Braunstein Danica Library collection

I am reviewing a sample of Braunstein Danica Library collection 14:1 thanks to the generosity of Markjedi1. This is a Danish whisky matured in a Oloroso Sherry cask and then finished in a Cognac cask. As I usually do, I took my notes first and then researched the whisky to make sure I was not influenced by my reading.

Nose First, I smelled the bottle then the glass. Since I had some significant discrepancies, I will give you both impressions.

In the bottle: I have a well defined clover Leaf honey's wax, faint pickle, plasticine and blueberry.

In the glass: Smoke like from an old Plum Brandy with faint rancio, floral with oak, faint strawberry, wax, pencil shavings, mineral ashes like in some mineral water. A very interesting and original nose. (22)

Palate

Start oily but not thick. First impression, sweet and very spicy. A ton of long black pepper with a touch of old cumin, the dusty kind. The fruits are maybe like old peaches from a can in a heavy syrup that have been opened for a while when the fridge and air has burned the peaches. The sweetness and the pepper don't leave enough room for the other more complex notes. On the other hand, the sweetness makes it dangerously easy to drink, almost like a beginner's dram. I am usually a sipper but this one needs very wide sips to offer more complexity as I get some notes of the nose when gulping these big sips. (21)

Finish

The sweetness stays with you for ever with some long pepper reminiscences. I would note drinks two glasses in a row of this one because the sweetness building up would be too heavy for me. The smokey side is back. Not a bad finish, but a simple one. (20)

Balance

This one gives too much room to the sugar. With wide sips, the alcohol is playing its role more properly and gives a better balance. For me, the gap between the nose and the palate is so big, it leaves me with a big deception. I feel this one would benefit a lot from a higher ABV. (20)

Conclusion It is funny that I am not detecting the chocolate from the Oloroso cask as I have usually no difficulty to detect chocolate. Was this sample affected by its trip? In any case, that is a good whisky that raises your expectation with its nose to an unfair level for a young whisky. I remind you that this a review from a sample, so I can not tell you if this whisky will opened with time, but I wouldn't be surprise if it was the case.