Last year in September, I drove up north to Denmark to pay one of my favorite distilleries in the world another visit: Fary Lochan. At the end of my stay, I took home a souvenir from shop. I made my choice – Fary Lochan Rum Edition #02 – quick and easy. After all, it was the only full-size bottle they had available at that time, which I did not already own. Back at home, I did not wait long until I uncorked the bottle and enjoyed my first dram. Out of the bottle came a multi-layered spirit with a well-accentuated rum cask influence brought forth by a two-step maturation: After spending its initial four years in two ex-bourbon barrels, the spirit that was later to become Fary Lochan Rum Edition #02 went on to inhabit two rum casks. In there, it slept for another three-and-a-half years before the distillery folks deemed it ready for bottling on 6 February 2020. Read on to learn what kind of a dram this procedure produced … *spoiler alert* … a pretty good one!

by Tobi

Eye: White-gold in color, oily in texture.
Nose: An alluringly sweet scent streams out of the nosing glass. It is stimulating and mouth-watering with powderish aromas of confectioner’s sugar, apple puree, whipped cream, white chocolate, and clover blossom. Moreso, I get juicy sultanas, candied lemon bits, and over-baked marble cake. Plus a splash of pineapple juice poured straight outta the can.
Mouth: The first sip is sweetish – but that is not all. Some salty and some tart notes are part of the mix, too. As I let this 7-year-old Danish single malt whisky bellow from one inner cheek to the other, its overproof ABV leaves a a slight, nettle-stingy burn. The most dominant flavors include toffee crumble, cookie dough, honeydew melon, lemon zest, creme brulee, and milk chocolate larded with rum, grapes, and nuts. Above all, there is spread a pinch of finely grated salt.
Finish: Length-wise, the finish clocks in between “medium” and “ongoing”. Taste-wise, it provides burnt pastry, dark chocolate, candied ginger, spearmint-flavored gum, and crunchy peach. The rum cask’s influence – though overall more on the reduced side – is most clearly noticeable during the final stage of the degustation.

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Denmark
Age: 7 years old
Alc. volume: 55.9 per cent
Cask type: ex-Bourbon & Rum
# of bottles: 635
Bottle size: 0.5 litres
Price range: ~120.00 Euro
More info: https://farylochan.dk/ (Distillery)

*** I bought the bottle myself as a regular customer. ***