EYE / NOSE
From the original announcement of the Regensburger I have a passage especially remembered, because she was somehow pulled in front of the bracket:
'The dark peat whisky speaks for itself and is clearly recognizable in its character for the connoisseur (...) you smell it, you know it!'
Okay, so visually dark I do not feel it visually compared to some 'Dark Sherry', although it is of course anything but a pale malt. I spontaneously make notes of 'black tea'. And the nose? In the Glencairn, the malt shows, which I first allowed to breathe for a long time for the tasting, in order to give the older portions the opportunity to unfold, at first still quite closed, which surprises me. Parallel to the Glencairn I filled the Volxwhisy into the bigger Schott Zwiesel Bar Special, where the nose looks much fuller and more expressive. I continue tasting primarily with Zwiesel and would also recommend using a similar sized or ideally even larger glass here. The Volxwhisky thanks it with fuller flavors. From the glass now at the beginning like sweet smoky notes. Spicy. molasses-malty sweetness, salty spray, as one sometimes perceives on the beach after storms. Spanned! Very multi-layered profile, sure exactly the desired effect of multi-barrel use for ripening.
PALATE
The Malt looks quite strong in view of the remaining 51.9% ABV, without, however, suspected of slipping into the Sprittige. I note a slight tickling on the edges of the tongue. The structure on the palate appears very rich, even oily. Quite a lot of sweetness, even restrained acid as a counterpoint, the TBA influences are also recognizable here, and I confused without the knowledge that TBA was in the game, 'Speyside ??' would have noted. Smoke and again a lot of spicy notes, without the individual herbs would stand out for my taste buds, a herbal tea comes to mind. In general, there are various tea aromas. I perceive fruit notes subliminally at best, perhaps some currant and pickled clementines. An old bourbon fruit salad is the Volxwhisky by nature certainly not. A little water helps the fruits.
Tasty, no question. And yet, on the palate, I actually have the feeling that aromatically could do more with a little time and rest here. I am very curious, what brings the further tasting in 3-4 weeks to light.
FINISH / CONCLUSION
Pleasantly long finish, for me so far the showpiece of the Malts. The now omnipresent but by no means dominant smoke paves the way and pleases the oral cavity. Herbale spice - probably the long basic maturity, TBA sweetness, and vain sherry influences wrestle for last word. Last but not least, it leaves a warm, slightly dry feeling, as if one had just enjoyed a little pipe with spicy Latakia tobacco. Strong finish!
The alcohol is incorporated perfectly clean, but this does not change the fact that a few drops of water get the Volxwhisky excellent. In parallel tasting, I personally prefer him with a splash of water, which I do not often have - simply because the profile gains in fruitiness and thus seems even more complex. It may be interesting to see if this perception may change as well.
Finally, on the Gretchen question, this time of every religion. Is the distillery really clearly recognizable? Intended for one of the Malt Maniacs! Some others, however, are likely to brood, I in any case. I have recently - blindly - been tasting whisky friends with an exquisite (smoky) 1975 BenRiach 40yo, Cask # 7028, which I would have thought quite accurate for an old Bowmore due to its deep fruity notes. Blind tastings are fun, but also provide ample room for error. In particular, when different types of barrel and especially, as here, sweet wine is at the start, it will be difficult.
Talisker, Caol Ila, Laphi, Laga, Ardbeg ... I think there is hardly a traditional distillery that has traditionally operated on peat and was not mentioned in the speculations. Let's make it short, if I put Islay as a region due to the intense smokiness after a long maturity times, I would most likely tap on a Sherry Ardbeg or Sherry Laga as a base. Despite the possible Phenolgate hint, which could be interpreted as a nod to Laphi, I miss the medical, the Hansaplast component so to speak. For Caol Ila missing the usual impressions completely. The deep sweet chimney smoke, the pleasant mineral undertone and the remaining power, that's classic South Coast for me. Ardbeg or Laga. I commit myself in November. To a direct comparison with older bottlings of the two distilleries, I do not get around so easily.
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