Wolfburn Northland

Rating: 9/23 So the Wolfburn Aurora wasn't very good. I don't have high hopes here, but let's give it a shot. N: I get some smoke, but not really peat. It has a light scent with a dry wood character that reminds me a bit of mesquite and barbecue, sort of like Corsair Wildfire. There's a bit of hay coming through and there's a hint of sweetness coming off of the mesquite that I briefly imagined to be barbecue sauce, but honestly that was probably just a metal association. There's a bitter herbal smell that carries a bit of mint with it too. This is a lot of effort to describe a light nose that gives me a bit of a knock-off Corsair Wildfire barbecue vibe though. It isn't bad, but it's far from enticing. P: Wow, that palate has more flavor than I expected. And it's sweeter too! I immediately get a hit of smoke and it comes with some peat too. There's kind of an apple flavor along with a hint of orange juice and a hint of meatiness, and also some light mesquite, giving it a real barbecue vibe. It's kind of fun, but whereas I kind of give Corsair a pass for its quirky barbecue flavor because it's a quirky distillery located down South - the home of barbecue - I have trouble with this flavor in a scotch. There are some minerals in here as well that make it especially light. I think it's a bit less harsh than the Wolfburn Aurora is, but it is still somewhat harsh and I do get that alcohol flavor. The palate isn't bad, but it certainly isn't good. Its quirkiness is also trying. F: The smoke remains and hints of fruit occasionally waft by. It still reminds me of mesquite and therefore makes me think of barbecue. The finish isn't that great, but it's possibly my favorite part because of how it all fades into barbecue. No minerals or barley to worry about; just a nice smoky finish. So this is surprising because of how weird it is. I'm pretty sure I'd take it over the Aurora most days, but that isn't exactly a high bar. This is one of those rare cases where the quirkiness doesn't win extra bonus points from me. It's been done before, it's been done better, and it doesn't fit in here. Going back to my current cheap scotch benchmark of Sir Edward's 12, how does this compare? Well, I like the core flavor of Sir Edward's a bit better, but the smokiness in the finish here is quite nice and there isn't that oiliness or any other weird flavors. This is definitely harsher though. I'm inclined to put this just a hair below Sir Edward's 12, which I think makes it a high 8 to low 10. So I'm going with 9. This vaguely reminds me of Corsair Wildfire mixed with Springbank 10, but it's somehow nowhere near as good as either. I'm really just citing Springbank here for the lightness and hay though. SBS, Springbank 10 is divine, with tremendous complexity and maturity, whereas this is thoroughly uninspiring. Similarly, Corsair Wildfire is spiced, funky, and rich in a way that makes me want to drink a glass by a toasty fire in my bathrobe on Christmas, while this is light and bland. I think a 9 is probably earned here, but that's as high as I'm willing to go. Ah, and now I read that Wolfburn only started bottling again in 2016. So this is young stuff, but they've demonstrated that they know how to deal with incredible youth. It's no Port Charlotte 10, but it isn't 10 years old either. I wouldn't buy a bottle now, but I look forward to trying it again when they release a 10 or 12 year. Weirdly, the Distiller tasting notes in no way describe the dram I tried. I'm sure I've disagreed more strongly in the past, but I'm really surprised by how normal it's described here. I would not describe this dram as normal.

It’s 2020. It’s December. Let’s shut this year down with a brand new whiskey (or whisky) every day. It’s my own personal whiskey advent calendar. +6! Dec. 14, 2020 I’m moderately alarmed by my lack of knowledge about my own whiskey collection. The other day, I learned Monkey Shoulder wasn’t a bourbon. Apparently, I also have a Flaviar sample kit? I don’t know much about Flaviar, but my initial impression based on what I just saw online is that it’s a way to charge absurdly too much for anything worth three-sixths of a damn and fair prices for all the stuff nobody wants. This effect seems amplified within their sample kits. Enter Wolfburn. This is frighteningly clear. I can’t recall the last time I saw a whisky look like this. I swear I’ve seen yellower white dog. Nose is caramel, sugar, and cigar smoke. Overall unpleasant nose. Body is intense. Jalapeño, smoke, cream. Possibly some chocolate. It’s interesting, but I can’t call it pleasant. Finish is spicy, acidic. Liquid hot sauce. It turns your stomach. I think I just developed GIRD. After you recover, there’s a decent peat runoff (decent duration, not intensity). The last 2 seconds of this drink are the best. But then you don’t want to go back. I’m relatively new to scotch, so with all the appropriate caveats and humility I assert: this is not great. If I’m way off, please let me know. I have a drop or two left in the vial, but unless there’s something major that I’m missing, I’m pouring it out. This reminds me a lot of that Dickel Tobasco nonsense: it’s interesting on paper, and introducing an acidic hot sauce note does foster some mildly interesting interaction with other notes. However, I can’t say that it’s enjoyable, and I want nothing to do with it. ‘Tis the season. I’m day-to-day on my whiskey selection, so if you’re reading this and there’s something readily available out there you’d like me to enjoy/suffer through this holiday season, leave it in the comments. Merry whiskey to all, and to all a beer flight!

Upon first tasting, I was very underwhelmed by this whisky and thought I had wasted my money on a pick that will sit on my shelf for a long time. All I got was heavy alcohol burn and very little else, as bad as any young whisky I've had. I re-visited a week after the initial opening and was pleasantly surprised that either my palate was off that day or the bottle changed completely. It was still an obviously young whisky but it now presented with green apple, oak, and a little smoke in a nice balanced way; a drop of water or a cube almost completely cut the alcohol burn. I don't think it's quite where it needs to be as it's still a young one but it shows great potential for future bottles from this distillery and as it stands is very drinkable.

Wolfburn Northland 46%  Natural Color, Non Chill Filtered Smelling this one really makes me think of a young Talisker….which is a really good thing.   Pepper, Vanilla, Spice, Soft Peat, Slightly vegetal.  Really nice   Taste is full of Pepper, Spice, Citrus Rind, Soft Peat Smoke.   The Finish is more of the lingering peat smoke and orange carrying it out.   Overall I really like this. If you are looking to try something different and get a good craft presentation I strongly suggest you give this a try.  I am looking forward to what Wolfburn produces in the future.  In fact I am looking forward to trying their current releases that I haven’t been able to get my hands on. Overall Grade: B  

I really like this a lot. It is young, but the youth adds to the quality of the whisky versus detracting from it. It has all the flavors that I love from Kilchoman turned down and brings in some nice sweetness to balance it. It's like they made Highland Park Magnus the way it was intended. I will definitely look for more of their stuff in the future. Nose:Sweet, citrus,mild ethanol, youth notes, coastal notes (like Bunnahabhain 12), cereal grain, apple, burning leaves Palate:Peat (Kilchoman style), very light brine, honey nut cheerios, dried apricots, funky earthiness Finish: Medium, but there is a slight return of the ash Mouthfeel: Medium thickness, but lingers, slightly astringent

A delicate, Single Malt Scotch Whisky by Shane Fraser for Wolfburn Distillery in Highlands, Scotland made using a long fermentation, slow manual distillation & 46% of maturation taking place in quarter casks that previously held peated whisky from Islay, It has a rich & clean birth with notes of Autumn orchard fruits, apple pie, a fresh maltiness, almonds, magnolia, peat smoke & nuts; while a smooth & balanced life adds notes of Honey Nut Clusters breakfast cereal, sweet spices, chocolate croissant, honey, vanilla & earthy peatiness; that led to a long & delicate death with notes of honey, malt & chocolate. May / September 2019 / February / May 2020 / August 2022