”Here Comes Santis Claus”
Whisky Review # 920
Brand: Santis Malt Snow White No. 6 - Limited Winter Edition - 2000 Bottles
Type: Single Malt Swiss Whisky - Bottled in 2018
Type: Single Malt Swiss Whisky - Bottled in 2018
Age: NAS (Said to be 6 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 48%
Maturation: Oak Beer Casks (5 Years) with Cognac Orange Liqueur Finish (1 Year)
Maturation: Oak Beer Casks (5 Years) with Cognac Orange Liqueur Finish (1 Year)
Chill Filtration: Yes
Price Range: US$ 75-90 (June 2021) - 500 ML Bottle
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Quite expensive for such a Young Whisky.
Buying Advice:🌲Should go well with X-mas Cake! Not your everyday Malt though!
Colour: Dark Amber with shades of Orange (Natural Color)
Nose:
A familiar waft of Fresh Oak, Glue and Varnish welcomes the Nose. I so often find this in West-European Whiskies. The Alcohol is noticeable as well. The Nose is quite Sweet with Fruity and Bakery notes. The Orange note is obvious. It's quite unlike your average Scottish Whiskly but certainly not unpleasant.
Main Aromas:
Malted and Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Buttery French Brioche Bread, Orange, Sweet Apple, New Oak, Varnish, Glue, Grass, Artificially-Flavored Lemon Candies, Menthol, Rubber, Yeast and Underberg.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Demerara Sugar, Butterscotch, Pancakes with Golden Syrup, Honey, Toffee, Belgian Kwak Beer, Milk Chocolate, Apricot-Flavored Yogurt, Cinnamon, Aniseed and Green Plants.
Price/Quality Ratio: 👎 Quite expensive for such a Young Whisky.
Buying Advice:🌲Should go well with X-mas Cake! Not your everyday Malt though!
Colour: Dark Amber with shades of Orange (Natural Color)
Nose:
A familiar waft of Fresh Oak, Glue and Varnish welcomes the Nose. I so often find this in West-European Whiskies. The Alcohol is noticeable as well. The Nose is quite Sweet with Fruity and Bakery notes. The Orange note is obvious. It's quite unlike your average Scottish Whiskly but certainly not unpleasant.
Main Aromas:
Malted and Toasted Barley, Buttered Toast, Buttery French Brioche Bread, Orange, Sweet Apple, New Oak, Varnish, Glue, Grass, Artificially-Flavored Lemon Candies, Menthol, Rubber, Yeast and Underberg.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Demerara Sugar, Butterscotch, Pancakes with Golden Syrup, Honey, Toffee, Belgian Kwak Beer, Milk Chocolate, Apricot-Flavored Yogurt, Cinnamon, Aniseed and Green Plants.
A little Thin despite the adequate ABV. But Creamy at the same time. The palate is a mix of Sweet, Bitter and Sour notes. The Orchard and Bakery are never far away.
Main Flavours:
Malted and Toasted Barley, Vanilla, Demerara Sugar, Caramel, Orange, Apples and Pears, Fresh Oak, Yeast, Puff-Pastry, Pepper, Cloves, Menthol and Licorice.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Buttered Toast, Pancakes & Golden Syrup, Toffee, Honey, Slightly Sour Red Wine, Lemon, Salt, Plastic, Rubber, Tea/Stroh Rum and Aniseed.
Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. A few Sour notes as well. The Orange note is quite strong and we're pretty close to the thin line between Whisky and Liqueur. I find Sweet Malted and Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Orange, Lemon, Apple, Pear, Sour Red Wine, Tea & strong Stroh Rum, Fresh Oak, Nut Shells, Cinnamon, Cloves, Pepper, Menthol, Aniseed, Licorice, Salt and Iron. The Alcohol certainly remains noticeable.
Drinking Advice:
I added a little Water and that helps calm down the Alcohol. A few drops work just fine here but don't overdo it. The Water further develops the Orange and Spices.
Rating: 82.5
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
Drinking Experience Neat: Good, just Different.
Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5
Conclusion:
The Brewery in Appenzell (Switzerland) produces beer since around 1830 and was purchased by the Locher Family in 1886. Today they produce a wide range of beers, with or without Alcohol. In the year 1999 the Brewery started distilling whisky that was presented to the market for the first time in 2002. The core range consists of the Himmelberg, the slightly peated Dreifaltigkeit and the Sigel. A range of limited editions include the Alpstein and the Snow White.
The Brewery in Appenzell (Switzerland) produces beer since around 1830 and was purchased by the Locher Family in 1886. Today they produce a wide range of beers, with or without Alcohol. In the year 1999 the Brewery started distilling whisky that was presented to the market for the first time in 2002. The core range consists of the Himmelberg, the slightly peated Dreifaltigkeit and the Sigel. A range of limited editions include the Alpstein and the Snow White.
Forget about Scotland before Nosing & Tasting this Swiss Single Malt. You should not compare them but just judge them by their own cover. This Santis is not a bad Single Malt but it comes dangerously close to being a Liqueur. Perhaps the Orange Finish was a little too long. And there's this very distinctive Fresh Oak flavor that you will mainly find in Mainland European Whiskies. Snow White # 6 did bring me in a Christmas mood though and that's the perfect time to enjoy this Swiss Single Malt together with a piece of Christmas Cake. Father Christmas arrived too early this year so Santis Malt should consider presenting him with a Swiss Watch!
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende June 23, 2021
Jan van den Ende June 23, 2021
