did they indeed think of 'go-along' or is it the name of a place in Hunan, where the Distillery's located ? – comes both as a 'blended whiskey' and as a 'single malt whiskey'. You cannot not think of the Cardhu affair of around ten years ago. You say fifteen years? You'll also find a Goalong malt at 48% vol. instead of just 40%. Colour: white wine. They did not caramelize it to death, as some would do in S******d. Nose: yep this is fine, with good cakes, vanilla, shortbread, a little sesame oil, pancakes, butterscotch, then touches of ripe pears and just a tiny amount of sawdust. We're reminded of current young Glen Grant (not those crazy old young ones that Angus is quaffing every night). Mouth: absolutely! Perhaps a tad sweet and slightly brandy-like at first, then a little too much on apple and pear juices, but it does go down effortlessly. We're somewhat reminded of some whiskies from the Eastern Block, but this is much better. Finish: not that short, still a little sweet, but with good vanilla and pears. Comments: the palate is light and rather uninteresting but not repulsive, while I think the nose was very all right. We'll try it again as we go along (junk joke S.) and try to taste the one at 48% vol. soon. Respect!
SGP:420 - 75 points.

Off to Mexico!

Abasolo (43%, OB, Mexico, maize whisky, +/-2023)

'You have still, you make whisky', that's the leitmotiv all around the world these days. This one is made in Jolotepec de Abasolo, in the state of Mexico, from some local maize called Cacahuazintle, partly malted and partly stewed (a process they call nixtamalization). The small Distillery looks very modern and I have to say I'm finding it pretty. Colour: straw. Nose: maize's sweetness but not quite like in American corn whiskeys, this one's having a hint of charcoal, notes of radish and celeriac, even turnips, quite some hay, then more sweet syrups, maize syrup, marshmallows, maple syrup… This is really very pretty, it's rather unusual that some whisky would smell pleasantly 'sweet' like this. Mouth: an earthy start, again some hay and some chalkiness, then these syrups that we were mentioning. Notes of oranges, a small dusty side, some all-flower honey, a little lavender, a little caraway… That's all good. Finish: medium, earthy, sweet but also bready, with a feeling of rye (yep). Molasses in the aftertaste. Comments: excellent surprise. I would do a 46% version, or perhaps 50%. I agree, not my business.
SGP:740 - 83 points.

To Swissland…

Goldwaescher Swiss Rye 5 yo 2018/2023 (53.5%, OB, Switzerland, first fill Swiss oak, cask #44, 200 bottles)

This is made at Distillerie Willisau and it is malted rye. Willisau is located near Lucerne, where one of the loveliest whisky festivals is taking place every year. Colour: deep gold. Nose: love. New rubber boots, fresh-cracked pepper, star anise, extreme ryeness, bitter oranges, elderflowers, horseradish, burnt caramel, and a feeling of… tequila. More tequila, in any case, than in that lovely Mexican corn whisky. Superb nose. With water: literally, putting your nose into a loaf of rye bread. Mouth (neat): extreme sensations. Heavy bitter marmalade, more anise and clove, dark hard caramel, gingerbread, liquorice and poppy jelly… With water: a bourbon side. And more oranges, aniseed, liquorice, lavender… Finish: long, caramelized, floral, spicy. Lavender sweets in the aftertaste. Comments: could you malt rye using peat? Or simply peat-smoke malted rye? I utterly love this young Swiss rye, as much as I love rösti and proper fondue. And I'm sure you could pour a small glass of this rye into your fondue, instead of just any kirschwasser. Btw, did you try Ardbeg?
SGP:661 - 87 points.

To lovely Poland…

Paprocky Single Malt (40%, OB, Poland, +/-2023)

To be honest, I'm not familiar with this Polish whisky; no one mentioned it to me the last time I was at Whisky Live Warsaw, but perhaps it has been released since then? It's true that these 40% ABV can always be a bit concerning. Colour: gold. Nose: classic pears, caramel, vanilla, cornflakes and overripe apples. Pear tarte sprinkled with a little cinnamon. Ripe apples and pears, that's always more than fine. Mouth: it's really okay, a little thin, a little oaky (sawdust, cardboard) but our pears are doing their job. Fine, a little J&B-ish, if I may. Finish: short, but with nice honeyed notes, on top of those ripe apples and pears. Comments: perhaps not whisky for the Olympics (of whisky) but there are no flaws. It's just a little undemanding and light, a little shy. To drink with pirogis, perhaps (I prefer them steamed). Na zdrowie.
SGP:431 - 76 points.

To Sweden (last destination today)…

Agitator 2018/2023 (57.7%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, The Pioneers, Sweden, Single Malt, 1st fill sherry hogshead, cask #741, 369 bottles)

Peated malt whisky (40ppm) from Stockholm. The Distillery's very environment-conscious and seems to be using very 'green' methods, which include drinking everything they make themselves with local friends, instead of shipping their bottles to the remotest corners of our planet. Hey, is it still allowed to joke a little bit? Now we're still waiting for one or several 'distilleries' close to the Arctic Circle, which is far from being the case for Stockholm, we agree, to start using exclusively 'cold distillation', which involves extracting the water rather than the alcohol, thanks to natural freezing. Colour: gold. Nose: we were joking because we were knowing that this would be terrific. Very fat, doughy nose, full of sweet cereals, including many that are probably not even there, such as rye, buckwheat (I know), even rice… And wholegrain bread, bananas, greengages, drops of sake… Now what I'm not really getting this far is the peat. Was that 40ppm 'peat'? With water: now the smoke does come through, but rather timidly. We're not complaining, we enjoy this fermentary side, the sake, the beers and the wines, the miso soup, the chalkiness… Mouth (neat): smoke, straight peat, gherkins, lime, oysters. It's much straighter, and smokier than on the nose. Two whiskies in one. With water: back to sweeter matters, including sweet rye and rice. I'm finding something Okinawan. But it's then moving to much saltier pastures… Finish: indeed, this is salty, nuttier, with even a little fudge and pistachio brittle. Is that the sherry? The aftertaste is much peatier, strangely, with even some smoked bacon. Comments: I find it extremely good, but I spent half the time chasing the peat that was coming and going, as if it had been 'added peat' (using ex-peater casks a.k.a. cutting corners). But I doubt it was. Anyway, when you're called Agitator, you agitate (wink).
SGP:564 - 88 points.

(Merci Franco!)