Glen Els Journey

In the German town of Zorge, fairly central in the country, not too far from Göttingen, you can find the Glen Els Distillery, owned by the German company HammerschmiedeK They are specialized in liqueurs, but started producing single malt in 2002. The have 5 core expressions: Journey, Ember, Distillery Edition (sherry matured), The Wayfare (cask strength) and The Alrik (heavily woodsmoked). And there is a whole plethora of single cask releases. Let us try the Journey, which takes its name from the fact that the spirit matured in various casks for four years: sherry, port, madeira, marsala and Bordeaux wine casks.

The nose is fatty and smoky. Pure vanilla and butterscotch, but also something floral. The smokiness fades away to make room for candied oranges and a slice of lime. Reminds me somewhat of Christmas stol, the luxurious bread with raisins and marzipan that is traditionally served around Christmas (or Easter) in Germany. Loads of spices. This is actually quite nice.

It is surprisingly soft on the palate. Immediately I am again reminded of the stol, sweet and spicy, but the smokiness of the woodsmoked malt soon takes the lead.

The finish is long and bitterswet. The wood really puts its foot down at the death.

What a pleasant surprise. A bit fruity, quite spicy and sweet, but it is the smoke that makes this stand out. Not to be confused with peat, obviously. This one is totally void of medicinal touches.