Showing posts with label Beverbach Double Oak Aged. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beverbach Double Oak Aged. Show all posts

Beverbach Double Oak Aged


”Oh Very Young”


Whisky Review # 940

Country: Germany
Region: Hardenberg, Lower Saxony
Brand: Beverbach Double Oak Aged
Type: Single Malt Whiskey
Age: NAS (3-4 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 43%
Maturation: Mix of First-Fill Ex-Bourbon and French Oak Brandy Casks
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Average: US$ 55-65 (March 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎  Too expensive for what it offers
Buying Advice: 👎 Too Young. Too Harsh. Whisky needs Maturation in good casks!

Colour: Pale Straw/Chardonnay (Natural Color)

Nose:

The Nose is welcomed by strong notes of Varnish & New French Oak. This is a quite Young and Harsh Spirit that is much closer to Gin, Genever, New Make and Slivovitz than to Whisky. There's not a lot happening and you have to dig very deep in your memory to find a few Medium-Sweet reference notes.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Grain, Buttered Toast, Dairy, Grass and Straw, Varnish, Glue, Licorice, New Oak and Red Berries.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Vanilla, Cheap Honey, Brown Sugar, Oak Char, Cinnamon, Pepper, Hazelnut-Milk Chocolate and Cooked Vegetables.


Palate:

Sweet, Young and Harsh. I really would like to taste a fully matured Beverbach one day. As it is, I can't find anything of interest here.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Grain, Sugar, Slightly Burnt Toast, Red Berries, Green Apple, Dairy, Nuts, Charred Oak, Pepper and Licorice.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Vanilla, Brown Sugar, Burnt Caramel, Cheap Honey, Straw, Pear, Plums, Cardamom and Cloves.


Finish:

Sweet, very Short and slightly Hot. I find Toasted Grains, Sugar, Vanilla, Red Berries like Strawberry and Raspberry, Green Apple, Charred Oak, Lemon, Pepper, Licorice, Cloves, Cardamom and small hints of Varnish, Metal, Dairy, Straw and Nougat. Dry towards the end.

Drinking Advice:

You can add a few drops of Water to diminish the Harshness a little bit.

Rating: 69.5

Nose: 17.5 - Taste: 17.5 - Finish: 17 - Overall: 17.5

Drinking Experience Neat: Below Average

Drinking Experience On the Rocks : Borderline Acceptable

Conclusion:

The Hardenberg distillery was founded in 1700. It started with Korn (Grain Spirit) but along the many years Vodka, Gin and, more recently, Whiskey were added to the portfolio.The latter product is made with regional Barley and Wheat and is called Single Malt Whiskey and not Whisky. Probably to avoid trouble with Scotch Single Malt Whisky, a combination that is protected by law.

Nowadays you can find some good Whisky in Germany. Just over a week ago I had two new expressions made by the Rudenau based St. Kilian distillery. One Speyside type and a Peated expression. Both were highly enjoyable. It's probably not a big coincidence that St. Kilian is only producing Whisky. For most German distilleries Whisky/Whiskey is only one of their products that was often only added to their portfolio in the last 10/20 years or so. Their main product is Young Obstbrand and/or Korn and you can taste that in their Whiskies. They are usually bottled at a very young age and often taste like New Make Spirit that matured for a couple of years in mostly new European Oak. The Beverbach Double Oak is no exception I'm afraid. Consequently I find little enjoyment in tasting this Spirit. Good whisky needs time and unfortunately this Beverbach wasn't allowed to mature sufficiently.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                        March 30, 2022