Crown Single Malt Margaux Red Wine Cask

Crown Spirits is a new Belgian bottler. The duo Robin Dendoncker and Jonas Verbeke – also managers of the Gin & Whisky Shop in the heart of Bruges – knocked on the door for their juices at the Braeckman Distillery in Oudenaarde, of which we have already tasted more goodies. Interesting. Personally, I find it a bit misleading that Belgian Single Malt is put on the label, because – although technically correct – this is not yet whisky. After all, the distillate matured for less than 3 years. That maturation happened on a red wine cask from Château Margaux. The nose immediately betrays the young age. Turnips, potato peels, peanuts and boiled beans. Doesn't sound good, but it's not too bad. Well, new make can really be dirty, right? But it does promise a lot of good for the future. The wine cask certainly gives it the hint of red fruit, although that doesn't quite pierce through yet. Despite the very high ABV, it does not burn. The arrival is sturdy though, of course. On the palate, it already offers a lot more than the nose suggested. Again very young, of course, but in addition to the 'dirty' new make-like touches, I already get a lot of flavor here. Brown bread, strawberries and some cuberdons. The finish is very spicy and lingers for a long time. I hope (and suspect) that Robin and Jonas with their 90 bottles have not bottled the entire cask and that in a few months or years a real single malt whisky will be on the market, because I enjoyed this.