Spirit from Gammelstilla

We had time for a couple of quick samples of the various spirits Gammelstilla are producing, here are my hasty notes:

Gammelstilla newmake

Nose: Malt! Citrus, melon and generally a lot of fruit.

Palter: Congeners, citrus and lemon.

Comments: A very clean nose.

Gammelstilla-7

Gammelstilla “Nysprit” 15 months 57 %

Matured in five litre casks made from new and first fill American oak.

Nose: Vanilla, bourbon, citrus, malt, wood and sauna.

Palate: A little too heavy on the cask side, at the same time a little too young.

Comments: The nose is still impressive, promising stuff.

Gammelstilla-9Gammelstilla “Nysprit” 11 months 63,1 %

Matured in 15 litre casks made from new Hungarian oak for 5.5 months and then in 15 litre ex-bourbon casks for 5.5 months.

Nose: Different. Sweeter vanilla, wood (sauna), tropical fruits; pineapple, possibly grilled.

Palate: Vanilla, wood. Bitter on the finish.

Gammelstilla-8Gammelstilla Aquavit 46 %

Cask matured for up to a year. Available at Systembolaget.

Nose: Liquorice and fennel.

Palate: A lot of dill on the palate, also fennel and… rosemary?

Comments: I’m imagining it would go well with fish because of the dill.

Spirit of Hven Organic Oak Matured Aqua Vitae 40%

Batch Bav 2, bottle number 840. This aquavite has been cask matured both before and after distillation in Spirit of Hven’s potstills, which, according to them, gives it more depth.

hven_akevitt

Nose: Smells more like Underberg than aquavite. Very herby and a lot of sweet herbs, too. Rosemary, basil and cumin. Hints of toffee and coffee sweets. The oak is also quite evident.

Palate: Cumin and lemon, but also sweetness. Dry hay. Salt on the finish.

Comments: Quite original, and quite nice, but lacks a little balance. It’s a bit all over the place, especially on the nose. Still, not a bad dram.