Nordic Whisky #43 - Aass & Egge - norsk single malt

Aass & Egge - norsk single malt, 3 YO, 40 %

Aass & Egge - norsk single malt

OK, I have to start with a confession. This is not really a whisky. It is a single malt, but it is not purely made from barley, yeast and water. It contains hops. In fact this is a Eau de vie de biére, Two old and distinguished Norwegian producers are behind this creation, which was launched in 2012. The oldest active brewery in Norway, Aass Bryggeri - established in 1834, made a batch of beer for this project. The beer made the base for the spirit distilled by Egge Gård, a farmyard producer with roots back to 1702. Egge Gård today make a lot of cider and apple based products.

This product was launched in 2012, with a limited run of 3000 bottles. It has been matured in Oak barrels and Sherry casks - no further specification is given.

So, if you can forgive me for reviewing a non-whisky in my Nordic Whisky series, we can get on with it...

Nose (21/25): Sweet and malty nose. It is surprisingly rich. Mentholatum, camphor, apples and oak. Straight off it reminds me a bit of Mackmyra Ægirs Bior, the lovely beer cask finished creation from Mackmyra, although this Norwegian effort does not quite reach the same levels on the nose. In fact, give it more time and I also detect some alcohol and a faint trace of gasoline fumes. Still quite nice!

Taste (19/25): Apples, a bit like a young Calvados. Caramel, white pepper, soft oak and some alcohol.

Finish (18/25): Medium to short finish. Sugary, dry and slightly metallic. It still remains a little raw, and there's some alcohol here as well.

Balance (19/25): A decent effort. It's always fun to come across unusual products like this. I think this should have been left in the casks for another year or two, and then been bottled at 46 %. Maybe next batch?

Score (77/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas