”State of the Union”
Whisky Review # 944
Country: Brazil
Region: State of Rio Grande do Sul
Brand: Union Virgin Oak Finish
Type: Single Malt Whisky - Distilled in the "old" Veranopolis Distillery
Age: NAS (Presumably 7 Years)
Age: NAS (Presumably 7 Years)
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks (5 Years) with Virgin Oak Finish (2 Years)
Chill Filtration: No
Maturation: Ex-Bourbon Casks (5 Years) with Virgin Oak Finish (2 Years)
Chill Filtration: No
Sample provided by Mauricio from Brazil. Many Thanks!
Average Price: US$ 50 (April 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 About right. The lowest price I saw was US$ 46
Buying Advice: 😀 If you want to experiment good Brazilian Whisky, start here!
Average Price: US$ 50 (April 2022)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍 About right. The lowest price I saw was US$ 46
Buying Advice: 😀 If you want to experiment good Brazilian Whisky, start here!
Colour:
Golden (Natural Color)
Nose:
I'm welcomed by the Sweet smell of Vanilla and Fresh Buttered Pastry along with a hint of Varnish from the New Oak. It's quite Young and a little Thin but certainly not unpleasant. One of the better (if not the best) Brazilian Malt I've nosed so far.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Good Quality Normandy Butter, Vanilla, Fresh Puff Pastry filled with Peaches or Apricots, Honey, Raisins, Charred Oak and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Toffee, Caramel, Golden Syrup, Nougat, Straw, Fresh Bread, Toasted Pineapple, Milk Chocolate, Dusty Track, Varnish, Almonds, Biscuits, Pepper and Ginger.
Golden (Natural Color)
Nose:
I'm welcomed by the Sweet smell of Vanilla and Fresh Buttered Pastry along with a hint of Varnish from the New Oak. It's quite Young and a little Thin but certainly not unpleasant. One of the better (if not the best) Brazilian Malt I've nosed so far.
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Good Quality Normandy Butter, Vanilla, Fresh Puff Pastry filled with Peaches or Apricots, Honey, Raisins, Charred Oak and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Toffee, Caramel, Golden Syrup, Nougat, Straw, Fresh Bread, Toasted Pineapple, Milk Chocolate, Dusty Track, Varnish, Almonds, Biscuits, Pepper and Ginger.
Young, a little Thin, slightly Hot and Bitter-Sweet. Clean without Off-Notes.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Butter Biscuits, Peanut-Milk Chocolate, Peach, Plum, Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Caramel, Toffee, Golden Syrup, Nougat, Straw, Raisins, Vanilla-Flavored Coffee, Mint and Ginger. A touch of Lemon and Dusty Track.
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Honey, Butter Biscuits, Peanut-Milk Chocolate, Peach, Plum, Charred Oak, Cinnamon, Pepper and Nutmeg.
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Caramel, Toffee, Golden Syrup, Nougat, Straw, Raisins, Vanilla-Flavored Coffee, Mint and Ginger. A touch of Lemon and Dusty Track.
Finish:
Middle-Long and mostly Sweet with an increasing Bitterness towards the end that does not seem totally out of place though. It's Young, a little Thin and slightly Hot. Quite Dry towards the end as well. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Charred Oak, Honey, Butter Biscuits, Straw, Nougat, Peanut-Milk Chocolate, Raisins, Cinnamon, Pepper, Vanilla-Flavored Coffee and hints of Mint and Lemon.
Middle-Long and mostly Sweet with an increasing Bitterness towards the end that does not seem totally out of place though. It's Young, a little Thin and slightly Hot. Quite Dry towards the end as well. I find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Charred Oak, Honey, Butter Biscuits, Straw, Nougat, Peanut-Milk Chocolate, Raisins, Cinnamon, Pepper, Vanilla-Flavored Coffee and hints of Mint and Lemon.
Drinking Advice:
Due to the small size of the sample I only tasted this Union neat.
Rating: 82.5
Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion:
The Union Distillery was founded in 1948 and started with the production of Wines and Spirits. In 1972 it was bought by the Borsato and Ziero families who changed the focus of the company to the production of Malt Whisky blessed by an abundance of crystal clear Water in the region. To obtain various Aromas and Flavors, a mix of differently Charred Casks were used (Levels 1,3 and 4). The Spirit for this Virgin Oak Finish was still produced in the old Veranopolis Distillery but in 2015 this was replaced by a new production facility in Bento Goncalves.
Nose: 21 - Taste: 20.5 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 20.5
Drinking Experience Neat: Good
Conclusion:
The Union Distillery was founded in 1948 and started with the production of Wines and Spirits. In 1972 it was bought by the Borsato and Ziero families who changed the focus of the company to the production of Malt Whisky blessed by an abundance of crystal clear Water in the region. To obtain various Aromas and Flavors, a mix of differently Charred Casks were used (Levels 1,3 and 4). The Spirit for this Virgin Oak Finish was still produced in the old Veranopolis Distillery but in 2015 this was replaced by a new production facility in Bento Goncalves.
I'm impressed by the quality of this Brazilian product. Style-wise it's somewhere between Bourbon and Scotch. It's still a bit Young but it's already good enough as a sipping Whisky. It would be great to try a fully matured Union in the future. Yes, it's a bit Young and Hot and Thin but Aroma- and Flavor-wise this distillery is going in the right direction and I wish them lots of success.
Cheers!
Jan van den Ende April 26, 2022
