Origin: Yorkshire (England)
Type: English Single Malt Whisky
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-IPA
Chillfiltered: No
Added coloring: No
Owner: Spirit of Yorkshire
Average price: € 90.00
Official website: www.spiritofyorkshire.com
Vote: 87/100
At the latest whisky event in Florence, one of the most popular drams at the stand of the Italian distributor, Cuzziol Craft, was Filey Bay IPA Finish. And we join the general consensus.
But it is well known that at these events opinions on tastings should be taken with a grain of salt, because they are conditioned by many factors, not least the considerable number of cl guzzled for fear of missing out on something unrepeatable. So enthusiasms, like disappointments, should, if possible, be pondered, and whiskies reassessed at home, calmly, all the more so if one has the shy ambition to write something about them.
As in this case.
Filey Bay, it may be worth remembering since it has been missing from the blog for some time, is the distillate of the English Spirit of Yorkshire. In this case, after initial maturation in ex-bourbon first fill casks, it was matured in ex-Scarborough Fair IPA casks before being bottled at 46% in its natural colour and without chillfiltration.
Tasting notes
The colour is light gold.
On the nose, the first impression is floral (wisteria and cyclamen), with a fruity following of Williams pear and Granny Smith apple peel. Nutmeg leads the spice brigade along with marjoram and rosemary, while a hint of walnut shifts the aromatic palette in the direction of nuts for a moment. But the most intense, and very pleasant, scent is undoubtedly that of blackberry gumdrop.
On the palate, the Williams pear is matched, this time, by yellow apple flesh, while a polished light woody note is accompanied by a spicy white pepper lunge. Here, too, blackberry gumdrops take centre stage, while an unusual strawberry Yankee Candle note looms in the background.
The finish is decidedly longer than expected: spicy (pepper), with nuts and a berry juice propelling one to the next sip.
The non-trivial influence of the former IPA casks is well managed and gives the distillate an added smoothness. The result is a mouth-watering, captivating, easy-drinking whisky whose bottle, for this reason, is likely to be short-lived. Lovers of tar, seaweed, burnt tyres, full-blown peat and booze bombs abstain, of course. For everyone else, a delight to try for sure.