English Whisky 11 Year Old 2007 North Star Spirits

Iain Croucher recenlty launched his 9th series of single casks under the North Star Spirits label. This, however, is a rather special one as it’s from the St George Distillery and thus an English whisky. Moverover, this young malt matured on a red wine cask from Burgundy. I confess, I do not have that much experience with this distillery, this is only my third, after the official Chapter 6 in 2010 and Chapter 9 in 2014. Let’s find out what type of cask Iain deemed worthy. Judging by the color, it was certainly a very active cask.

OMG… what is this? For a second, it reminds me of the Caol Ila Distillery Exclusive 2017, I kid you not! This is clearly the peaty malt from the English Whisky Company, and the red wine casks added lovely notes of red fruit and wet earth. Some vase water (not disturbing), hay and Granny Smith apples. Some plum marmalade in combination with toasted oak and black grapes. Dark chocolate and big kernel salt. This is surprisingly complex.

Very good mouthfeel. Serious weight. Now the red fruit comes first (raspberry and cherry), followed by a dirty note. Flints and earth. Elderberries marmalade and origin chocolate. Cherry juice. More spices. Baker’s spcies and cloves, paprika and oregano. Certainly does not need water. What a broad palate indeed, what a lovely surprise. Now it reminds me a bit of Bunnahahbain. How weird, right?

The finish is not very long, a bit farmy, but absoluty stunning.

What a pleasant surprise indeed. Top dram! An English peaty malt matured on a French wine cask and bottled by a Scotsman. Does not get any crazier than this. But when it’s this good… kudos!