Wolfburn Liquor Mountain 3 Years Old 2015

A Wolfburn single malt, a 3 year old from 2015, cask 159, bottled at 60.1%. Just 139 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. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, soft oak that lets the coastal fruit lead. At a youthful age the fruit is lively and the malt clean. Sherry wood suits the light make, lending dried fruit and a nutty depth. 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 natural 60.1% it is full and lively. A fresh, fruity coastal sweetness, and ex-Bourbon oak gives vanilla and a light apple. 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.