Origin: Highlands (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon
Chillfiltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: Wolfburn Distiller
Average price: € 80.00
Official website: wolfburn.com
Tasting a whisky at home while remembering the visit to the distillery has a certain effect on me: something that lies between the seduction of memory and the charm of awareness.
Today’s dram takes me back about a couple of months ago, when I was able to visit Wolfburn, the northernmost distillery on the Scottish mainland.
The Wolfburn Latitude is an exclusive offering for Travel Retail. It is a NAS from ex-bourbon casks, bottled in its natural color and without chill-filtration, at 46%ABV. As far as I have been able to verify, it is currently not available in any online Italian stores.
Tasting Notes
The color is straw-yellow.
The olfactory experience begins with an entrance of caramelized apple and pear, leading to a veritable storm of tropical fruit, featuring a mix of banana, mango, and papaya. A hint of smoke in the background reminds me that, as the guide mentioned, of the 11 annual malt deliveries to Wolfburn, 3 are lightly peated (10ppm), while the others are not. In some offerings that are explicitly peated, the enhancement of the effect is achieved using casks from Islay (Laphroaig). Notes of pastry cream and vanilla broaden the sensory spectrum, while a slight mineral vein runs beneath the surface: although it remains somewhat underexpressed, it seems to complete the picture of the whisky’s DNA from this distillery.
On the palate, there is a confirmation of the inclination towards a very pleasant fruity sweetness, completely in line with what was perceived on the nose, even in the absence of the specific tropical notes, accompanied by a sprinkle of pepper that adds liveliness to the whole, and by perfectly integrated savory accents. An unprecedented citrus note (lemon zest) comes into play, but the real novelty is the gradually increasing intensity, though never excessive, of the smoke. The overall enticing smoothness never falters and invites you to extend the sip, leading to a medium-length finish where echoes of white-fleshed fruit and caramel are dried out by the pepper, with a subtle reverberation of smoke caressing the throat for a longer time.
Review: Thanks to the roundness of its body and a pleasant fruity dimension that includes savory notes and mineral streaks, the Latitude seems like an excellent business card for Wolfburn and a strong invitation to confidently approach the production of this small but brilliant distillery.
Vote: 87/100