Windblown - the new Danish whisky series from Søgaards Bryghus - Blog post by Jan Autzen

Our whisky blogger Jan Autzen gets wind in his hair when he dives into the 4 variants from Søgaards Bryghus and their new Danish whisky series called Windblown.

Posts by Jan Autzen Laursen
Whisky from Denmark. Yes, it sounds like a joke, but it's not.
Danish whisky has become a real powerhouse in recent years, with distilleries such as Stauning, Nyborgs, Braunstein, Fary Lochan and Thy just to name a few, releasing fantastic bottlings that are truly in a class of their own. Even in the wider whisky world, the Danish releases have been noticed and let's just be honest and say that Danish whisky is here to stay and thank you for that.
I have had the pleasure of tasting Søgaards bryghus, or distillery as they write on the bottle, series of whisky bottlings.

Vindblaest is the name of the series and should they start distributing out in the wide open world, they have just taken into account that foreigners probably have difficulty pronouncing the æ.
Søgaards Bryghus is located in Aalborg and is known for their beer. I've never tasted them so I won't tell you if it's any good, I'll leave that to others. Here it is only the whiskey that has landed on my table.
At present, there are 4 different kinds in the series. Egholm, Livø, Læsø, Fur.

It is from these places that the grain is harvested, so therefore it gives some different flavor nuances, or so it should. They are all 46.1%, so where the final product ends up is exciting. All the bottlings have been stored in Jack Daniels barrels and after distillation, the barrels are sailed back to the island where it will be stored until bottling.

Windblown Egholm
Egholm is the first one I cautiously poke my nose into. Egholm is a small island in the Limfjord, so the grain from there has excellent growing conditions. It is purely organically grown and the grain, which comes from a healthy and rich soil, should add some sweetness to the whisky.

It has a sweet and fruity aroma and you can definitely smell the classic scent of American oak barrels. It's a deliciously sweet scent that's incredibly pleasant to the nose, it's not something that scares anyone away.
The taste is sweet and vanilla-like, like a classic Glenlivet whiskey that just rolls off the tongue quite sweetly. I'm excited to see where they land with this one. The 46.1% is really well hidden and you don't get a boozy aftertaste, on the contrary.

Windblown Livø
Livø is also an island in the Limfjord and this is actually where one of the few state-owned farms is located. Livø Avlsgaard are the ones who supply the grain for this whisky and when you read what types of grain they are known for making, it seems very recognizable in the aroma.

This is where I would stick my nose in it for a blind tasting and say this is a Danish whisky because the grain aroma is simply unmistakable, good Danish craftsmanship.

The taste is unmistakable, a Danish whisky that can easily compete with the established brands on the market. Its raw and complex taste of grain is prominent and the sweetness that was in Egholm is not at all noticeable. The American oak barrel is anesthetized in the delicious Danish malt used here.

Windblown Læsø
After the first two, I was worried that it smelled a bit like a closed party that the residents of Limfjord had put together. When I see Læsø, I'm a bit more calm. Anyone who has experienced Læsø knows that they are known for their production of Læsø salt. The island in the Kattegat offers many exciting products and now they are also contributing grain to a whisky production. Læsø, created by the sand and the sea, must provide the grain with fantastic conditions to grow. It is again an organic production and when the whisky is fully matured, it will be included in the specialties that characterize Læsø.

What I associate with Læsø is, as mentioned, their salty sizzle, so I expect to get a salted whisky in my nose. I think I sense a salty scent and then again I don't, and there's no mistaking the quality of the malt. Like the Livø bottling from before, this malt scent comes and almost seduces your nose, make no mistake Danish whisky is known for the malt used.

The taste is strong and salty, really salty and it's just incredibly delicious if you are into whisky from e.g. Talisker which also has this deliciously salty taste "give me a bottle of it" said the man and he was rewarded with an unsurpassed and deliciously salty whisky. I'm a fan of this bottling and it's right up my alley. Salty, salty and salty again, and if you could have had the nerve to make it into a smoked whisky, well, that's a win-win.

Wind blast Fur
We jump back, or rather sail back to the Limfjord and end up on the island Fur. Fur bryghus is probably something everyone knows about if you enjoy beer and now they will soon add whisky to their menu card. It is Nr. Lundgaard that supplies the malt and in addition to malt, they also have beef cattle, so it is an obvious opportunity for them to start making whiskey steaks from the residual production.

Here I'm actually a little surprised by the smell. The Danish malt barley that characterizes the others is not as pervasive in this bottling. Is that a bad thing, absolutely not, because there are some out there who would rather smell the cask than the malt barley used, so here we are back to a scent we know from the Scottish single malts. Classic vanilla, mashed bananas, citrus, all those things we easily recognize in whisky.
Slight sweetness on the palate, nice and pleasant.

Conclusion
Vindblaest is an incredibly exciting acquaintance, it is well thought out and focuses on good quality presented by some good Danish grain products. I have no doubt that Vindblaest will win over the locals from the 4 islands that have contributed the malt.

In the world of whisky, I am left with this feeling that they should have experimented a little more with the casks, could they get a finish in other casks, could they have played a little with the alcohol percentage. I fear that for the seasoned whisky connoisseurs this product could easily be overlooked, I hope not because personally I think Vindblaest offers something fresh.
When you start to get sales and production going, it will be exciting to play with the casks.
Vindblaest gets my clear recommendation from here and offers good exciting Danish quality whisky.

Slàinte
Jan Autzen

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