Wolfburn Limited Release 8 Years Old 2017

A Wolfburn single malt, an 8 year old from 2017, bottled at 46%. Just 3900 bottles were filled. Wolfburn brought whisky back to Thurso in 2013, reviving a name first raised in 1821 just up the burn. Water comes from the Wolf Burn, the stream that runs past the distillery to the sea.

It was drawn off a single pair of Forsyths copper stills, for the light, fresh, maritime make Wolfburn is known for. An unusual cask gave it a distinctive, fruity character. Past five years the make gains a fuller fruit while staying fresh. Years in oak round the spirit, the fruit and a coastal salt deepening with age. The far north air, salt laden and cool, lends the maturing spirit a coastal edge. The original Wolfburn, founded in 1821 by William Smith, was once the largest distillery in Caithness before falling silent in the 1860s. The new distillery stands about 350 metres from the old ruins, sharing the Wolf Burn that names them both.

At 46% it is supple and fresh. A crisp, coastal fruit, and the Cognac brings grape and a vinous note. It is clean and fruity, the young spirit shining through. A fruity, gently saline finish lingers. This is a fruity Highland malt from Scotland's most northerly mainland distillery.