Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 3 Phecda

Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 3 Phecda

Official bottling
Single malt - Scania 
Amber
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, cream, vanilla, sandalwood, malted grains, hints of cloves. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Cloves, raisins, sandalwood, ginseng, leather, hints of pine resin. 
Finish: Medium. Ginseng, pine resin, sandalwood, cloves. 

Comments: 

The next in a series of quirky bottlings by Hven. This one is as idiosyncratic as its siblings. It's got plenty of sweet notes, yet is herbal and bitter on the tongue. Very spicy too. Unusual experience.

Verdict:

I like this.

Spirit of Hven Tycho's Star

Spirit of Hven Tycho's Star

Official bottling
Single malt - Scania
Amber, tinge of copper
41.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, chocolate, sarsaparilla, mint, blackcurrant cordial, hints of coffee. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, sticky, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Chocolate, coffee, orange peel, mint, sea salt, hints of leather. 
Finish: Long. Coffee, chocolate, blackcurrant cordial, salted caramel. 

Comments: 

Well, this is rather good! It's not part of the official 'Seven Stars' whisky range, but instead it's a vatting of peated and unpeated malt from the same distillery. Very chocolatey, even slightly savoury, but oh so sweet. The real surprise is the blackcurrant cordial, very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Spirit of Hven Urania

Spirit of Hven Urania

Official bottling
Single malt - Scania
Amber, tinge of red
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Chocolate, cola nuts, peaches, cinnamon, sarsaparilla, hints of leather. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, watery around the edges. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Chocolate, sarsaparilla, roast pork, leather, toffee, hints of brown paper. 
Finish: Medium. Chocolate, whipped cream, leather, toffee. 

Comments: 

Pot still Swedish whisky from Hven, aged just under 3 years I think. This reminds me of savoury salt caramel laden toffee, with a hefty meaty undertone of roast pork, then fading away to a milky, chocolatey finish. Very good stuff, Hven knows how to make whisky!

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 2 Merak

Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 2 Merak

Official bottling
Single malt - Scania
Orange
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Smoke, peat, leather, grilled meat, lemon zest, thyme, mint, orange blossom.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, chewy, oily, syrupy.
Tasting: Bitter sour. Liquorice, orange blossom, lemon zest, thyme, peat, black pepper, hints of ginger.
Finish: Short. Smoke, peat, tobacco leaf, leather, hints of ginger.

Comments:

Rather herbal and harsh-tasting, spicy on the tongue. It's not a gentle whisky by any means. But the herbal flavours are well defined, and the smoke and peat leave a glorious mouthfeel and a punchy, flavourful finish. This is good, if unusual whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 1 Dubhe

Spirit of Hven Seven Stars No 1 Dubhe

Official bottling 
Single malt - Scania
Amber, tinge of green
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, hay, orange peel, fresh cut grass, sandalwood, vanilla, smoke.
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens, turns oily, slippery.
Tasting: Bitter. Vanilla, sandalwood, orange peel, white grapes, red peppers, leather, hints of manchego cheese.
Finish: Short. Vanilla, white grapes, leather, hints of fresh cut grass.

Comments:

This is the first release in the Seven Stars series from Hven distillery, on the island of the same name, in the Oresund strait between Sweden and Denmark. It's herbal and grassy, with huge notes of sandalwood and leather, on the nose. Then on the tongue, it's uncompromising and bitter, with great fruity notes and something slightly salty at the end - manchego cheese perhaps? Big hitter for a new distillery, this is really good whisky.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.