New Release: Wolfburn 3 Year Old Official Bottling 46%

Finally, the first whisky has been released. Wolfburn WOLFBURN 3yo OB 46% The aroma features fresh lemon, vanilla, youthful barley notes with plant-like impressions of straw and tatami mats, a faint plum-like quality, and some alcohol presence without sharpness. On the palate, it offers a spicy mouthfeel, youthful barley characteristics, syrupy sweetness, fresh citrus acidity, a subtle peatiness, light-bodied with youthful qualities but minimal roughness and a clean finish. [Good] Wolfburn's maturation has finally reached 3 years, marking its first release as whisky. Previously, I had opportunities to taste younger expressions like New Pot and those under 3 years old, and I always sensed a remarkably clean quality in their youthfulness. I was eager to try this matured version. Given that 3 years is the shortest maturation period for Scotch whisky, the overall character remains quite youthful. However, there's no sharpness, and it delivers a clean finish as expected. It seems they primarily used bourbon casks that age quickly, which gives a stronger impression of fresh citrus and vanilla-like notes. Additionally, the official tasting comments on the back label mention terms like peat and smoke. I've heard that Wolfburn matures whisky in ex-Islay casks, but I didn't detect a pronounced peatiness in this bottle. It feels like a clean, minimally rough young malt. Despite being bottled at 46% ABV (a relatively high strength), it surprisingly feels light and easy to drink. The thickness of the barley wasn't very noticeable, which was an impression. At this young age, one might expect some roughness or a heavier barley character to anticipate more matured expressions. However, it seems they selected casks and adjusted the water content based on the criteria of being enjoyable to drink at this stage. I suspect they're also aging longer-term expressions, and I look forward to future releases.