Wolfburn Tachikawa

Wolfburn Tachikawa, a single malt from the far north distillery at Thurso, bottled at 58.4%. Just 480 bottles were filled. Set on the wild Caithness coast at Thurso, Wolfburn has made single malt since 2013. Wolfburn distils, matures and bottles all on its one small site at Thurso.

Distilled by hand in a single pair of copper stills on Wolf Burn water, building the fresh far north style. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak for a honeyed sweetness. Without an age statement, it is light, coastal and fruity. The maritime setting lends a faint salt to the maturing spirit. 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. The Kylver Series gathers single casks named for the runes of an ancient Caithness stone. Water is drawn from the Wolf Burn, the stream that runs past the distillery to the sea.

At cask strength 58.4% it is muscular yet fresh. A light, citrussy fruitiness, 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.