Nordic Whisky #48 - Spirit of Hven Sankt Ibb

Spirit of Hven Sankt Ibb, 3 YO, 51,4 %

Today we present a single cask release from Spirit of Hven Backafallsbyn in Sweden. The Spirit of Hven Sankt Ibb was released on June 5, 2014, and sold out immediately.

The whisky was distilled in 2011, bottled in 2014, and the total outturn was 273 bottles. It was first matured in a fresh oak cask, before receiving a finish in an ex-wine cask previously used for an Italian Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot wine.

Here is what the distillery has to say about the Spirit of Hven Sankt Ibb;

Sankt Ibb, cask 11-217, is made from barley grown on the coordinates 55°91’N, 12°69’S just outside the distillery. The barley was malted in our pilot plant and the kilning was done with Chinquapin oak from old casks and locally harvested sea weed.

After 120 hours fermentation with two different yeast strains, specifically grown to embrace the fruity phenolic character, the wash was gently distilled and the heart was carefully collected. The spirit was laid to rest on a high toast, high char cask made of air dried Quercus Muehlenbergii harvested on the shores of Meramec river.

After given its initial character the spirit was transferred to a cask made from air dried Quercus Petraea harvested outside Moulin’s (Allier). This cask was previously used to enhance one of the most rewarded Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot wines from Italy.

Onwards to the tasting notes then...

Nose (22/25): Honey and spices. Dried fruits. More spices. Soft and delicate. Baked apples with cinnamon and leather. I also find a lot of medicinal notes here, and something metallic - a wet steel sword perhaps. There is a very soft, almost delicate, smokiness to it. A bit difficult to get a grasp on this one, but it is a fun challenge. There's a lot going on here, mainly in the domains of fruit and spices.

Taste (21/25): Very spicy and quite dry. Pepper, cinnamon, liquid smoke and caramel.

Finish (21/25): Warm and long finish. Quite minty and fresh. Still with some pepper and other spices, but the mint dominates. "After Eight" mint chocolate! Vademecum mouth wash and fresh oak.

Balance (21/25): The nose is very complex, and the finish surprisingly long. The very minty finish is slightly at odds with the nose, but it is a good dram.

Score (85/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas