Wambrechies 12 Years Madeira Wood Review

“Half a Boy and Half a Man”

Country: France

Brand: Wambrechies (Madeira Wood)

Type: Single Malt Whisky 

Age:  12 Years

ABV: 43 %

Date: 17/03/2014

Colour: Tawny (Natural Colouring)

Nose: Fortified Red Wine, Leather, Toffee, light Honey, light Vanilla, Roasted Nuts, Toasted Grains, Oak, Pine Needles, Apple Strudel, Raisins and a hint of Peaches in Heavy Syrup. It's a pity that the Alcohol is not fully integrated. And the influence of the Madeira Cask is quite dominant. Still, this is a whole lot better than the unattractive Nose of the Wambrechies 8 years.

Palate: Unfortunately the Palate does not deliver what the Nose promised. I find slightly Watery Red Wine, Caramel, Toffee, Green Wood, Nut Shells, Pepper, Cloves, Nutmeg and a distant hint of Plastic.   

Finish: Middle-Long and Sweet with Sugar, Buttered Toast, Sweet Red Wine, slightly Bitter Wood, Pepper, Nutmeg and Menthol.

Adding Water does not actually improve the Wambrechies 12 Years Madeira Wood but it does take out the light Alcohol sting. So a few drops can't hurt.

Rating: 76

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 18 - Finish: 18 Overall: 18.5

General Remarks: The Claeyssens de Wambrechies Distillery was founded around 1817 by Guillaume Claeyssens and is located in the town of Wambrechies, close to Roubaix. The distillery is a protected historical monument. Originally, their main product was Jenever but in 2000 the Distillery started to produce Single Malt Whisky. Next to the 12 Years Madeira Wood and the 12 Years Sherry Cask there are also standard 3 and 8 Years expressions available. The 12 Years Madeira Wood is Chill-Filtered and sells at around 50 US Dollars. 

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average. Nice Nose though.

Conclusion: The Wambrechies 12 Years Madeira Wood is a Single Malt with two faces. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as it were. The Nose is quite good and a vast improvement over the Wambrechies 8 Years. The Palate/Finish is another story all together. It tastes like a Red Wine (Vin de Pays Rouge) with some added Spices. That's not good enough for a 12 Year Old Single Malt that costs around 50 US Dollars. But the Nose promises for future expressions. I would think that Wood Management is the key to success here. Some good Refill Ex-Bourbon Casks and a solid Madeira Finish might do the trick. As it stands, the 12 Years Madeira Wood convinces on the Nose but disappoints on the Palate and in the Finish. "Half a Boy and Half a Man" as Nick Lowe sang on his Hit Record back in March 1978!

Jan van den Ende                                                              March 2014