🇩🇰 Thy Whisky – Bøg – 2024 Edition

From Finland, we head south, but only to the northern part of Denmark. Here we find Thy Whisky Distillery. They stand out in several ways, but today we’ll focus on the type of smoke they bring to the table, and you’ll have to hear the story of the distillery itself later.

Thy Whisky – Bøg – Core Range Edition 2024

Thy Whisky produces a whisky called “Bøg,” which can be said to be a true testament to Danish tradition and craftsmanship.

Smoking with beechwood or beech chips has been a tradition in Denmark for many years, providing a pleasant smoke flavor to whatever is being smoked, whether it’s sausages for the grill, salami for the lunch table, or fish and cheese. Smoke has been used to preserve food through the ages and is still used as a natural preservative.

Beech smoke offers a unique profile that is warm, sweet, and lightly charred, adding a pleasant depth to the whisky without the harsher, earthy tones of peat smoke. This type of smoke gives the whisky a delicate sweetness and a rich, rounded smoky flavor, which also complements the sherry notes from the barrels. The flavor lingers gently on the palate.

“Bøg” whisky is a new core range whisky made from organic Odyssey barley grown in the fields around Gyrup farm in Thy.

The barley is malted and smoked at the distillery’s own drum malting facility using beech smoke. This process gives the whisky warm, malty, and smoky notes, creating a rich and full-bodied flavor.

Aging in old sherry casks, specifically Oloroso and PX, gives “Bøg” a warm and smoky character balanced with the mild sweetness of baked fruits and deep, dried fruit notes.

By using beechwood instead of peat, Thy Whisky brings a sustainable twist to traditional smoking methods, as peat is a less sustainable option compared to wood. This is a topic we could discuss at length, but that won’t be elaborated in this post.

“Bøg” was distilled in 2020 and matured using 14 casks: 10 first-fill Oloroso casks, 3 first-fill PX casks, and a special cask that isn’t often mentioned. It’s a first-fill 60-liter Palo Cortado cask that was also filled in 2020, and its influence can be sensed in the whisky.

This has resulted in 3,100 bottles, and when all the casks were blended and bottled in 2024, this whisky is a little over 3 years old. Its youth does not detract in any way; rather, it gives a very good smoky flavor and overall power in taste.

🅾🆅🅴🆁🅰🅻🅻:

A lovely dram that will appeal to most. The smoke is present and waves gently but is not overpowering, pleasantly coating the mouth. The different sherries complement the smoke and give a “Feel Good” sensation.