First class malt whiskies of the world


March 25, 2024

First class malt whiskies of the world

Let's take another short journey through some of the whisky world's newer nations, if you're up for it. Once again, we'll start from France to keep the carbon footprint in mind, even if it's only virtual in our case. And we'll focus on the top stuff; we're not always gluttons for punishment.

MaltAge's squad in Switzerland's Canton de Genêve (MaltAge)

Scarlett 2019/2023 (51.9%, Version Française by LMDW, for Whisky Live Paris 2023, 249 bottles)

Ex new oak, a single malt distilled in French Jura from Scarlett Spring barley, a variety developed in Germany for malting and brewing. Probably distilled at Bruno Mangin's Rouget de Lisle Distillery, although it wouldn't say. Colour: gold. Nose: a lot of chocolate, stout, Guinness, then very small touches of beef broth as well as a good espresso. You have the feeling that the malt was deep roasted, but I doubt that was the case. With water: fruitier and a little more herbal, around apple peelings shall we say. Tiny metallic touches (old copper). Mouth (neat): this time it's chocolate, pepper and a rather loud ginger/raisins combination. Touches of leather and bay leaves. With water: its best phase, with more liveliness and even more malty chocolate yet. Switzerland is close, they may have smuggled in a lot of Ovaltine/Ovomaltine and let it all macerate in the mash. Many stranger things have happened at the Swiss-French border, just think proper absinth, ha. But shh… Finish: medium, really very malty and chocolaty. Comments: this one really grows on you. I first thought '80' but we end-up at…
SGP:361 - 85 points.

Did we not mention Switzerland?

Macardo 'Chapter II' (54%, OB, Switzerland, The Life Cycle of a Cask, finished in Port, 980 bottles, 2022)

Not sure the Chapter II of The Life Cycle of a Cask is to finish it in Port – I think it's tawny - but after all only the result counts. The distillery is located in Thurgau, in a lovely location just south of Lake Constance. Colour: rosy amber. Nose: It completely reminds me of those chocolate bars that used to contain sultanas, roasted hazelnuts, honey, rum, and bits of dried red berries. It's actually quite nostalgic but it works really well. It's also very much like a Christmas cake. With water: here come cinnamon, mulled wine (indeed Christmas-y), and a hint of star anise... And lots of raisins courtesy of the Port wine. Mouth (neat): heavy, thick, and rich. The same spectrum of flavours as on the nose, plus enormous amounts of dried goji berries. With water: same, plus the usual orange marmalade and sweet pepper. A bit of paprika. Finish: medium, round, smooth, and with a bit more clove. Comments: It reminds me of some of the pretty wild and adorably excessive new Australian whiskies. In any case, I find this young Macardo excellent.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Let's stay in Switzerland...

MaltAge 2019/2023 (51.5%, OB, Switzerland, vin jaune, sherry and bourbon)

A brand new malt, 100% from Geneva. The barley is grown and malted in Geneva while naturally, the rest of the process is done in the Canton, the Distillery being located in Gy. They use a small pot with a short copper column while the cask bill consists in ex- marc de vin jaune, sherry and bourbon bloodtubs. Phew, hope I haven't forgotten anything. Colour: gold. Nose: Nice! The distillate is quite pure, I suspect there's a lot of copper contact during distillation, but there are also fermentative notes that might come from that yellow wine. Green pear as well. With water: mirabelle plums and a few green nuts come through. Mouth (neat): it's good, lively, fruitier yet still fermentative, which I quite like. There are notes of wheat beer, Japanese bean paste, fermenting cherries (for making kirsch), followed by a bit of fudge that rounds everything off. With water: not much change, perhaps a bit of rather sweet white vermouth. Finish: a bit of wood and vanilla come through, but in a very elegant way. Orange juice in the aftertaste. Comments: yes, this Genevan craft whisky is very good, in a style that's quite different from that of the rather massive Thurgovian.
SGP:551 - 86 points.

