Wolfburn Potstill Austria 3 Years Old 2014

A Wolfburn single malt, a 3 year old from 2014, cask 10, bottled at 55%. Just 151 bottles were filled. Set on the wild Caithness coast at Thurso, Wolfburn has made single malt since 2013. The original Wolfburn was founded in 1821 by William Smith and was once the largest distillery in Caithness, falling silent in the 1860s.

The spirit was made by hand in copper stills at Thurso, to build a soft, fruity, coastal character. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak for a honeyed sweetness. Young here, it keeps a clean, fruity vigour over light vanilla. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, the wood adding much of the colour. Everything here is done by hand, from milling to bottling, the mark of a true small distillery. Most of the make is unpeated, with a lightly peated malt distilled since 2014 for a soft smoke. The core range runs Northland, Aurora, Morven and Langskip, names drawn from the far north.

At a full 55% it is bold and fruity. A fresh, fruity coastal sweetness, and honeyed vanilla comes through from the ex-Bourbon. Beneath it run apple, citrus and a soft malt. It closes fresh, fruity and clean. This is a light, fresh Highland single malt from the far north.