A piece of oak that has lain buried in a Jutland bog for thousands of years does not give up its secrets easily. But at the TONOW distillery, they have found a way to unlock them: by ageing apple brandy on exactly this bog oak.
Expert's Description
Tonow Apple & Prehistoric Oak Moseeg Brandy is a Danish Brandy distilled by Vesterhavsmost, bottled at 42%.
As with the house's other brandies, the apples come from Vesterhavsmost's own orchard close to the North Sea, harvested in single varieties in season to preserve each variety's own character. What makes this particular bottling special is the ageing on moseeg – prehistoric oak that has lain buried in Danish bogs for millennia, only resurfacing when farmers or archaeologists come across it during groundwork.
Bog oak is far denser and darker than ordinary oak, and this type of cask gives the spirit a character quite different from the classic French cask types – a deep, earthy tone that ties together with the freshness of the apple.
The result is a brandy that insists on being Danish through both of its central ingredients: the fruit and the wood.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Ripe apples meeting a deep, dark wood tone and a hint of mineral earth.
Palate
Full and earthy, with apple sweetness balanced by a dry, almost smoky wood character.
Finish
Long and deep, with a persistent dark wood tone.
Specifications
Name: Tonow Apple & Prehistoric Oak Moseeg Brandy
Distillery: Tonow
Country: Denmark
Type: Danish Brandy
ABV: 42%
Size: 50 CL
Cask type: Prehistoric bog oak
EAN no.: 5714962000804
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature as a digestif
Flavour Profile
Ripe apple · Dark wood · Earth · Minerality
Did You Know?
Bog oak can be several thousand years old and is preserved only because the oxygen-free environment of a bog prevents the wood from rotting – a natural preservation that only becomes visible to us once the wood is dug back up.