There are more and more excellent Swiss whiskies; we'll be tasting even more of them soon, that's a promise. But for now...

Kinglake 'American Werewolf in Paris' (56%, OB, Australia, 2023)

Aged for 17 months in American oak then for 17 months in some Australian Tawny Port-like cask. So, that's a little less than three years if my math is good. We've tried some excellent young Kinglake from Southern Australia before (they're not far from Melbourne). As for that American werewolf, I have no ideas who that could be. Colour: deep gold. Nose: the chocolateness that we found in the Scarlett is back, the Ovaltine too, the Port is much drier than in the Marcardo – no raisins - while black olives ae starting to come through, which we love of course. Do they do bacterial? Barley vinegar? Awesome nose. With water: gets a little earthier, which happens very commonly. Mouth (neat): thicker, with more sweet Port and more spicy oak too. Pink peppers, bay leaves, perhaps one black olive again and certainly the juice from one small lemon. Some molasses. With water: excellent, sesame nougat, maple syrup, orange liqueur, honey (we won't mention manuka) and the faintest touch of candied ginger. Finish: pretty long, on some kind of spicy and honeyed chocolate. Comments: it's excellent and also quite unusual, which earns it extra points in my book. Not to mention the olives. A very nice distillate, quite thick, you can feel it through the casks.
SGP:652 - 88 points.

Since we're down there…

Morris of Rutherglen 'Smoked Muscat Barrels' (48.5%, OB, Australia, +/-2023)

Smoked muscat? The end is near! Seriously, no need to say that I'm extremely curious here and now… BTW they seem to have gathered more medals than a Russian vice-admiral. Apparently, they actually 'smoked' the barrels here by 'pushing the boundaries of experimenting with the barrel-charring process'. Oh and they're located in the north-east of the province of Victoria. Let us proceed… Colour: deep gold. Nose: pinewood, sauna oils, charcoal indeed, barbecued fruit brochettes, new wellingtons, bicycle inner tube, natural tar liqueur (pine tar)… There is some tarry/rubbery smokiness indeed, which works on the nose, but let's check the palate. Mouth: weird but extremely interesting. Pineapples, fumes, rubber, muscat indeed, curries, garam masala, cloves (sweetened Kretek cigarettes)… A pile of funny savours. Finish: the finish is a little more difficult, the burnt rubber winning it. Comments: they must have burnt something else than just gas or wood when they charred their woods. Peat? Old rubber boots? Seriously, it's a very crazy whisky. Great fun but I'm not sure I'd buy the double-magnum.
SGP:463 - 83 points.

All right, let's have one of the godfathers of Australian whisky and then call this a tasting session. Remember the Great Outback whisky? A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since...

Hellyers Road 6 yo 2016/2023 'Peated' (70.1%, OB, Australia, LMDW, cask #16315.10)

We're in Tasmania. The potency of this bottle is probably lethal. My lawyer is clued in (but since he's nearly always on a long weekend from Thursday evening to Tuesday morning, no one's actually at risk). Colour: white wine. Nose: honestly, not much going on, only matchsticks, pine needles, antifreeze, carbon paper... Well, that must be the 70%. And then they taunt us with their extra .1%! With water: do you know which other whiskies from around the world this peated Hellyers Road reminds me of? The Swedish Smögen and the French Kornog. It has the same pristine depth, or the same deep purity, depending on how you look at it. Superb lemon, sweet smoke, seaweed... Mouth (neat): peach liqueur, peat, lemon cream, black pepper, ethanol. Let's not overdo it... With water: this time it brings to mind Japan, especially Chichibu in its 'pure' expressions. Finish: long. Comments: be careful, these little ones are tricky to dilute and they can 'snap' quite quickly, that is, lose their taut side even at high strengths such as, say, 55% vol. These very high bottling strengths can be a double-edged sword; in fact, they should recommend an ideal dilution on the labels, shouldn't they? Surely they don't expect us to drink this amazing stuff at 70.01%?
SGP:556 - 89 points.