One
of my favorite things about being a whiskey reviewer is the opportunities to
taste whiskies so far off the radar that it feels like I’m wandering through
virgin territory. Today’s review of Hinrichsen’s
Farm Distillery Distillers Cut No. 3 (2024) fits
the bill.
What’s
that? You’ve never heard of Hinrichsen’s Farm Distillery? Fear not – this is an
extremely small operation out of Dunsum on Island Föhr, part of Germany. They’re
considered Frisians and don’t speak German; their language is Frisian,
recognized as a regional language in The Netherlands and Germany. The Romans
coined the name Frisian in about 12 BCE. Today, there is a divide between the
Western (Dutch) and East and North (German); the Dutch do not identify as part
of the Frisian people.
The
Klein Dunsum farm was founded in 1630. For several generations, the family
raised cattle and pigs and grew various crops, including barley, rye, peas,
beans, and clover. In 1860, Cornelius
Hinrichsen emigrated to America seeking employment
as a tree cutter. Some clan members followed, but none seemed happy in their
newfound circumstances.
One
of his sons, Robert, lived in Florida and eventually returned to Klein
Dunsam to work the farm. A grandson, Harry, founded a Bronx deli in 1928. His logo
made its way back to the farm on Island Föhr. Harry’s son, Robert,
permanently relocated to Dunsum in 1959.
Today,
three generations of Hinrichsens are running the family farm – and the
distillery on it. The father-son distilling team is made up of Jan Robert and
Jonas. The whole family kicks in; Marret
(Jan Robert’s wife) runs the farm restaurant and café. Kerrin
(Jan Robert’s mother) links the farm and distillery. Lina, their elder
daughter, helps with the paperwork and conducting the tours and tastings, while
Anna-Mia, their younger, handles social media.
The
Hinrichsens produce a Single Estate Whisky, which they call a Single Farm
Whisky. Everything from plowing the fields and growing the grain to malting
the barley, distillation, and warehousing takes place on the farm.
The
Hinrichsens are 100% organic farmers. They malt the barley between five and
seven days before allowing it to dry. Föhrer groundwater is used, and its
four-day fermentation process is longer than the industry average. The
Hinrichsens utilize a copper pot still manufactured by Müller.
Now
that you have the backstory, we can explore the 2024 release of Distillers Cut.
“Every year in January, when the island and our farm are still at rest, Jan and Jonas select the best American white oak barrels from our barrel store in the old hayloft […] In addition to the American white oak, we select a special cask that makes the Distillers Cut a unique experience […] The Distillers Cut is a blend between the past year, which we fondly remember when tasting it, and the new year, filled with motivation and anticipation for what lies ahead.” - Hinrichsen’s Farm Distillery
This
release is 100% family-grown malted barley aged in new, medium-toasted American
oak. The special cask(s) mentioned above previously contained Vermouth
and Pedro Ximénez sherry. It has no age statement and has a suggested price of
€140, which, at the time I am writing this review, translates to about $144.00
for 500ml. There are 3139 bottles available worldwide. It is legally classified
as a German Single Malt Whisky.
So,
I’ve talked a lot about a lot. How’s the whisky taste? To answer that, we have
to #DrinkCurious. But first, I must thank Hinrichsen’s Farm Distillery for
providing me with this sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest
review.
Appearance: I
poured this Frisian whisky into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. It looked like
liquid caramel. It appeared dense (we’ll see how the mouthfeel is
momentarily). A medium rim dropped a curtain followed by thick, tightly-spaced
tears.
Nose: The
aroma included notes of figs, ripe plums, honeysuckle, candied ginger, molasses,
and muted oak. Drawing the air through my lips offered a taste of root beer.
Palate: I
encountered a silky mouthfeel. It was not as thick as it looked in the glass. Flavors
of honey, candied ginger, and plums were in full command of the front of my
palate. My mid-palate found fennel, dry leather, and molasses. I discovered
toasted oak, white pepper, and caramel on the back.
Finish: Black
pepper, white pepper, French oak, fennel, candied ginger, honey, molasses, and dry
leather formed a long-lasting finish. The duration ran 2:06. The back of the
roof of my mouth tingled.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: This is
the first German Single Malt that I’ve had, and as such, I have nothing to
compare it via taste and quality, and due to that, providing a value statement would
be a guess. But I can rate it based on my sipping experience.
If you’ve followed me for some
time, you know that herbal tastes of fennel, anise, and black licorice are some
of my least favorite things to have in my mouth. However, the fennel in Distillers Cut is complimentary; that happens
occasionally.
I
really, really enjoyed this whisky, and it got better with each subsequent sip.
Moreover, it is far different from any whisky I’ve tasted. Hinrichsen Frisian
Single Farm Double Cut is something to be experienced. I just wish it came in a
700 or 750ml rather than only 500. Regardless, if you see this on a store shelf
by some miracle, bite the bullet and grab a Bottle. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy-to-Understand
Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit
but begs you to do so responsibly.
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