Flóki Young Malt 1st Edition

A friend recently presented me with this inaugural release of Floki, an Icelandic single malt made entirely from Icelandic barley and bottled at 47% from a single barrel. The nose exhibits a youthful astringency, beginning with a blend of damp sheep wool and the carpet aisle at a home improvement store, followed by a prepper's hoard of seven-year-old golden raisins stored in old, musty cardboard boxes and white peaches, which then transitions to animal-soiled barnyard hay with a moderate ethanol burn. The taste presents a medium mouthfeel, starting very sour with nail polish remover, accompanied by a mix of damp sheep's wool and new carpet, followed by a rotting cardboard box containing apricots and white peaches, which then shifts to a medium spice before fading into ginger, clay, and animal-soiled barnyard hay with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is medium in length with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, white peaches, apricots, hay, and lanolin. This is quite an unusual one, offering a nose of farmyard funk with linoleum, stale citrus fruits, and musty cardboard that carries onto the palate with a medium spice, leading to the most enjoyable part of the finish, which resembles drinking a cup of mocha and eating stone fruit while stroking a freshly shorn sheep. I typically appreciate some peculiar funky notes, but the balance here is off, leaning towards an overwhelming farm-forward funk rather than an interesting background element. These flavors might be better integrated now, as this was the first release and quite young; they have since released a three-year-old in the US, but I'll likely wait for reviews on those before revisiting this intensely farmyard-funky liquid.

Nose: barnyard funk, hay, sawdust, honey, aged leather, barley sugar, cereal grain, vanilla, nutmeg, mild to moderate alcohol burn. Taste: hay, barnyard funk, sawdust, ginger, barley sugar, honey, pear, apple, nutmeg, lemon zest, cereal grain, caramel, vanilla, moderate alcohol bite, with a medium-long finish featuring barnyard funk, lemon, and sour orchard fruit flavors. I physically gagged when I first put my nose to the glass, so I can’t say we’re off to a good start. This smells like a farm, or maybe a guinea pig cage that hasn’t been cleaned for months. If you dare to dig deeper, some honey, barley sugar, and marked graininess appear. The palate isn’t quite as horrific, but that barnyard quality is front and center. More grainy barley notes are complemented by orchard fruit, citrus zest, and a bland, cloying sweetness. Adding insult to injury, the finish is long and unrelenting. Wow. Just wow. While not quite a drain pour, this comes very close. It smells like a farm and tastes how I’d imagine a Crown Royal single malt would if it were filtered through sawdust and cow pies. If nothing else, this is certainly unique. Big thanks to a friend for providing the sample! Happy New Year, everyone!

Floki is certainly distinctive. It is uncommon to sample spirits from Iceland. To be truthful, however, it is uncommon to desire one. The aroma is intriguing, presenting a character strongly influenced by nature. It is abundant with resinous and botanical notes right away. You will discover honey and profound molasses at its core. The finish is leaves, woodland, and damp wood shavings. Floki has a very delicate mouthfeel with lacquered wood and a pure wash on the palate. It is present and then vanishes. This is likely because of its very youthful maturation of 9 months. On the finish, some warmth emerges, providing a sensation of heat in the stomach a few moments after swallowing. This serving is a single experience. There is no compelling motive to revisit it. Sample it if you have the opportunity, acknowledge it, then continue. (OoTB January)

The Eimverk distillery named their young malt in honor of Flóki Vilgerðarson, the initial Norse explorer to settle in Iceland. Since it's too young to be classified as 'whisky', this spirit matured for approximately 1-2 years in new American oak barrels, which are subsequently utilized for aging their more mature products. The scent presents a cool mintiness with undertones of juniper, vanilla, and freshly built furniture (like from IKEA). On the palate, it's youthful, sharp, and slick, offering a pleasing herbaceous brightness that transitions into a finish marked by minerality and a resinous bitterness. Flóki stands out as a peculiar dram that regrettably carries a substantial cost.

I wanted to like it... To be honest, this is the worst whiskey I've ever had in my life. I can barely bring the glass to my nose before the smell turns my stomach. For anyone who has ever worked with horses, the smell is unmistakable: that super grassy horse shit that is more mashed grass than actual shit. Like that damp bottom layer of half-rotten hay in the back of the the barn on the most humid day of the summer. The taste is exactly what you'd expect from the smell. I couldn't drink it, had to pour the glass down the drain.

Aromas of a second-use bourbon barrel, slightly burnt caramel, damp wood, and alcohol that is a bit sharp and poorly integrated, with cooked orchard fruits. On the palate, damp wood with cinnamon and apple initially, then the alcohol appears, quite strong and sharp, not well-rested, with burnt caramel and cocoa. The finish has flavors of cedar and spruce, a bit metallic, with dried spices, hay, and a lot of hay. The texture is a bit rough. Okay for a first experience. Hopefully, the young Icelandic craftsmanship will improve.