Nordic Whisky #267 - High Coast Alba
High Coast Alba, 8 YO, 53 %
The High Coast Alba is a brand new release from the wizards of the High Coast in Sweden. This whisky will be released for sale on February 9.
The name is a dead give away here, the focus is on Quercus Alba, American white oak. 76 % of the whisky has been matured in virgin American oak casks for the full 8.3 years. The remaining 24 % has been matured in 1st fill bourbon barrels.
It is all peaty whisky in the mix this time around, so I am assuming a peat level of around 45 ppm.
A total of 3600 bottles (50 cl) out of a total of 5044 will find their way to Systembolaget and sell for SEK 799 (40887).
Nose: A bit shy at first, but opens up beautifully with a time in the glass. Fluffy clouds of roasted marshmallows with a gentle rain of caramel sauce. White pepper. Toasted oak and roasted coconut.
Taste: Rich, full bodied and big on peat. White pepper, hot ashes, ginger, soot and creamy vanilla. Quite aggressive, but in a good way.
Finish: Medium long finish. Fizzy and tongue numbing. Towards the end the spices and peat give way to lighter notes of fruit and berries. Apple, mango, strawberry, coconut and hints of ripe banana.
Comment: Passive aggressive peat love.
Score 87/100
Sláinte!
-Thomas
