Featured at World Whisky Day 2022: High Coast Distillery was founded in 2010 in the Swedish hamlet of Sörviken. The location was formerly a box factory and then power station. The High Coast name only came about during an expansion and rebrand in 2018, however. The distillery is situated beside the Ångerman River and also sources water from the nearby Lake Bålsjön. The extremely wide swing in temperature throughout the year, from -30°F in the winter to 70°F in the summer (not accounting for wind chill), mean that the casking process is accelerated more than almost any place on earth. Master distiller Roger Melander has been spending the past decade and more crafting whiskies worthy of the location and the expanded portfolio now includes four core offerings and dozens of limited editions including the earliest batches. The High Coast Hav, Swedish for “sea”, should maybe considered their gateway offering, consisting of a lightly peated whisky with oak influence predominating.
Distillery: High Coast
Country: Sweden
Age: NAS
Strength: 48%
Price: $59.99
Maturation: Virgin oak and first fill bourbon casks
Location: Sörviken
Nose: White oak, smoke, orange oil, spice, varnish
Palate: Oak, pear, spice, plum
Finish: Oak, vanilla
Comments: Do not add water (it is like a freshly sawn oak).
Adam – The oak enters right away on the nose, yet not overwhelmingly so like in some underage or overproofed bourbons. Citrus sneaks in with a dash of spice, and it’s only after you’ve been smelling it for a moment that you realize one of those qualities is a light smoke, ephemeral like from your uncle’s workshop. There’s some immediate heat on the first sip that diminishes pretty quickly. The wood carries through from the nose to the palate and finish, always at the core but leaving room for guests that stop by, the light fruits promised from the nose making an appearance. The Hav finishes crisp. To call this whisky simple is to maybe invite a disparaging tone. Rather, this is a straightforward, complete offering from start to finish that showcases oak and spice while also offering some hints about what further entries in the High Coast portfolio might feature. There are no Hav-nots in this equation.
Kate – The Hav is definitely a Swedish lumberjack.
Bill – It is slightly off-putting at first on the palate but then the chord finally resolves.
There are no Hav-nots in this equation.
Henry – A beautiful nose of freshly sawn white oak, sweet orange and spice, and a hint of green peat. Stewed fruit and spices with a little lingering heat on the palate, with a very dry, tannic finish.
Ben – Like the peel of a Bosc pear.
