Seven Angels No.4 St Jerahmeel

Seven Angels, is a series of single malt whiskies released one per year from Spirit of Hven. This is number four, St Jerahmeel, a single malt whisky with only hints of smoke. A whisky where the malt and the oak are the leading instruments. There are hints of wine casks in the character, but only as a complement and balance to the main character from the malt, contributing with a toastiness; and the forest notes from the oak giving the fresh green scent.

This whisky has a vibrant maturity with oxidized notes from the symbiosis between the tannins from the oak casks and the alcohol balanced by the esters and aldehydes from the fermentation. A unique whisky with an enticing taste, that really gets the imagination going.

How we make it

St Jerahmeel is an exciting balance of eight oak casks, that have been maturing since 2013. Seven of the casks are unpeated malted barley and one of the casks are peated malt, 38 ppm phenols. The yeast strains are Cerevisiae and Bayanus. Four of the casks are made from Quercus Muehlenbergii, these contributes with a nuttiness and a round mouth feeling. Three of the casks are made from Q. Petraea from Allier. Of these, two have held a white Burgundy and one cask has a red Amarone. The French casks contributes with a forest note from the oak and an alluring nuance of wine in the background. The eight cask is a refill sherry butt, made from Q. Rosacea. This cask has previously held unpeated whisky. This cask contributes with a pleasant but not dominant note from the PX sherry it originally held.

Scent and taste

Without water, first scent is fruity with an enticing aroma of apples and pears, followed by a gentle note of leather and truffles. Complex nose with memories of earth cellar filled with the autumn fruits and berries. The fond is painted with oxidized vanilla and hints of flowers. Landed in the mouth it gives a velvet smooth first impression on the palate, with hints of caramel and candied berries. After a while a smooth acidity develops and is balanced by low key notes of tannins from the oak. Long aftertaste with clear fruit and apparent wood sugars.

With water, to personal preference, the fruitiness transcends to the bouquet of new baked sponge cake with hints of roasted almonds. A soft note of phenols from red wine intertwined with the allurement of sweet sherry and a whiff of a chocolatery in the distance. With water the taste becomes velvet smooth and exquisite fruity with a magnificent balance between acidity and sweetness in the palate. Aftertaste is relatively long with a fruity sweetness. This is a whisky that stands its grounds just as well with water as without.

Facts: Limited edition, only 1.683 bottles of 500ml, whereof 1.200 sold via Systembolaget