When we tried seven bottlings from Thy distillery in Denmark, about the same time last year, they left quite a good impression. In fact I find it one the most interesting start-up distilleries outside of Scotland. The focus on (heritage) grains, the agricultural side, sustainability and simply the quality outcome – they have a good deck of cards.
Now in 2024 they launched their first core range. It consists of three expressions: the flagship Thy Single Malt, a Spelt-Rye whisky and Bøg, smoked with beechwood. All three are available from the Thy website.
We start with the single malt, which is primarily made with Odyssey barley, some of which was smoked with beechwood. It contains distillate from 2019 and 2020, from first-fill bourbon, Oloroso and PX casks in different sizes between 60 and 500 litres.
Thy Single Malt (48%, OB 2024, 4800 btl.)
Nose: a grainy / bready side (which reminds me of Waterford somehow) with honey sweetness and raisins. Then apple pastry and some natural vanilla. Also dusty herbs and a whiff of cask char appear. Despite the prevalence of sherry casks, the balance is really nice.
Mouth: now the sherry comes to the fore, bringing black pepper, nutmeg and other baking spice. The wood smoke is also clearly noticeable. In the background I find some dark cocoa, cinnamon and plenty of dark maltiness. Then bitter almond and hints of ginger. Sweet toffee stays strong in the end.
Finish: medium length, with drying spice and gentle smoky echoes. Sweet nuts and a hint of resin in the end.
After a very balanced nose, the firm spice on the palate was a little unexpected. That said, the grainy core and the beechwood add a nice touch to this unmistakenly Nordic whisky. Well made. Available from The Whisky Exchange for instance.
Thy Spelt-Rye (48,5%, OB 2024, 2900 btl.)
Nose: a lot of rye notes, which somehow hold the middle between dusty grains and hints of plywood. A light sourness. Then heathery notes, whiffs of juniper, mint and laurel leaves. Hints of citrus, fresh rosemary twigs and green tea appear in the end.
Mouth: full-on rye again. Think rye bread and plenty of spice. Some pepper, juniper again, along with eucalyptus and something fragrant. Then pine needles, aniseed, lemon oil and hints of green banana. I would say the virgin oak is a bit too loud for my taste, but then again the big spice can also come from the rye itself.
Finish: medium length, bright and spicy, along with aniseed and ginger.
There’s 60% rye and 10% spelt in this whisky, which matured exclusively in virgin oak casks. I’m not the biggest fan of rye whisky but this is quite convincing. Available from The Whisky Exchange. Score: 82/100
The last one is the beechwood smoked version, which is 100% Odyssey barley. The distillate was made in 2020 and matured in Oloroso, Palo Cortado and PX casks.
Thy Bøg (50%, OB 2024, 3100 btl.)
Nose: beechwood smoke is special – it adds a very specific type of smoke, both light and warm. Almost a floral / citrusy smokiness. Lemon peels, leathery notes, along with aniseed. Then sweet berries and hints of herbal tea.
Mouth: quite sweet now, showing yellow plum and hints of pear, as well as some golden raisins. Then light citrus, candied ginger and hints of pine needles. Wholewheat bread and hints of caramelized nuts. Darker smoky notes too, but still not in-your-face.
Finish: good length, on citrusy notes with a salty edge, green apple, and very light smoke in the background.
This is the highlight for me, perhaps because the beechwood adds complexity and sets it apart from other smoky whiskies. Promising whisky, worth discovering. Available from The Whisky Exchange. Score: 86/100