Höhler und Braunstein

Right after the Limburg whisky fair, I convinced two of my friends Tim Puett and Leonard Bacha to go on yet another distillery visit and we went looking for Brennerei Höhler, just a few kilometers south of Limburg.

Here they are at the wee still

The distillery wasn't open at the time we finally located it, but we managed to get a wee look around by using sign language to a lady guarding the place.

To accompany this mornings german whisky I have two similar young editions from the danish distillery Braunstein

1. Braunstein 10.2 46%, 875 bottles

3yo exbourbon casks married with a ex sherry oloroso cask

Nose : yeasty bread (not unplesant), sligtly vinegar or wine, and a slight hint of peat

Palate : Very malty, sligthly acidic, with some wood influence

Finish : medium

Not the worst 3yo whisky I have tried but in the end the weird acidity isn't my cup of tea

Rating 63

2. Braunstein 11.1,  46%

3yo ex-sherry casks

Nose : Sherrywood, cinnamon, very warm and pleasant

Palate : Very spicy, the light spirit seems to have some problems coping with the heavy sherry influence, making this slightly incoherent. Some acidity again.

Finish : short-medium, and the youth of the whisky shines through

One of the better 3yo whiskies I have tasted, the active casks have done a good job

Rating 75 

In general I think Braunstein lacks the texture of scottish malts, could be due to the stills they use, the product is more similar to likes of St. George in Alameda, California.

3. Whesskey, Hessicher Single Malt Whisky aus Rauchmalz 44%

Nose : Youth, Malt

Palate : Very fruitbrandy like, some spicyness, doesn't taste a lot like whisky. Some sour, acidic not very pleasant notes

Finish : shortish

Rating 63

Not as good as the Braunstein 11.1, but better than 10.2, It seems a bit more balanced on the texture, feels like a bit more heavy spirit

I still need to taste a worthy malt (barley) whisky made from these fruit brandy stills types. I do think that other grains can give better results (like Anchor)

All of these three very young whiskies where acceptable taking their age into consideration, but stuff like this is not the reason I drink whisky

Braunstein cost around 795 Dkr for a 50cl bottle (approx 93£) and I paid 12€ for a 20cl bottle of the Whesskey (10£)

PS It is possible to make good young whisky, recently I have tried stuff from Glann ar Mor (Kornog), Kavalan, Kilchoman and Daftmill that was in a totally different league.