Thy Danish Whisky offering amazing diversity
Dutch bottler and importer Hogshead provided me a bunch of samples after I contacted them for just one that I wanted to use for my infamous Soap Blog. That was a nice surprise. Included in the package were no less than four samples of the new darling of craft distilling: Thy Distillery. My encounters with Thy whisky is for now tied between a good experience and one rollercoaster of an experience. You can just type in “Thy” in the search function on this site, and you will find the blogs. Today, we soldier on! We taste in order of abv, starting with the lowest.
Thy Distillery is a single estate operation, family run and working totally organic. These are not unique selling points anymore in the world of whisky, but still rare, me thinks. In any case it will guarantee a very singular character. I have celebrated many a holiday in Denmark, and my first one brought me the closest to the region where we would find Thy. It was a bicycle trip of three weeks that brought me amongst many locations to the “inner island” of Mors, eventually staying in Nykøbing M. This is neighbouring to Thy, but I am willing to bet that the maritime vibe of the region must be felt everywhere in this part of Denmark. Perhaps also rubbed off on the whisky, if not from the fjords then the North Sea? We will look for these elements.
Thy Single Malt Whisky, bottled at 48 % abv
First things first: This particular Thy was matured rather traditionally in oloroso, PX and bourbon casks and released in a batch of 4800 bottles. I realise this will be my first batch variation of a Thy whisky; the previous experiences were single casks.
Upon Sipping: Ah yes, a beautiful product of nature, like dune grass being caught in a bottle. Some salinity in the air but also honey. My expectations are met, this has a distinct maritime signature. Some wood shavings after a while, but well integrated with the smells of the more exotic casks (the sherry). Lots of beechwood with a subtle and sweet smoky signature, even though I am not sure beechwood smoke dried malt was used for this expression. The barley remains strong, despite the cask makeup. The taste introduces the sherry first, with a soft, caramel like sweetness. Then it shows muscles with a spicy finish, where smoky barley dominates the conversation. The balance on this Thy expression guards all the qualities you want to find in a flagship expression. With water, it seems some more liquorice and minty notes break loose, which are less my taste, but that is fine. The taste gets more bitter, towards pure chocolate. The smoke lingers on and the nose keeps on developing a beautiful aroma.
Word to the Wise: This is a well-rounded flagship Thy that brings balance and is able to make friends with a lot of different palates. It has something for everyone. A quirky otherness compared to Scottish single malt, but also recognisable traits because of the casks used. For people who want to venture off the beaten path, this Thy will open doors for you.
Score: 86 points.
Thy Spelt-Rye Whisky, bottled at 48,5 % abv
First things first: This particular Thy was matured in new American oak casks, being made from mostly Rye (60 %) and Odyssey Barley (30 %), and a fraction of Spelt (10 %). Aged for 4 years and a batch of 2900 bottles.
Upon Sipping: A different variation. Let us see. Lovely golden bronze colour on this one. And the nose is also very lovely, with the new wood being very talkative, giving off classic hints of glue and vanilla and burned wood. There is such an integration of impressions at work here, that it is hard for me to pinpoint exactly what I am picking up. The rye does seem the loudest talker, but it does not feel like a classic (American) rye whiskey. This keeps in touch with the home soil, if I can put it like that. The palate is not the wood taste explosion I feared, but is actually covered with a rather sweet and dry grainy taste. Oh my, I am very impressed by this. It has all the good things of the ingredients, but not the sometimes tiresome wooded influences you can get from new oak. The spices are contained within a sweetness that is closely related to the fruit family from the south of Europe. Really lovely, and again, like the single malt, an amazing balance. With water some more herbal notes, like eucalyptus and thyme. Organic indeed, true to its DNA.
Word to the Wise: I have a love-hate relationship with rye (based) whisky, and I am starting to think my palate is more suited for expressions made outside the US. I always loved the Millstone variations from the Netherlands, but this Danish counterpart might be even better.
Score: 87 points.
Thy Whisky Bøg, bottled at 50 % abv
First things first: This Thy is again a single malt whisky, and no, the word “Bøg” is not a reference to the peat bog. It actually is the word for beechwood, and that is the trick of this whisky. Instead of using peated whisky, the barley was infused with beechwood smoke. Maturation for this 2025 took place in oloroso sherry casks (previous iterations mentions PX). Batch size is 4200 bottles.
Upon Sipping: Though nothing as horrid as the Thy 2019 bottled by Berry Bros & Rudd, this particular expression reminds me of it. A rather meaty aroma rises from the glass, that makes me proceed with caution. However, the sherry maturation makes up for a lot, creating a floral note with some sweetened scents. The smoky element from the beechwood is modest but noticeable. Sipping from the glass, the medical notes of crushed paracetamol enter the fold. The sherry wood keeps some balance going with bitter chocolate note and smoky fudge. The character is totally unique to anything I ever tasted in a whisky. The finish is strong and powerful, with a slight floral leaning towards soapy note.
Word to the Wise: It is not Thy, it is me. I really can’t get into the style of beechwood smoke in my whisky. The sherry casks must have been excellent, because (for me) they save a lot of the drinking experience. Take my score with a grain of salt, and please check if this is your style before buying. In any case, you will find something unique, and that is worth a lot.
Score: 78 points.
Thy Whisky Caramel Malt, bottled at 54,5 % abv
First things first: This is a batch of 1815 bottles consisting of single malt whisky matured in oloroso and PX sherry cask and bourbon casks. The malt is as the name suggests caramel malt, so, to use the words I found on the Thy website: “When we malt ‘cara’ malt, we convert the grain’s starch into sugars, which are then roasted.” The practice is more common in the beer industry, but for whisky the yield is less than from ‘normal’ malt.
Upon Sipping: It is indeed a hotchpotch of different aroma styles rising from the glass. Strong chocolate, smoke, sherry characteristics but not in this or that direction. The woody smoke is very pronounced. This Thy is as much about creating the recipe as it is about showcasing the cara malt. On the nose I get a lot of different directions, even some perfumy notes, but not really a showcase for the name on the bottle. Taking a sip, I have to say the flavours make up for everything. It is deliciously sweet, rough and dry to experience, but with a strong dark beer infusion. The finish leaves us with delicate wood spices. Adding some water makes a difference. On the nose, I get more focus where the malt content pleases me most. The taste is now even better to experience and keep on the tongue without an alcohol burn. Delightful chocolate, milky, praline, but I am also reminded of my favourite coffee place and the different variants they offer there. Chocolate, coffee, beer, whisky. What else does one want, and all that in one glass!
Word to the Wise: It is not exactly the Glenmorangie Signet, but I am reminded of it. This too needs to be a style you are into, otherwise it might not be a match. For me, this works very well. In general I am not the biggest fan of beechwood smoke, but in this composition it did not bother me at all. After tasting four different expressions, I can conclude Thy has 1) lots of variation to satisfy more than one palate and 2) they use excellent (sherry) casks. You should check them out!
Score: 85 points.