Nordic Whisky #244 - High Coast 63
High Coast 63, 5 YO, 63 %
I completely forgot to review the High Coast 63 last year. I bought a bottle as it was released, as I had been looking forward to experiencing the end result of this weird and quirky project from Roger Melander, Master Distiller at High Coast Distillery.
Turns out the whisky was really good, and I kept having a dram from time to time. Then last week I suddenly realized I had forgotten to type up my review. So, here goes.
First off you might wonder what is so weird and quirky about this product. Well, it is called 63 for (literally) a number of reasons:
It is made with peated malt with a phenolic level of 63 ppm - peat from St. Fergus bog, Aberdeenshire
The malt is from Tweed Valley Maltings, belonging to Simpsons Malt since 1963
The malt was purchased at SEK 6,30 per kg
The production batch size: 1250 kg malt / 6300 litre wort
Average fermentation time: 63 hours in stainless steels washbacks
Matured in 198 custom made 63 litre 1st fill bourbon casks
The casks were produced by a cooper born in 1963
Matured for 63 months
Stored at 63 decimeters height from the floor.
Matured on the 63rd parallell north (as it cuts right through warehouse no. 3)
Bottled at 63 % ABV
Batch 1 was bottled 2019-04-23 at a temperature of 63 °F (17.2 °C)
It sells at SEK 863
Also Roger Melander would have liked to have this special product be bottled in 63 cl bottles, but due to regulations this was not permitted. But, as he points out in the video below, if you add up 63 + 6.3 + 0.63 + 0.063 + 0.063 etc you will end up with ~70!
See the official product page here.
A few bottles are still available to buy in Sweden at SEK 863 (4053401).
Nose: Deep and intense notes of malt, vanilla and toasted oak. Not a whiff of alcohol. This is very well balanced and well rounded. Peated marzipan. Assorted (unsalted) nuts. Rich chocolate caramel.
Taste: Fortune 500 rich! Almond paste, marzipan, vanilla! Tempered sweetness. Malt and toasted oak again.
Finish: Medium long finish. More spicy on the finish. Pepper - white and black. Chili flakes. Coffee beans. Malt drops. Fruit drops in the back.
Comment: Liquid magic from the wizards of the High Coast. This is how you do it!
Score 91/100
Lars Karlsson and Roger Melander present High Coast 63:
Sláinte!
- Thomas
