This whisky I want to look at this week is the Santis Malt whisky Alpstein Edition no 7. When I think back to my travels around Switzerland, I think of mountains and lakes next to quaint towns and lots of delicious chocolate. Certainly not whisky.
When I got the chance to add a Swiss whisky to my collection, I jumped at the opportunity. In 1999 some changes in the Swiss laws around distilling legalized the distilling of grain alcohols and allowed for the production of whisky.
The Locher brewery has been owned and run by the Locher family for five generations. Situated in Appenzell, close to Liechtenstein, they have produced beer and spirits for more than 100 years. Locher Brewery began to produce Santis Malt after the Swiss ban on manufacturing spirits from grain was lifted. It is made with spring water from the Alpstein mountains.
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The grain used is also from the Swiss mountains. According to the Locher Brewery, the altitude and extreme weather make the grain grow more robust and vigorously.
There are various Santis Malt whisky Editions. Each edition is named after a different rock formation. There is a Dreifaltigkeit, Himmelbert, Alpstein Edition among others. The Santis Malt Alpstein Edition no 7 is first matured in some old Oak beer casks and was finished for two years in Sherry casks. The Swiss Whisky Guide voted Locher Brewery “Whisky Distillery 2011”.
Santis Malt Whisky Alpstein Edition No. 7 Review
The Alpstein no. 7 has been aged for 6 years. I have bottle no 553 of 1400.
COUNTRY: Switzerland
ABV: 48%.
COLOUR: Dark red, nearly burnt copper in colour. It is not a very oily whisky.
NOSE: Straight from the bottle promises sherry, more sherry and some more sherry. There are notes of malt, fresh fruits and vanilla. In the background linger hints of Christmas pudding, butterscotch and toasted caramel. The Santis Malt nose is rich and rewarding and encourages you to dive right in. Adding a bit of water releases more fruit and sweetness on the nose.
PALATE: Without water, the palate is interesting. It has a good balance between sweetness and spice, with some vanilla pod mixed in between. There is some very unusual crème brûlée notes that soften when you add water.
After the water, more spice comes through, and some oak and malt appear. It is a yummy whisky you just can’t put down. You want a second glass. Surprising, it is not as sweet as the nose suggests.
FINISH: The finish is the only shortcoming of this Swiss whisky. It is relatively short and ends in notes of wild spice and caramel.
RATING: EXCELLENT
Another (minor) problem with this Santis Malt bottle is that it is only a 50cl size. Consequently, this will be treasured and very carefully consumed until I can get our hands on another expression from this Swiss Distillery.
I paired this Swiss whisky with some Swiss Appenzeller cheese, and it made for a perfect combination. You can read all about it HERE.
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