When I heard that I was going to receive samples of a “Fast Forward Finishing”, I got nervous. Generally, I have not been a fan of any “science aged” whiskey, but thankfully I have not had to formally review any of them. This was going to be a first. Before looking at any information on Seven Seals, the whiskey, or their innovative processes, I warned our editorial team that I would be honest in my review regardless of what the outcome was. Thankfully, that is part of our core values, we post regardless if it makes everyone happy.
As I started to research, I got even more nervous. Seven Seals does not talk about the details of their proprietary patented process much. There are limited details about the whiskeys themselves except for tasting notes. As a reviewer, this makes me worry. However, within our small team, I heard that this was different and to put my worries aside.
Well, let’s see whether I was right to worry.
Samples for this review were generously provided by the distillery. In no way does this impact the results of the review.
Seven Seals Amarone Wood Finish
Class: Swiss Single Malt Whisky
Notes:
- Aged 3 years
- Finished using the patented Fast Forward Finishing process
- Bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof)
Nose: 80/100
Definitely oak forward, similar to whiskey aged in a small barrel. Pear and vanilla follow quickly. Ripe red apples can be found at the edges. Surprisingly refined for a whiskey aged only 3 years.
Palate: 76/100
Ripe red apples lead the way. Pear and vanilla sit right beneath. Young oak tries to overwhelm, but fades quickly. A touch of milk chocolate lies far beneath. Just a bit of warmth.
Finish: 76/100
Young oak comes to the fore immediately. Ripe red apples and milk chocolate provide the foundation. Just a touch of warmth in this medium length finish.
Overall: 77/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
This is definitely an interesting whiskey. I have not had an amarone finish before, but I have had other red wine finishes and this is very similar. You get some red apples and chocolate like many other red wine finishes, but it is much softer than a typical port finish. The details on this whiskey are hidden, so we only know that American and French Oak may be used and they use a patented finishing process. All that being said (or not said), this is worth a try.
Seven Seals Port Wood Finish
Class: Swiss Single Malt Whisky
Price: $80
Notes:
- Aged 3 years
- Finished using the patented Fast Forward Finishing process
- Bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof)
Nose: 74/100
Vanilla and milk chocolate take the lead. Honey vies for attention. A small amount of bitter port funk can also be found. Overripe apples appear and fade quickly.
Palate: 80/100
Milk chocolate is the star here. Honey sits far beneath. After a short time port funk makes a big appearance but can’t outshine the chocolate. Red apples can be found at the edges.
Finish: 84/100
Milk chocolate and port funk vie for dominance. Red apples sit right behind. Very pleasant medium length finish.
Overall: 79/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
The recommendation for this whiskey was quite difficult to figure out. The palate and finish are quite good, but the nose is not as strong as expected. However, this drinks like a good 8 year old port finished Scotch, just a touch young but surprisingly tasty. One caveat is that you need to like that port funk note. It is common in some port finished whiskey, but it doesn’t always come through with as much funk as this.
Seven Seals Peated Port Wood Finish
Class: Swiss Single Malt Whisky
Price: $80
Notes:
- Aged 3 years
- Finished using the patented Fast Forward Finishing process
- Bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof)
Nose: 76/100
Honey and light floral peat lead the way. Milk chocolate lies far beneath. It is surprisingly delicate given that peat is involved.
Palate: 76/100
Milk chocolate is the star here. Floral peat provides the foundation.
Finish: 72/100
Milk chocolate and floral peat mingle nicely. Just a touch of port funk appears. Succinct finish.
Overall: 75/100
Recommendation: Worth buying a pour.
This is the story of potential that needs to be refined further. I read peated and port wood, and I get very excited. The peat and port influences are muted but it like needs a bit more to develop additional complexity in this pour. By no means is this a bad whiskey, it’s just poised with a lot of potential, but feels like it needs to age longer to really improve the peat and port impact.
What did we learn?
To put it simply, Seven Seals is onto something with their formula. I would never have guessed that I would be interested in a “Fast Forward Finishing” or some other “science based” aging technique. However, for 3 year old single malt whiskey, these are surprisingly good. Yes, there are some “young whiskey” notes or even similarities to whiskey aged in small barrels, but these do not dominate.
I do wish we could learn more about the aging, the wood and the process, but you can’t argue with the results they are getting. There are clearly some things to improve, and for this peat-head getting the peat to be more influential would be fantastic!
