Whisky Review/Tasting: Finch Classic

Physical Whisky Characteristics

Origin: Finch Classic is a German whisky from the Hans Gerhard Fink distillery, located in Swabia, southeastern Germany, between Stuttgart and Munich, near the Bavarian border. The distillery is situated on the Swabian Alps.
Type: It is a blend of wheat and malted barley.
Distillation and Maturation: The whisky is mashed, fermented, and distilled using pot stills specifically designed for whisky production, as opposed to the traditional German ODV distillation equipment. It is matured in selected barrique wine and bourbon casks.
Age Statement: 5 years old, bottled in 2014.
Physical Description: The whisky is presented in a half-liter bottle at 40% ABV. The bottle design features the Finch bird and is labeled as "Swabia Highland Whisky." The cork is plastic with a wooden top, secured with a wire cage similar to champagne bottles. The whisky has a relatively light color for its age.

Overall Flavors: The Finch Classic is characterized by a dominant vanilla flavor, accompanied by chocolate, honey, and grapes. It is described as a fruity, mild whisky.
Balance of Flavors: The whisky starts with a mild taste, with no alcohol burn, showcasing vanilla and faint fruitiness, notably grapes. The spiciness emerges in the aftertaste, creating a unique tasting experience where the spiciness intensifies at the back of the throat.
Unique Characteristics: The aftertaste's growing spiciness and the combination of sweet honey and a hint of wine-like flavor stand out as distinctive features.

Production and Future Outlook: The Finch distillery has an annual production of 200,000 liters, comparable to small Scottish distilleries. With high production and full warehouses, the distillery is positioned for future growth and has a range of whiskies, including regularly available ones and limited small batch releases.

Swabian Alps and Local Agriculture: The distillery's location on the Swabian Alps, an old mountain range with farms and plantations of wheat and barley, plays a significant role in the whisky's identity. The region's wine culture, especially white wines, influences the choice of casks for maturation.

Horst Luening, the mastertaster of whisky.com, notes the whisky's "incredible" spiciness in the aftertaste and the dominant vanilla flavor throughout the tasting experience.

Finch Classic is a German whisky from Swabia, made from wheat and malted barley.
Distilled in pot stills and matured in wine and bourbon casks, it has a 5-year age statement.
The flavor profile is dominated by vanilla, with notes of chocolate, honey, and grapes.
Unique for its spiciness that intensifies in the aftertaste.
The distillery's location and the local agricultural practices contribute to the whisky's character.
Horst Luening praises the whisky's mildness and the surprising spiciness in the aftertaste.

For Whisky Enthusiasts: Those interested in exploring non-traditional whisky-producing countries would find Finch Classic intriguing due to its German origin and unique flavor profile.
For Beginners: Its mildness, coupled with the dominant vanilla flavor, makes it accessible to newcomers to whisky tasting.
For Collectors: Limited small batch releases with darker labels might appeal to collectors looking for unique or rare bottles.