Nordic Whisky #274 - High Coast Silent Mills Collection 03 Svanö

High Coast Silent Mills Collection 03 Svanö, 6 YO, 51 %

We have now come to the third release in the Silent Mills Collection from Swedish distillery High Coast (the distillery formerly known as Box Whisky).

The High Coast Silent Mills Collection 03 Svanö is, as with the previous two releases in the series, a heavily peated whisky based on the core range product High Coast Origins - Timmer (see review). For all the silent mills releases they have added one additional oak type thoughm and in this case it is Swedish oak.

Here are the key facts:

• Age: 6.42 - 9.04 (average: 8.38)

• Peat level: ~ 40+ ppm

• Casks used: 100 % of the whisky initially matured in bourbon barrels. 18 % then matured most of it’s time in Swedish oak casks. 91.1 % of the whisky is made using malt peated to 40-46 ppm.

• Number of bottles: 6674, and 3600 of these released at Systembolaget in Sweden (all 50 cl)

The High Coast Silent Mills Collection 03 Svanö goes on sale in Sweden on April 13 at SEK 799 (4089102).

Nose: Vanilla, toasted oak and orange zest. Not all that peaty on the nose really. Orchard fruits with time. With further time almost creamy in character. Lemon drops and and ginger. With further time the vaguest hints of sweet oakiness - that Swedish oak influence..

Taste: Cool and full bodied. Vanilla ice cream, marshmallows and tinned pears. Hints of tropical fruits as well. More peaty and smoky on the palate than the nose. It’s wood smoke of the light and fruity kind, as well as sugary soot.

Finish: Medium long finish. Mush the same really, but it gets more fruity and less peaty. Citrus and banana also now. Softly green in the end.

Comment: Can they do no wrong at High Coast? Enjoy; another very fine dram!

Score 88/100

Sláinte!
-Thomas