Askeim (Smögen) 8 yo - Golden Promise

Volume: 0.5 liters | Alcohol content: 57.7% | Non-chill-filtered | No coloring

Description: Smögen is the epitome of a micro-distillery. The one-man-and-one-dog operation produces just 115 liters of peated raw spirit per day. And they even grow their own grain.

The Smögen 12 yo is the first bottling distilled exclusively from the distillery's own barley. This homegrown barley lends a new perspective to Smögen's signature malty, earthy, and intensely smoky character.

Matured in three first fill bourbon barrels and two first fill sherry hogsheads, fans will discover a complex, significantly more mature Smögen whisky.

In the words of Serge Valentin (whiskyfun.com): “I find it one of, if not the most 'textured' malts of the moment.” In points: 90.

With Askeim 8 yo, Smögen is launching a new brand that focuses on long-lost flavors of old, classic barley varieties.

With the lower-yielding, but stronger-tasting and more individual grain, Smögen prioritizes taste and character over yield and production costs.

The first Askeim bottling is based on a lightly peated version of the Golden Promise barley variety, which was particularly dominant in the 1970s.

Today it is still used for full-bodied British-style ales, but has long since been replaced in the whisky industry by new and more productive varieties.

The result? It's full of flavor, viscous, with intensely malty and fruity notes, complemented by creamy fudge, ginger, and toasted oak from the small first-fill bourbon quarter casks in which the malt whisky matured. "I think this is a great success," thought Serge Valentin, awarding the newcomer a proud 90 points.