Wolfburn Year of the Tiger

Wolfburn Year of the Tiger, a single malt from the far north distillery at Thurso, bottled at 46%. Just 1500 bottles were filled. Wolfburn is a far north craft distillery at Thurso in Caithness, working by hand since 2013. Water comes from the Wolf Burn, the stream that runs past the distillery to the sea.

It was worked through the distillery's small copper stills, for a light, citrussy spirit with a sea air lift. It was matured in ex-Bourbon oak, lending vanilla and a soft honey. No age is given, but the fresh fruit marks it as young Wolfburn. Sea air and active wood together shape the young far north spirit. 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 clean and coastal. Green apple, vanilla and a sea air lift, and the ex-Bourbon lends vanilla and a soft honey. The texture is light and fresh, the fruit lifted by a coastal salt. The finish runs light, coastal and crisp. This is Wolfburn's clean, coastal Thurso single malt.