Drei Jahre produziert nun die Aurora Spirit Distillery im hohen Norden von Norwegen (ungefähr auf der Höhe von Tromso, also weit über dem Polarkreis) nun schon – und soeben hat man den ersten Whisky von dort veröffentlicht. Der Bivrost® Niflheim Arctic Single Malt Whisky lagerte drei Jahre lang in einer Tunnelanlage einer ehemaligen Nato-Basis und ist nun sozusagen verkaufsbereit.
Mehr zu diesem außergewöhnlichen Whisky in der englischsprachigen Pressemitteilung, in der sich auch die Tasting Notes finden.
Die ersten 20 Flaschen werden übrigens bei Whiskyauctioneer.com zu ersteigern sein, und am 23. April wird der Whisky in einem online gestreamten Tasting auf der Facebook-Seite der Brennerei vorgestellt:
«Worlds northernmost Whisky to be released”
After 3 years of production, Aurora Spirit Distillery, launches their first ever Whisky in May 2020. This will be the northernmost Whisky in the world and is named “Bivrost® Niflheim – Arctic Single Malt Whisky”.
Bivrost® Niflheim Single Malt Whisky is made from Nordic barley, pilsner malt and brewer’s yeast. The water is sourced from the local spring, which receives melted glacier water from the Lyngen alpine range. The Whisky was stored in carefully selected sherry casks, virgin oak and bourbon casks. It has been allowed to mature for the required three years in underground storage vaults, which were previously part of a network of tunnels in a Cold War NATO base.
The Whisky is made by Aurora Spirit Distillery, which has established a unique distillery that attracts international attention with its spectacular location. The distillery is the world’s northernmost, situated far beyond the Arctic Circle in Norway. Bivrost products are based on local herbs, berries and melted glacier water. Aurora Spirit has an award winning visitor centre which offers guided tours for visitors.
Until Aurora Spirit scale up Whisky sales with their “standard” Bivrost Whisky (Estimated release 2025) they will be releasing 2 limited editions each year as a “collectable series”, related to “the nine worlds of Norse mythology”. First one out is Niflheim (“world of fog”). This world is the homeland of darkness, cold, mist, and ice by ancient Viking beliefs. The brand name Bivrost® is more than 1000 years old. The producers’ Viking ancestors named the northern light “biv rost” (shaking path) – they thought it was a magical bridge between the worlds.
The different Whisky releases will have different taste impressions. Niflheim is fruity and sweet on the nose. On the palate it has a nice balance of sweetness, wood and spiciness, with a long and sweet finish. The use of small casks has enabled this whisky to mature beyond its youth. (Also see Whisky Author Blair Bowman’s opinions below).
The first 20 Whiskies will go on auction late April (www.whiskyauctioneer.com). The producer will arrange an online streaming event on the 23. Of April, with digital tasting, presentations and live music. Find out more on their Facebook page.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Initially lots of deliciously juicy dried fruits and sweet toasted nuts. Dried cherries, sultanas, raisins, figs. Then sweet caramelised peanuts, almonds and hazelnuts with a hint of black pepper. A rich spiced malt note comes later like toasted malt bread with Nutella.
Palate: A lovely balance of sweet and woody spice with hints of dried fruit. Like balsa wood shavings on a woodburner in a sauna that has maple syrup on the wooden benches and then a few black peppercorns and dried fruits are thrown into the burner.
Finish: Long and sweet with hints of spice.
Overall: A deliciously drinkable whisky with a very chewy and juicy mouthfeel and finish that makes you come back for more.
An incredible achievement for a group of friends who were inspired to build their own distillery in the Arctic Circle after a trip to Islay in Scotland. This whisky really shows their dedication to the quality of the ingredients, the distillation and maturation.
Blair Bowman, March 2020
