Just Landed: Smögen Single Cask 56/2011 - Rum Finish

We have just received a small allocation from Smögen Single Cask 56/2011, their Single Cask Edition No.6.. Initially matured in a first fill Bourbon barrel, this whisky was then finished in Port Mourant (Guyana) Rum cask for four and a half months. Distiller/Proprietor Pär Caldenby describes this cask thus:

Nose: Despite the strength of 62.4%, it comes on as welcoming, through intense; very gristy malt notes, soft peaty tones and Demerara sugar. 

Palate: Intense but not biting; creamy chocolate, orange rinds, shortbread, all dipped in leathery, tarry peat oils. 

Finish: Going more vegetal and drier, but still on (now more husky) malty notes, fruity sugar and increasingly tarry peat notes, developing into salty liquorice. Very long! 

Comments: This dram really likes water, though it can be sipped neat (goes very well with dark chocolate). The rum cask makes its presences felt, but with a good balance, as the rum in the cask was as heavy as our whisky is, so a good match, for a dram with a big impact. 

Slightly confusingly whilst the Systembolaget have released Single Cask 57/2011 Single Cask Edition No.7 (which sadly did not yield enough bottles for the UK), they are going to wait until April to release Single Cask 56/2011, Single Cask Edition No.6, so for once we have a Smögen release on sale in the UK, before it appears in Sweden. Amongst others try Hedonism Wines and Shop4Whisky. Cheers!

Smögen Single Cask 56/2011 Edition No.6

Langatun triumphs in the Wizards of World Whisky Awards

Langatun has picked up three Gold Medals and been named Alpine Distiller of the Year in the Wizards of World Whisky Awards. The Gold Medals were awarded to the Langatun Jacob’s Dram, Old Bear Cask Strength and Old Woodpecker editions, with the Old Bear Cask Strength also being named Alpine Whisky of the Year.

Commenting on the success, Christoph Nyfeler, Joint Owner, said 'I'm always very honoured to receive such acknowledgement as a small Swiss Whisky producer. Specially when it comes from the motherland of whisky and when we are compared to the best producers around the globe.' 

The Wizards of World Whisky, now in their sixth year, are organised by whisky author and commentator Dominic Roskrow, who noted that the Alpine region is ‘now producing some of the most exciting whiskies in the world’. 

Whilst the Langatun Old Woodpecker is not yet available in the UK, a selection of Langatun bottlings, including 'Alpine Whisky of the Year' Langatun Old Bear Cask Strength are available from Gauntleys of Nottingham, Master of Malt,  Nickolls and Perks, Shop4Whisky and The Whisky Exchange, amongst others. 

Three Golds for Langatun in the Wizards of World Whisky Awards