Eaglesburn 3 Year Old 2017 Wedding Dram

How great must it be to have a brother that makes whisky? And then when you get married, you get your own whisky as wedding gift (well, not quite – the spirit went into the cask on the wedding day). Afterwards, Bart Joosten – the owner of the Dutch distillery Eaglesburn, had only 17 bottles of 20cl left. Those were presented at tastings or handed out to friend. So I did a little #happydance when I was presented with this bottle.

The small cask ensured that the spirit got a beautiful aroma in just three years’ time: orange peel and caramel, some candy-like notes like acid candy and Haribo bears with some feisty spices from the wood. Touches of speculaas (a typical dutch treat) and wood shavings. I quite like this.

It tingles on the palate and the alcohol makes itself felt. Nicely picquant on cloves and saffron with even a hint of green garden herbs. Salted caramel, peppernuts (another typical Dutch treat), aniseed, orange marmalade and dark honey. Nicely creamy, by the way. Mouth coating and very tasty.

It sticks to the palate during the long, warm, sweet & sour finish.

The funny thing about this whisky is that it’s like a three-stage-rocket. Nose, palate and finish are quite different and make for an interesting young malt. I’ve said it before: Eaglesburn makes some very good stuff – one of the reasons Manny and I turned to them for our Interludium rum last summer – and this one falls into that category. You’d get married for less.