I have taste quite a few whiskies from Box Distillery in Sweden. Their whiskies are still young, but they are usually very rich and complex and does not appear as young as they are.
A friend gave me a huge sample of Box The Festival 2016. This gave me the chance to really dive in to it – not drinking all at the same time 😉
The distillery share all the details about the Festival 2016 on their web page (in Swedish), my translation:
100 percent unpeated whisky first matured in 200 l bourbon casks for 4,59 years before it is given i finish for approximately 7 months in 40 l casks made of new Swedish oak caks which are heavily toasted.
It smells like ginger beer matured in oak casks! Very oaky. Fizzy. Orange zest and a lot of spices. I get cardamom and nutmeg in particular. Caramel and overripe plums. Sherry notes on palate. Sweet, peaty and spicy. Quite a punch in your face! Dry and spicy on the finish. Cardamom and nutmeg here as well. Warm.
I almost never drink my whisky with water added. Since this one was massive, I put some water in. The water did not improve it. I thought it might become more smooth, but instead the oak and the peat became more prominent.
My score (without water added): nose 21 / taste 22 / finish 21 / balance 21 = 85
Thanks, Thomas!
Image from Box Whisky.
– Tone
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