Athyr Lebanese Single Malt Whisky Cedarwood Finish
Yesterday’s review of the Athyr Lebanese Single Malt Whisky Empire Single Barrel detailed the context and some of the nuts and bolts in this one-of-a-kind process. Today’s writeup will add more nerdy info but also more about the Cedarwood Finish that adds a year to the Empire’s core character.
Lebanon’s cedars are legendary. Just like the oak mentioned yesterday, Lebanese Cedar is protected by law and cannot be cut down if still alive (pruning is permitted). It’s also mentioned in millennia-old accounts, most notably in the New Testament and Judean Empire (i.e. Ancient Israel during times of Kings David and Solomon and the two temples).
Cedar, like oak, is a great wood for holding liquids. It’s not as abundant and thus isn’t as ubiquitous in cooperage, but it works well for construction and was supposedly used in building Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. It’s specifically mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Sumerian text that some argue is our first written piece of literature. Cedar is the national emblem of Lebanon and is symbolically and prominently featured in their flag.
It is genetically distinct from oak, being part of the coniferous pine family. As you can imagine, it’s quite aromatic and recognizable (anyone who has put cedar chips in their closets can tell you this). The cedar, both tree and seedpods, are resinous, and that resin is a powerful flavor-giver.
Riachi, again wanting to use a component that is deeply entwined in Lebanon’s history, toasted the cedar and added it into the amphoras after the Athyr underwent its normal maturation. In a weird twist, the proof reversed course and added a full percentage point back to the ABV. The proof was fairly stable before - 1-2% angel’s share per year off a 63% entry ABV - but to have it go back up after going down is unusual.
The result is intense. There really isn’t another word that comes close. It blasts out of the Glencairn as soon as it’s poured and never slows down. Adding to and building off of the Athyr core profile, this has a spicier character heavier on the baking spices and thus less sweet, heavily perfumed and drying.
For me, the two most intriguing notes added are a cigar leaf being dried and a dark, dark chocolate drink I had in Mexico. The latter might be unfamiliar to most, since Mexican hot chocolate in the US generally means some cinnamon has been added. This was more akin to the chocolate drinks Mayans and Aztecs would have drank, unsweetened and warm. It’s just as bitter as you would think, but when someone hands you a drink once reserved for emperors and gods you don’t say no.
With that, I’ll close out this review with a few quick notes on Riachi that I wasn’t able to fit cleanly elsewhere:
The barley is sun-dried, retaining more nutrients and drying it much more gently than with a kiln. According to Roy Riachi, they learned it from the bulgur wheat industry, which also sun dries their grain when possible.
The converted Armagnac still has a 47-meter-long copper condenser coil (that’s just over 154 feet!) of added copper contact after distillation.
Besides the historical connection/reason to use clay maturation vessels, coopers are functionally extinct in Lebanon. The last cooper closed in the 1980s. Any new casks that Riachi uses for their other releases under the Levant Heights line are imported from the US.
I truly hope my and other reviews will encourage you to try this whisky and others from Riachi. They’re not paying me to say anything and I don’t derive any benefit from doing so (other than a direct line to Roy, which I fully disclose). I’m just a big fan of a small, new-to-the-US import that deserves some attention. Cheers!
Athyr Lebanese Single Malt Whisky Cedarwood Finish: Specs
Classification: Lebanese Whisky
Origin: Riachi Winery & Distillery
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Proof: 112 (56% ABV)
Age: 7 Years Old (6 + 1 Year With Cedar)
Location: Lebanon
Athyr Lebanese Single Malt Whisky Cedarwood Finish Price: $150
No Official Website
Athyr Lebanese Single Malt Whisky Cedarwood Finish: Tasting Notes
Eye: Dark red cherrywood verging on ruby - just gorgeous. Thin-to-medium rims and solid, oily legs.
Nose: Whisky-soaked figs, incredibly aromatic. It’s just blowing out of the glass. Sharp baking spices, especially freshly grated nutmeg. Cocoa butter and burnt vanilla beans. Manuka honey, licorice root, and used espresso grounds.
Palate: Floral and perfumed. The intensity is fully revealed in a brandy-esque sweet-and-dry balance. Astringent and mouthwatering, toasted honey and birch beer. Unsweetened hot chocolate a la Central America, bitter and dark (the chocolate, not the whole pour). The mouthfeel is just shy of syrupy, with oak, cedar, and chocolate all vying for dominance. My whole mouth is perfumed with a coating. Black pepper flavor (not spice) and black licorice round out the main pour.
Finish: Long and coating, the cedar perfume continuing. Baker’s chocolate, fig liqueur, and the bitter/acidic mix of pomegranate molasses.
Overall: Like the Athyr before it, there’s really nothing like this in the whisky world. The closest thing that comes to mind is a super-aged grape brandy that then hits a virgin French oak cask. The cedar is such a recognizable flavor that in some ways it’s surprising to see the complexity it adds, making the darks darker (chocolate and fig) and the other notes brighter and more acidic (pomegranate, baking spices). If I had to choose, I’d probably drink the Athyr Empire/Single Cask more frequently, but wouldn’t turn down a pour of either.
Final Rating: 7.8
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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