Flóki Young Malt Sheep Dung Smoked Reserve

“ damnit, which one of you clogged the toilet?” I just passed by my kids’ bathroom, and it smelled as if they didn’t flush. They both proclaimed their innocence. “ you two then need more fruit in your diet, your bathroom smells like a barnyard”. Both are giving me a puzzled look, while eating a bowl of blueberries. Oh wait. It’s not them. I just realized it might be me. So: it’s been an year since I’ve traveled anywhere. The last trip I took was Iceland. It was 13 days of amazing scenery, and the last day before heading out to the airport was a stop at Elmverk distillery—-the only distillery in Iceland. I tried a few samples there, had a tour...and like, everything else in Iceland, I loved it. Of course, the presence of being there and on vacation going through some of Earth’s most magnificent vistas added to the experience. Granted the distillery is in a suburb of Reykjavik, and not much to look at, but the previous 13 days around Ring Road were still ingrained in my mind. Last night, I opened up my sample vial ( not purchased from the distillery, but from another EU retailer ). These are single cask...so your mileage varies. I was just missing our annual vacation—-and recollected Iceland...so, decided to have a pour of this. I’m staring at the label, thinking of the waterfall’s power and beauty in Godafoss. And the eerie icebergs at Jokulsarlon. The sight of blue whales, one of our planet’s most magnificent creatures, off the coast of Akurekyi. Unfortunately the closest I can come to a vacation is from the experience and memories of having this sample tonight. So, this single malt is unique in the sense that it’s dried with sheep dung, not peat. Sheep outnumber humans in Iceland, so it’s no surprise to see this. At the distillery, I recollected not loving this, but it was decent enough, and unique. I probably added a point or so just from the experience. But this evening...not so much. Maybe my sample was tainted. Maybe it came from a bad barrel. Maybe the one piece of ice I added changed the flavor ( I’m guessing this was it). But the flavor was atrocious. I couldn’t get past the farmyard aroma and wet grass. It really felt as if I’m standing in a pasture, not in a romanticized way, but in a reality check way—-just having stepped in dung, and smelling wet sheep wool. You see, there’s two types of pastures. One type is the Bollywood / Hollywood type. The guy standing in a field of yellow daisies, with his girlfriend or wife in hand. The other type is the one where you constantly look down avoiding sheep and horse shit, your shoes all wet from muddy grass -dung mixture. The first type is for the lucky drinkers that open up a bottle of Brora. The second type is what I’ll be going through this evening. I think the ice I added changed the flavor profile. I recall having a pour of this at the distillery ( even bought a bottle), and it was very different. No ice first of all. It was more earthy and rough in a good way. It was good enough to purchase a bottle. But this sample....this sample wasn’t any where close to that...and possibly ruined by ice. A minute after opening it and adding the ice, the aroma was pungent. Taste was simply too acrid and sharp, but more importantly, just couldn’t get past the aroma. I couldn’t finish it. Instead relegated myself to hot chocolate while watching Netflix. And also relieved I won’t be needing a plunger to unclog toilets.

Very peculiar. Definitely sheepy on approach - it smells like lanolin! Strong notes of gloss paint on a proper nosing. Salt lick? Plenty of farmyard character to accompany the story of this sheep dung-dried malt. The whisky is young and thin - top notes of grain like vodka. But its soft, gentle, and grows on the palate. It develops to salty licorice and aniseed, with a finish reminscent of furniture polish. Its not unpleasant, but its different - not particularly whisky like.

Evokes: sitting on a hay bale, under a birch tree, watching the rain drop from the branches. I was quite scared to try this after seeing the reviews, but we bought it at duty free in Reykjavik, so I had to give it a go, one way or another. Honestly pleasantly surprised. It’s incredibly soft - no burn, which I usually hate- and while it does taste of wet alfalfa hay, I get a lot of birch tree, sweetness, with a sort of clove/nutmeg spice on the end.

A friend of a friend brought this home from Iceland. Smells and tastes like wet grass that’s been sitting in a trash can for a week in the hot summer sun. On the front of the palate the malt is not bad, but then comes the funky wet barnyard grass. It’s certainly distinct and somewhat interesting, and not as completely unpleasant as it sounds, but you’re definitely not asking for a refill.

It tastes a bit like cleaning out a rabbit hutch. Wet timothy hay. I also get birch wood. Very sweet, which is a little odd opposed to the hay taste. Very smooth / soft without much burn. A bit of a spicy aftertaste. Not sure I would ever reach for it, aside as an interesting statement piece.

Aroma of corn, dead leaves, Port-o-Potty, livestock, earth, and fish. It tastes the same, but predominantly of livestock, old fish, wood, poop (this is a guess, since admittedly I’ve never tried it) and a hint of something sweet. I’m glad I tried it, but not for me.