Nordic Whisky #257 - High Coast Silent Mills Collection 02 Sandö

High Coast Silent Mills Collection 02 Sandö, 6 YO, 51 %

Time to visit High Coast Distillery, way up in the North og Sweden. This is the second release in their new Silent Mills Collection series. The series is both a tribute to old mills in the High Coast area, as well as creative riffs on their core range product High Coast Origins - Timmer. Where the heavily peated Timmer uses only ex-bourbon casks the Silent Mills will all have a portion of other cask types, and be released at 51 % ABV rather than 48 %.

The Silent Mills Collection 01 Marieberg was composed with a portion of virgin American oak casks. The High Coast Silent Mills Collection 02 Sandö is composed of 80 % bourbon barrels and 20 % oloroso sherry hogsheads (250 litre). It is heavily peated at 44-45 ppm, and the release is limited to 10318 (50 cl) bottles.

You can buy the High Coast Silent Mills Collection 02 Sandö in Sweden at SEK 799 (4082202). It was released for sale on October 13, 2020.

UPDATE 2021-06-15: This whisky is now also available in Norway at NOK 1100 (13215902).

Nose: Oooh, what delicate, sweet and smoky aromas! This is why I love High Coast Distillery. Perfectly balanced. Harmonious. Rich wood smoke, light citrus notes, vanilla and a rich malty base. With time more tropical fruits - banana and pineapple. I also detect dried fruits from the oloroso sherry casks - sherry soaked raisins and dates. Rich chocolate notes after a while. Hints of mint. With time it turns richer, deeper, darker and warmer. Delightful!

Taste: Filled to the brim with body, sassyness and flavours. Summer fruits cloaked by peaty, malty, fluffy clouds. The peat is somewhat fiery - just like the Silent Mills 01 - but it does not overwhelm. It has purpose and meaning.

Finish: Medium long finish. More fruity now. Notes of ripe apples coming through. Mild spiciness as well as a still rather weighty peatiness. Green hints of mint in the background.

Comment: Goody, peaty, gumdrops! It hits all the right notes!

Score 90/100

Sláinte!
-Thomas