High Coast began producing whisky in 2010 after being founded by a group of whisky-interested friends in 2007. Situated in Sörviken, Sweden, the distillery is exposed to a high degree of temperature variance throughout the year, including some terrifically cold nights during the winter. From the beginning, the distillery has employed a patience, thoughtful, transparent philosophy to create a creative slate of offerings. In 2017, the Origins product line was begun, the core offerings that are most widely distributed (the Hav is also one of these). The High Coast Timmer was launched in 2020 and is made of peated barley (39-46ppm) matured in a variety of cask sizes for approximately seven years.
Distillery: High Coast
Country: Sweden
Age: NAS
Strength: 48%
Price: $64.99
Maturation: first-fill ex-bourbon barrels
Location: Sörviken
Nose: Vanilla, lemon, sycamore, cherry, grass, floral, oak, pine
Palate: Lemon, honey, peat
Finish: Oak, peat
Comments: Find out all the facts you might want to know and more about this whisky here.
Adam – A light, bright peat greets you on the nose, like a bright summer day above the bogs. Swedish bogs, of course. No rough edges from bad cuts or blends here. A sip gives big lemon on the tongue, followed immediately by a sweet honey to keep the citrus from being too acidic with vegetal peat a fast follower. The peat and lemon and vanilla are prominent, with the citric brightness almost too much at times, like Icarus flying too close to the sun for a moment. The Timmer listened to Daedalus, however, for it never veers into disaster. The utter highlighting of peat without the smoke or brine found in iconic Islay scotches is a sheer delight, something I was curious to see after the extravagance of the distillery’s more premium Sixty-Three. All of the High Coast line can be challenging to find in many US markets, unfortunately, but they are utterly worth exploring.
Kate – This is very much a product of where it’s made and who made it. The nose has a subtle smell of pine and oak. Slightly sweet, like honey and fresh flowers. The palate is vegetal and very sweet. Then the smoke and oak blooms in my mouth in a lovely finish.
Henry – Alpine meadows in the sunshine. Flowery and sweet nose with a gorgeous foundation of peat in all its glory, from the fresh cut earth to the reassuring warmth of the fire. The beauty opens seamlessly on the palate, with a pleasant dryness and dried vegetal notes leading to a juicy, mouthwatering finish with sweetness and smoke mingling gently. This is a lovely dram, showing how well peat can be integrated into a lively and expressive whisky without overwhelming it.
Ben – The Timmer is like mineral water, with delicate bubbles. The finish just sucks the moisture out of your mouth. Vegetal peat on the second nose. Like a warm hug; a full embrace.
Like a warm hug; a full embrace.
Bill – The nose has bright bourbon-y notes with fresh fruit, or almonds and cherries, with a happy bit of citrus sunshine. Brine available underneath. The palate has ash and peat giving way to creamed honey, vegetal and grassy.
Mike – I’m getting a bitterness and peat on the palate, like an Islay. Then it transitions into honey, citrus, with more brightness later.
Evelyn – The palate is bright and sunny. This whisky is high summer. The land of the midnight sun. It just sparkles in the mouth. I could also see this in a clear clear cold day in winter, where everything is crisp and visible.
Sam – The Timmer smells like a sycamore tree or a tundra in full bloom. It’s vegetal, it’s floral, it’s sweet, it’s musky, and it’s a little smoky. Really lovely. Nose of Sycamore leaves, with a slight must and sweetness. Vanilla and light citrus come in as well.
Kim – Its bright and warm, like a gentle hug, but it doesn’t shy away from what it is. The hints of citrus give way to a delicious vegetal hug. It proudly proclaims that it is whisky, while still wrapping you up in a delicious embrace.
