Wolfburn Aged 12 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky Review

 

One of the things that real estate professionals will tell you is that there are only three things that matter: location, location, and location. Suppose you go as far north as possible on the Scottish mainland. In that case, you’ll wind up at Thurso in the Highland region, and you’ll be staring at Wolfburn Distillery.

 

Wolfburn states it is both the first and last distillery on the mainland. If that sounds confusing, don’t worry; it was confusing to me, too.

 

Founded in 1821 by William Smith, the Wolfburn Distillery remained in the family until 1837, when it was shuttered. It was reopened by David Smith in 1852, but lasted only a year before the distillery was abandoned again. Some stories suggest someone produced whisky there in the 1860s, but it closed for good and subsequently fell into disrepair. In the 1870s, the distillery was in ruins, and nobody thought much of it.

 

“In May 2011 one of our team went to locate the site of the old Wolfburn Distillery in Thurso, Caithness. After 150 years of neglect what we found was a barely discernible pile of stones, but one thing remained from the yesteryears of Wolfburn distillery; the water. The cold clear waters that fed the mash tun and stills all those years ago were still flowing just as they always had, and if the Wolf Burn was still there then we reckoned the whisky could be too.” – Wolfburn Distillery

 

Today I’m exploring Wolfburn Aged 12 Years, which is the distillery’s flagship whisky. This Single Malt Scotch was distilled from 100% lightly-peated malted barley, and then was divided in half. The first matured in ex-Bourbon casks, the second in second-fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads. Non-chill filtered and naturally colored, it is packaged at 46% ABV (92°).

 

Before we can #DrinkCurious, I must thank ImpEx Beverages, the exclusive US-based distributor for Wolfburn, for providing me samples in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

• Whisky Type: Single Malt Scotch
• Region: Highland
• Distiller: Wolfburn Distillery
• Age: 12 years
• Mashbill: 100% lightly-peated malted barley
• Cooperage: 50% in former Bourbon casks, 50% in 2^nd fill Oloroso Sherry hogsheads
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
• Price per 700mL: $100.00
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Scotch neat. Its color was similar to that of apple juice. A bold rim created slow, thick, widely-spaced tears.

 

Nose: I allowed the whisky to acclimate for about 15 minutes before exploring the aroma, which consisted of malt, sherry, mild smoke, honey, and floral notes. When I took the air through my lips, it reminded me of baked apples.

 

Palate: Wolfburn’s mouthfeel was dense, creamy, and full-bodied. It lacked any palate shock. On the front, I tasted honey, roasted almonds, and dried apples. Once it hit my mid-palate, there was light, smoky peat, along with notes of clove and oak. The back became peppery, accompanied by sherry and caramel.

 

Finish: Caramel, sherry, pepper, smoke, oak, and dried apples melded seamlessly. Pepper and oak hung around while the others faded away slowly. It was level; the duration lasted 2:18, making it very long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: There are two points of clarification I must make. Firstly, the oak was oaky, and secondly, the peat was smoky; however, neither was dominant.

 

Taste-wise, there was much to appreciate from Wolfburn Aged 12 Years. The spice notes hit mid-palate, offering a buffer between the sweetness of the front and back. It is well-balanced, easy to drink, and flavorful.

 

Wolfburn usually makes unpeated Scotches, and declaring this its flagship expression is a fascinating choice, and one that could serve as a lovely toe-dipping experience for the peat-curious. I enjoyed it; I’m thrilled to have this in my whiskey (or, in this case, whisky) library and to crown it with my Bottle rating. 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.