White Dog is the spirit in its purest form — before any cask has had its say. Everything you taste is the grain, the fermentation and the distiller. Here it is Mikkeller Black imperial stout, distilled at Braunstein.

Expert description

White Dog Mikkeller Spirits Small Batch is an unaged New Make Malt Spirit at 42%, distilled at Braunstein Distillery from Mikkeller Black, Mikkeller's powerful imperial stout. White Dog is the American term for unaged, new make spirit — the distillate before wood has had any influence. Here it is used deliberately: no cask maturation, no colour, no wood. Just a clean distillate from a complex beer base, giving a fascinating insight into what the spirit is before the cask takes over.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and clear with cereal aromas, light fruit tones and a soft malt sweetness. Clear fermentation character throughout.

Palate

Clean and direct. Malt, a light fruity sweetness and a suggestion of grain bread. No cask notes — everything is the distillate.

Finish

Short and clean. The malt lingers briefly and the alcohol has a gentle bite.

Specifications

Name: White Dog Mikkeller Spirits Small Batch
Distillery: Braunstein Distillery
Bottler: Mikkeller Spirits
Region/Country: Denmark
Type: New Make Malt Spirit (White Dog)
Age: Unaged
ABV: 42%

Flavour profile

Unaged · Fresh · Malt-based · Clean · Experimental

Did you know?

The term "White Dog" originates from the American bourbon tradition, where unaged spirit was historically sold illegally and called "white lightning" or "white dog." Today many distilleries use the term to release their raw, unaged distillate — it is essentially a taste of the whisky's future before the cask gets to work.

See our full range of Mikkeller Spirits

Not all whisky from Ærø is single cask. Small Batch No 1 takes a different approach — a selection of casks from the 2017 distillation, vatted and reduced to 43%. The result is a more approachable entry into the Ærø universe, but with the same genuinely local ingredients and the same malt floor.

Expert description

Ærø Whisky 2017 Single Malt Small Batch No 1 is a Danish Single Malt Whisky at 43%, bottled at 50 cl. It is the first small batch expression from Ærø Whisky A/S and marks a different direction from the distillery's single cask series. Ærø Whisky produces exclusively from locally grown barley from the island of Ærø, malted on the distillery's own malt floor and double-distilled in a closed circuit. The distillation dates from 2017, and the whisky is matured in oak casks — a combination of sherry casks and new oak. The small batch method means the contents are vatted from a selection of casks, producing a more consistent and accessible style than the cask strength expressions.

Tasting notes

Nose

Mild and inviting. Vanilla and light oak from the maturation, with dried fruit and a gentle sherry note in the background. The local malt gives a fresh, slightly nutty undertone.

Palate

Round and soft at 43%. Caramel and honey with dark fruit. The oak is present as structure, not dominance. Light spice towards the end.

Finish

Medium-length and warm. Light spice and dried fruit gradually retreat.

Specifications

Name: Ærø Whisky 2017 Single Malt Small Batch No 1
Distillery: Ærø Whisky A/S
Region/Country: Denmark, Ærø
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 43%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Oak casks (sherry and new oak)
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2017

Flavour profile

Small Batch · Sherry · Fruity · Smooth · Vanilla

Investment potential

Medium. Ærø Whisky 2017 Small Batch No 1 is the first small batch expression from one of Denmark's most locally rooted micro-distilleries, produced in limited quantities. Inaugural expressions in a new series from a dedicated island distillery of this profile tend to attract collector attention over time.

Did you know?

Ærø Whisky is one of very few producers in the world that still malts barley on its own malt floor. It is a time-consuming and physically demanding process, but it gives the master maltster direct control over the drying degree and malt character that cannot be achieved with purchased malt.

See our full range of Ærø Whisky

In 2021 Ærø Whisky filled another cask. Cask No 6 from that season has now been bottled directly and undiluted at 60%. It is a young whisky — but it does not hide that, and does not need to. What it lacks in maturation it makes up for in intensity.

Expert description

Ærø 2021 Single Cask No 6 is a Danish Single Malt Whisky at 60%, bottled at 50 cl from a single cask distilled in 2021 at Ærø Whisky A/S in Ærøskøbing. It is the sixth single cask in the distillery's series, produced from locally grown barley from Ærø, malted on the distillery's own malt floor and double-distilled in a closed circuit. A cask strength release from the 2021 distillation offers a rare glimpse into what is happening in Ærø's casks before extended maturation. Uncompromising and direct — add water to unfold the flavour.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh and powerful. Young malt and new oak dominate. Sweetness from the wood and a fresh, spirity undertone. With water, floral notes and light fruit open up.

Palate

Explosive at 60%. Oak and sweet malt with light fruit notes. Water is needed to unfold the full breadth. Young and raw but with clear structure.

Finish

Warm and long with dry oak and sweet malt that holds. A promise of what more maturation will do.

Specifications

Name: Ærø 2021 Single Cask No 6
Distillery: Ærø Whisky A/S
Region/Country: Denmark, Ærø
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 60%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
Distillation method: Double distilled
Distilled: 2021

Flavour profile

Single Cask · Cask Strength · Young · Oak · Fresh

Did you know?

Ærø Whisky numbers each single cask sequentially — No 6 is the sixth individual cask bottled from the distillery. A simple but effective way to document the distillery's growing single cask series and allow customers to follow the development from cask to cask.

See our full range of Ærø Whisky

Ærø is a small island in the South Funen Archipelago. The distillery in Ærøskøbing is even smaller. Barley is grown locally, malted on the distillery's own malt floor, and double-distilled in a closed circuit. What comes out the other end is some of Denmark's most genuinely local whisky.

Expert description

Ærø Single Cask No 1 First Release is a Danish Single Malt Whisky at 61%, bottled at 50 cl and presented as a gift set with two whisky glasses. It is the first single cask release from Ærø Whisky A/S — the absolute debut of the distillery's single cask series. Ærø Whisky is a passionate micro-distillery located on Torvet 5 in Ærøskøbing, founded in 2013, producing whisky exclusively from local ingredients from Ærø. The barley is grown on local fields, malted on the distillery's own malt floor, and double-distilled in a closed circuit. The whisky is aged in oak casks — a combination of sherry casks and new oak. A single first-fill cask at 61% is a rare find from one of Denmark's most locally rooted distilleries.

Tasting notes

Nose

Rich and complex with oak and a touch of sherry. Honey, vanilla and dark fruit from the maturation. A fresh, local malt base that shines through the concentration.

Palate

Powerful and full-bodied at 61%. Fruit, dried plum and caramel. The oak provides structure rather than dominating the flavour. Water opens floral notes and light spice.

Finish

Long and warm. Dark fruit and oak hold and gradually recede.

Specifications

Name: Ærø Single Cask No 1 First Release Gift Set Single Malt Danish Whisky
Distillery: Ærø Whisky A/S
Region/Country: Denmark, Ærø
Type: Danish Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 61%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Oak casks (sherry and new oak)
Distillation method: Double distilled

Flavour profile

Single Cask · Cask Strength · Dark Fruit · Oak · Sherry

Investment potential

High. Ærø Single Cask No 1 First Release is the debut expression of the distillery's single cask series, produced in extremely limited quantities from one of Denmark's most craft-focused and locally rooted distilleries. First releases from micro-distilleries of this calibre are historically an interesting category for collectors.

Did you know?

Ærø Whisky produces a maximum of 50 bottles per year of their most exclusive expression. This is not about scale — it is about one island, one malt floor, and one distillery that takes no shortcuts.

See our full range of Ærø Whisky