Eiktyrne Rin Og Rennande (3yo Norwegian Single Malt, Pineau Des Charentes Finish)

Eiktyrne is a line of “Norwegian Single Malts” from Det Norske Brenneri (“The Norwegian Distillery”. Creative). They seem to enjoy playing with aging and finishing in some pretty diverse cask types. In the case of Rin og Rennande, they’ve aged the whisky in a mix of virgin American oak and first-fill brandy barrels. It’s then finished in Pineau des Charentes (fortified wine) barrels. I don’t see any age statement, but google tells me that it’s around 3 years old.

(Image credit: horecanytt.no)

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Distiller: Det Norske Brenneri
Cask Type: Virgin American Oak, French Brandy, Pineau des Charentes
ABV: 49.2%
Age: 3yo
Source: Pour at Grand Terminus, Bergen, Norway.
Setting: Unblind.

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Nose: Mint, green sappy oak, cilantro/coriander, malty cream, apple skins, lemonade. Pungent in a way that I don’t really like.
Palate: Wood glue, pine sap. Young. Thinner than the ABV would suggest.
Finish: Gluey, pine shoots, cucumber. It lingers, but that doesn’t feel like a positive thing.
Overall: Contrary to what it probably sounds like from the notes, I didn’t think this was all that bad. It feels like it’s missing some nuance: it’s about as delicate as a bull in a china shop, and it does feel young. But I like the woodsy notes, and I think if it had a few more years on it I could end up digging it. I certainly wouldn’t buy a bottle at this point, particularly not at the insane price of 629kr/50cl ($75/17oz). Perhaps some of the nuance is lost on me, given than I’ve never tried Pineau des Charentes—that may be a good step to take to appreciate this bottle more.
Rank: 4