Sall Whisky x Whisky Watcher Single Cask #29

Sall Whisky x Whisky Watcher Single Cask #29

Region: Denmark

ABV: 61.1%

Price: £85 (745 DKK) for 500ml

The first independently bottled release from Sall Whisky is a 3-year-old expression distilled in August 2020. It was matured in an ex-bourbon cask from Garrison Brothers until November 2023, when it was bottled exclusively for the Whisky Watcher. A total of 159 500ml bottles were released.

Nose

Initially, the nose offers honey, a hint of yeast, lime cordial, peanuts, crushed almonds, stone-baked bread, charred wood, cherries, and cold butter on toast. Giving the dram a little air and there’s also Butterkist Toffee Popcorn, butterscotch, and ginger spice. The high ABV is noticeable yet not overpowering. Quite an impressive nose. Theirs not a lot here given away just how young the whisky is.

Palate

Like the nose this is surprisingly easy drinking for a cask strength 3-year-old whisky, and there’s minimal indication of its ABV on the palate. Speaking of the palate, it’s very sweet, featuring vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, prunes, raisins, butterscotch, and a little spice from white pepper. Going back there’s a slight bitterness from dark chocolate, some toffee, and a hint of blackcurrant that all carries into the finish. The mouthfeel is good, with a nice texture. Sitting with it we start to notice a little bit of ground ginger spice on the finish, but no enough to detract.

Nose (with water)

Adding water brings out additional notes of pineapple chunks, fudge, milk, flat cream soda, peanuts, raspberry ripple ice cream, and vanilla syrup. Many of the pre-dilution notes remain as well. The whisky has opened up nicely with water.

Palate (with water)

Adding water introduces a little more dark chocolate bitterness while slightly diminishing the sweetness. The mouthfeel remains good, albeit a touch thinner, yet this isn't detrimental to the overall experience. There’s an enhanced hit of cinnamon spice, accompanying the ginger on the now medium-length finish. Most of the notes present before dilution are still discernible.

Conclusion

We tried the inaugural release from this distillery last year and were very impressed by the quality of the liquid. This release sits a notch above that bottling and most other three-year-old offerings. It's more complex than we had hoped for and works well both with and without water. We remain excited to try future releases.

Score: 8/10

Value

Given that this is a small micro distillery, comparable to Dornoch, we believe that while the price is not cheap, it is definitely more than fair.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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