Country: Switzerland/Scotland
Brand: Santis Malt/Abhainn Dearg Edition Viking
Type: Blended Single Malt
Age: NAS (Probably between 3-5 Years)
ABV: 48%
Date: 20/11/2012
Colour: Pale Straw
Nose: Crisp Nose of a young Malt Whisky with Malt, Anise, Lemon, Grass, Oak, Brown Sugar, Dried Apricots, Orange Peel, Butter and hints of Varnish, Underberg and Apple Pie.
Taste: Sweet Malt, Anise, Orange, Spices, Oak, Vanilla, Plastic (Slight) and a Salty note. Despite the 48%, the Alcohol is never too present.
Finish: Middle-Long with Pepper, Cloves, Orange, Light Spices, Nuts and Oak. Dry and slightly Metallic towards the end.
I added a few drops of Water and you get more Malt, Apricot, Peach and Buttered Toast on the Nose. But Palate and Finish do not benefit from the added Water. So my advise would be to nose the Viking both neat and with a couple of drops of water but to sip it neat.
Rating: 80.5 (out of 100)
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 20
General Remarks: The Viking is a Private Bottling prepared by order of Detlef Sommer by the Locher Distillery in Appenzell, Switzerland. It's a Blend of two Single Malts, one distilled by the Locher Distillery and one by the Abhainn Dearg Distillery. Its probably the first marriage between a Scottish - and a Swiss Single Malt. The Viking will be officially introduced on the Whisky ship Zurich event to be held from November 28 until December 2, 2012. Only 250 bottles of this vatted Malt will be available.
The reason for this special Blend is the book "Viking" written by Detlef Sommer under the pseudonym Ted Lindsay that was released earlier this year. The book is a mixture of history and fiction and is situated in Switzerland and on the Outer Hebrides, the Island chain off the Scottish West Coast. Part of the history of the book takes place near the Red River Bay on the Isle of Lewis. The Abhainn Dearg (Red River) Distillery can be found here. It's the most westerly Scottish Distillery. Abhainn Dearg is a small and very young Distillery that started producing in 2009. Thus the idea to Blend the two Single Malts was born. This can not be anything else than a very young whisky of course. The Scottish part matured in Ex-Bourbon Casks for a likely three years and the Swiss part in Old Oak Beer Casks, probably for 3 to 5 years. No added colour. Non Chill Filtered.
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion: I am not yet familiar with the young spirit of the Abhainn Dearg Distillery. But I believe it brings the American Oak and the Salty Notes to this Blend. On the Swiss side it's easy to recognise the characteristics of the Sigel- Santis Editions. The Nose is clearly the best part of the Viking. The Palate shows promise but still bears the characteristics of a young Whisky. I would really be interested to know how this combination would have worked out after a longer period of maturation. Who knows what might happen in the future! In the meantime the Viking is a great initiative. I'm sure that young distilleries from all over the world would benefit from projects like this!
Jan van den Ende November 2012
The Abhainn Dearg Distillery
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