Most distilleries choose one grain and stick with it. Spirit of Hven never got that memo. Old Hare is built from four different grains grown right around the distillery, and the result tastes broader and rounder than most things coming out of the Nordics.
The Expert's Description
Spirit of Hven Old Hare is a Blended Swedish Whisky finished in PX sherry and red wine casks and bottled at 40.4%.
Where most Nordic distilleries stick to single malt, Hven takes a different route with Old Hare. The whisky is built from four grains grown locally on the island: wheat, rye, corn and malted barley. Each grain spirit is matured separately in new European and American oak for three to five years, before the distillery blends them with its own malt whisky and lets the marriage continue for up to twelve months.
The final stage happens in casks that once held sweet Pedro Ximénez sherry and Spanish Gran Reserva red wine, and that is where Old Hare picks up its round sweetness and light fruit notes. The whisky is neither chill-filtered nor coloured, and it is bottled directly at the distillery.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Mild and inviting, with vanilla and pear leading, followed by a soft grain sweetness and a light touch of oak. Not powerful, but easy to approach from the first sniff.
Palate
Oak and sweetness meet in fine balance, while ripe red fruit and dried fruit come through alongside a wine-like softness from the red wine casks. The malt sits underneath as a round base for it all.
Finish
Short but warm, with a gentle grain-spiced close that settles quietly without sharp edges.
Specifications
Name: Spirit of Hven Old Hare Blended Swedish Whisky
Distillery: Spirit of Hven
Region/Country: Hven, Sweden
Type: Blended Swedish Whisky
ABV: 40.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New European and American oak, finished in PX sherry and Spanish red wine casks
EAN no.: 7350044859045
Flavour Profile
Soft · Fruity · Sherry-toned · Oaky · Lightly spiced
Did You Know?
The name Old Hare nods to the German hares released on Hven in the 1850s under kings Oscar I and Oscar II. Hare hunting has been a local tradition ever since, and Spirit of Hven calls itself the world's smallest pot still distillery.
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