Bruges Whisky Company Ryggia Inaugural Release

Nose: Red fruits, berries, raisins, orange peel, nuts (almonds?) and chocolate. Tobacco and salmiak aromas show up after a while, but they are subdued. Palate: The cask is evident right at the arrival with hefty oak flavours present. Tobacco, leather, rancio, Jamaican rum (!), molasses, gingerbread, apricot, clove, nutmeg. The texture is full but not oily. Finish: Medium/long. Spicy, sweet, dark fruits trailing off into soft tannins. An interesting whisky that I almost neglected to review. I came across this by chance last Christmas when we were in Bruges and a specialist spirits shop had it on display. I’d never heard of Belgian whisky before so naturally I dove into the shop and asked for a taste, which the owner was delighted to provide. Sadly, they had no water available (this is cask strength) and only little paper cups for tasting. Oh, dear lord … how plebian. Anyway, this was the inaugural release from the producers, following a few “in process” bottlings. It’s a well-textured, full-bodied malt that has more than just a little in common with some hot-climate whiskies I’ve tasted, such as Paul John and any number from Australia and Texas. How bizarre is that for a Belgian product. Maybe they are using those amazing Belgian beers for wash? More likely it is due to the rather frantic maturation in a combination of maple syrup, red wine, cognac and moscatel casks. Holy moley, it sounds like something Starward would try! Good stuff, I would have bought a bottle but regardless of its high quality and novelty interest it was overpriced for me. “Above Average” : 82/100 (3.25 stars)