1.17 - Helsinki Distilling Company Rye Malt Whiskey & Teerenpeli Savu Single Malt Whisky

In this episode of the Spirits Blind Tasting podcast I'm doing a blind tasting of the Helsinki Distilling Company Rye Malt Whiskey & Teerenpeli Savu Single Malt Whisky. Feel free to follow along with a dram of any of these or any other spirit you enjoy as I try to uncover the aromas and flavors of these 2 spirits.

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My tasting notes from this episode can be found below:

Spirit A - Helsinki Distilling Company Rye Malt Whiskey (47.5% ABV) (Matured for at least 3 years in 200 litre virgin American oak with a char level #3.)

Appearance

• Clarity: Clear
• Intensity: Deep
• Color: Gold
• Suggested texture: Medium

Nose

• Condition: Clean
• Intensity: Pronounced
• Aroma characteristics: Fresh pears, fresh apricot, elderflower, vanilla, sultanas, honey melon, dried lemon peel 
• Other notes: Very fresh and fruit forward up front but has a light peat/earthy feel to it. No obvious aromas from maturation (oak), but has a lot of very pronounced aromas. Perhaps an extended fermentation period or some interesting grains (or grain combination). Could be a “dirty malt” with heads and tails not removed from the first distillation. Could also be sweet wine cask finished?
• ABV: ~50%

Palate

• Sweetness: Dry
• Texture: Silky, warming, medium viscosity
• Intensity: Medium
• Flavor characteristics: Pear, elderflower, rye bread, toast, malted grain, oak, cloves, licorice, 
• Other notes: Feels young as not that much aroma came through but has a beautiful evolution into a quite complex palate with a lot more dark and more bitter notes from the grain and even some of that oak maturation.
• Finish: Long and very complex (oak, licorice, cloves)
• ABV: ~50%

Conclusion

• Quality level: Outstanding
• Blind guess: Rye whisky with high barley malt. 3-4 years

Spirit B - Teerenpeli Savu Single Malt Whisky (43% ABV) (Age unknown, matured in 80% bourbon and 20% Pedro Ximinez sherry casks)

Appearance

• Clarity: Clear
• Intensity: Medium
• Color: Lemon
• Suggested texture: Medium

Nose

• Condition: Clean 
• Intensity: Pronounced
• Aroma characteristics: Peat (not coastal but floral and herbal), baked apples, vanilla, sultanas, rye bread, toasted oak, freshly squeezed orange and dried orange peel 
• Other notes: Peat jumped out but overall it’s a simpler and more subdued nose than Spirit A. Also, very little maturation hints, so perhaps refill bourbon cask?
• ABV: ~45%

Palate

• Sweetness: Dry
• Texture: Silky and watery, low viscosity
• Intensity: Medium
• Flavor characteristics: Peat, malt, burnt apples, ryvita, dried orange peel, 
• Other notes: Very soft profile and probably bottom end of ABV. 
• Finish: Medium with some complexity (peat and apples)
• ABV: 40%-45%

Conclusion

• Quality level: Very good > outstanding
• Blind guess: Peated single malt. 6+ years

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