.hammerhead - 1989 - 23yo

A Czech whisky is ot something you see every day. Story goes this whisky is not only distilled in the Czech republic (what was then Czechoslovakia) at the Prádlo distillery, is was also made from barley grown in the region, malted and milled (by a hammer mill - hence the name) and even matured in oak from trees grown in the area. Not long after this was distilled, the iron curtain feel, Czechoslovakia was slit up, the maturing stock was sort of forgotten about until found by chance. Nice story, let's see what it actually tastes like...

40.7% abv, €45
single malt

Nose: woody, sandalwood, pencil shavings, floral - perfume almost but not too rich, sweet and rich vanilla though, nuts, almonds, walnuts, citrus, lime juice, and a hint of salted butter

Palate: sweet, rich vanilla, woody, nutty, walnuts, almonds, dark fruits, plums, fermenting citrus

Finish: rather short, sweet, creamy honey, a hint of floral notes - pleasant, roses, maybe even a touch of rosewater, leaving a trace of tannin
Mark: ++++/+

Conclusion: pleasant, yet rather woody. If you like a touch of oak and pencil shavings, this is exactly the thing you may be looking for. I will be grabbing myself a bottle next time we travel by plane. Stock is obviously limited, but it is certainly something else, very quaffable and very affordable.

.many thanks to our good friend DramCas for the last drops of his bottle