Wolfburn Northland

A fine young Whisky from Northern wetlands where wolves rule the place.

When George IV. ruled Great Britain, one William Smith decided to make Whisky as far from London as possible: if he decided to put his distillery further north from the Pentland Firth, he’d be the first underwater Whisky-maker. Thus, the Wolfburn distillery was born. His family ran the Spirit business for decades and made it the largest in the county. But somewhere in the 1870s, the place of magic was deserted and left to the sands of time for unknown reasons.

Jump a century and a half forward (2013) and behold... The old sleeping Viking is resurrected, built on the sacred stones of the forgotten distillery. Shane Fraser from Glenfarclas was called, and he turned a place with history into a place with future. The cold stream of Wolf Burn that was the blood of the ancient Whisky also mothers the Northland Whisky, which carries the centuries-old emblem of a sea wolf, who supposedly lived in the woods and waters nearby.

The 46% Scotch was matured in Islay casks and even though Wolfburn Single Malt Scotch Whisky isn't peated, it inherits some fine smoke accents from the wood. This gold medalist brings images of angry Northern sea gods through its notes of fresh sea air, and hardened port lads that warm themselves with home-made Whisky. Young Whiskies that didn't have much time to evolve tend to be rough and feral, but Single Malt Scotch Whisky manages to be sweet and clean (like a late-stage Rod Stewart) with a great potential for voluptuous complexity when the Spirit matures.