Nordic Whisky #109 - Box Whisky Visitor Center Cask 2016 Batch 1
Box Whisky Visitor Center Cask 2016 Batch 1, 5 YO, 59,2 %
This summer Swedish distillery Box Whisky decided to add an extra incentive for would-be visitors. They released a new bottling only to be sold at the Visitor Center.
Since Sweden has a monopoly on spirits sale, Box cannot actually sell the whisky themselves. What you do then is go to the distillery, get an empty carton box, bring this empty carton to the nearest monopoly store (and there is only one store you can use for this), pay up and receive your actual bottle.
Naturally the Box Whisky Visitor Center Cask 2016 Batch 1 sold out very fast. This resulted in a Batch 2, which sold out even faster. Word from the distillery is that for 2017 they will increase the batch size for the next Visitor Center release.
Box Whisky Visitor Center Cask 2016 Batch 1 was matured in three 40 litre bourbon casks (2012-532, 2012-533, 2012-534). The whisky was distilled on 2011-05-26, and bottled on 2016-07-04. For the first few months it was matured in 100 litre bourbon casks that turned out to have a leak, so they had to re-cask into 40 litre casks in 2012 - hence the 2012 cask numbers .
I believe the Box Whisky Visitor Center Cask 2016 Batch 1 was sold at around SEK 800.
Normally Box Whisky release all kinds of nerdy facts about all their bottlings, but for some strange reason they have not done so for the two batches of the Visitor Center Cask release. Maybe we will see this at a later point in time.
Nose: Rich wood smoke, the green kind - like we just set fire to a copse of green pine trees in the middle of summer. Soft maltiness, vanilla, caramel, herbal tea and oaky spices. This is the most Islay-like release from Box Whisky so far - in my humble opinion.
Taste: A bit rough and fiery mouthfeel. Lots of pepper, chillies, and ashes. It's a bit chewy.
Finish: Medium long finish. The spices have dissipated by now, and we are left with a caramel - honey mix and the green herbal notes (also cut grass and hay).
Comments: A wonderful small cask release. This really shows that private casks from Box (they are all 40 litre casks) can really shine after 5 years. I am happy to say I have two casks at Box that just turned 3 YO. I will be patient!
Score (86/100)
Sláinte! - Thomas
