At this time tomorrow, the new year 2025 will already be upon us. So today, I’m ushering out the old year with a review for a special bottling from one of my absolute favorite distilleries, namely Fary Lochan from Danmark. The drop in question: their recently released Nettle Smoke #01. In a way, this 11-year-old single cask whisky embodies everything that the Jutland-based production site is famous for:

It’s craft-distilled on Fary Lochan’s minute Forsyths stills (that are famous for giving birth to an extra heavy and oily spirit). It’s considerably well-aged (especially for a product from continental Europe). It’s ripened in a top-class 1st fill ex-Bourbon barrel (which strongly accentuates and highlights the spirit’s unique character). It’s bottled at an elevated strength of 51.5 per cent ABV (confidently balancing the thin line between being accessible and being challenging). And it’s made from barley dried with the help of nettle smoke (a technique applied by no other distillery in the world).

In combination, these factors all contribute to the creation of a truly sublime Danish single malt whisky that I simply cannot get enough of: I already had some nice drams of Nettle Smoke #01 over the Christmas days, and I surely will pour me another glass or two of it tonight for New Year’s Eve. Skål!

by Tobi

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Eye: Sunny and golden.
Nose: A rush of sweetness comes first, filling the nostrils with forest honey, butter cookies, and blossoming clover. Shaved wood and toasted crops are also part of the mix. As is a richness of  icing sugar-covered fruits, many of which are of exotic nature: tangerines, grapes, pears, and yellow plums. The nettle smoke adds a green layer to this composition. And just a hint of darkness, too.
Mouth: When the oily spirit fills the mouth, we are again up for a honey-sweet start. Quickly, more flavors join in. Most prominently: almond paste, sponge cake, eggnog, and crisp grain. Plus whipped cream and mango puree. The overproof ABV tansports lots of flavor and character; yet it remains gentle to the taste buds, providing a well-rounded and tongue-pleasing tasting experience.
Finish: At this stage, the nettle smoke buckles up. It adds a grey quality to the otherwise bright, sweet, and juicy whisky – as if a thin blanket of ash would rain down on a plate full of pastry, cream, and fruit. Not only is this sensation highly satisfying, but also does it last long.

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Type: Single Malt Whisky
Region: Denmark
Age: 11 years old
Alc. volume: 51.5 per cent
Cask type: 1st fill ex-Bourbon barrel
# of bottles: 290
Bottle size: 0.5 litres
Price: ~130.00 Euro
More info: https://farylochan.dk/ (Distillery)

*** I got the bottle for free from Fary Lochan. Thank you. ***