Nordic Whisky #261 - Bivrost Nidavellir Arctic Single Malt Whisky
Bivrost Nidavellir Arctic Single Malt Whisky, 3 YO, 46 %
This is the second release from Arctic distillery Aurora Spirit. Nidavellir is the name of one of the nine worlds of Norse mythology.
Here are the product details for Bivrost Nidavellir Arctic Single Malt Whisky:
YEAST: Brewers yeast. Saccharomyces pastorianus, Lager yeast.
MALT: Pilsener Malt, made from Planet and Popino Nordic barley.
WATER: Water sourced from Elvejordvannet, which receives melted glacier water from the Lyngen alpine range.
DISTILLED: Distilled 3 times in our copper pot/column still. Average distillation time 8 – 10 hours, average strength heart collected of undiluted new make is around ~75% ABV.
CASK HANDLING: The casks used for finishing the Nidavellir are French Oak casks (European Oak) which were initially used by a winery in New Zealand to mature their Pinot Noir. The wine spent 12 months maturing in these new oak casks. 100 of these casks were then purchased by an Islay distillery for a limited edition, they were charred and scored inside to release more flavours. Aurora Spirit purchased 6 of these casks to use as finishing casks for Nidavellir. Our 3 YO spirit matured in 125 litre and 200 litre bourbon casks was transferred into these Islay casks in May 2020 for the final 5 to 6 months maturation.
The Bivrost Nidavellir Arctic Single Malt Whisky goes on sale in Norway tomorrow at NOK 700 (12409502).
Nose: Sweet and malty. Notes of sweet dessert wine. Pepper, honey and mustard seeds. With time I pick up dried fruits as well as more spices - like nutmeg and cloves. There is a slight edge of something bitter-ish or softly funky skulking around in the background - not at all unpleasant, mind you.
Taste: Medium to thin body. Medium sweetness as well. Apples and pears with a sprinkling of icing sugar and black pepper corns. Wet oak planks. Hints of ginger.
Finish: Short to medium finish. A fine balance between fruity sweetness and oaky spices on the finish. A soft burst of black pepper, ginger and basil in the end.
Comment: Another fine youngster from Aurora Spirits. It feels more fruity and balanced, especially on the palate, than the previous release - Niflheim.
Score 84/100
Sláinte!
-Thomas
