Nordic Whisky # 223 - High Coast Origins - Älv
High Coast Origins - Älv, 5 YO, 46 %
High Coast Distillery in Sweden recently released a range of new core expressions. The first one I’ll review is the High Coast Origins - Älv (‘älv’ is Swedish for ‘river’). The other two new releases are called Timmer (timber) and Hav (sea).
As usual I’ll just present the highlights here, and you can check out all the nerdy details on the official website:
Age: 5.94 - 7.54 years (average age: 6.43 years)
Peat: 0 ppm
Casks: All ex-bourbon casks; 11 quarter casks (130 litres) made up 31.49 % of the total, and 24 barrels (200 litre) made up the remaining 68.51 %.
Bottles: 8259 (70 cl)
You can buy the in Sweden at SEK 499 (8502101).
**UPDATE: I’ve been in contact with High Coast and have clarified the percentages for the casks used. The numbers above are now the correct ones. The High Coast website will be updated later today.
Nose: Vanilla and oak is what strikes me first. Tropical fruits. Typical bourbon cask matured whisky.
Taste: Medium body. The palate closely matches the nose - mainly vanilla and fruits. The fruits are more in the direction of apples and pears than tropical now though. Some white pepper.
Finish: Short to medium finish. Icing sugar and vanilla. Fresh, sweet and light. Mild bitterness in the back.
Comment: Easy summer drinking.
Score 83/100
Sláinte!
- Thomas
