Wolfburn Single Cask 7 Years Old 2013 (51.4%)

A Wolfburn single malt, a 7 year old from 2013, cask 710, bottled at 51.4%. Just 603 bottles were filled. Wolfburn, at Thurso on Scotland's far north coast, revived an old Caithness distilling name when it opened in 2013. The core range runs Northland, Aurora, Morven and Langskip, each named for the far north.

Distilled by hand in a single pair of copper stills on Wolf Burn water, building the fresh far north style. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the coastal fruit. Past five years the make gains a fuller fruit while staying fresh. The maritime setting lends a faint salt to the maturing spirit. It is the most northerly distillery on the Scottish mainland, a stop on the North Coast 500. 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.

At its natural 51.4% it is concentrated. A light, citrussy fruitiness, and raisin and a nutty sherry depth build. Soft orchard fruit and honey sit behind the cask. The close is fresh, fruit over a clean oak. This is the light coastal malt of Thurso.