SEVEN SEALS WHISKY
THE INNOVATION IN THE WHISKY WORLD
Mankind has been distilling for a very long time. From this, the production of whisky has also evolved. What makes a good whisky is a matter of debate. But the fact is that for the whiskey drinker the taste is always in the foreground. For the whisky collector, other priorities are in the foreground. The Seven Seals brand deals intensively with these issues and combines tradition with innovation in an almost perfect way. The goal is the ecologically and economically optimized production of whiskies of the highest quality and the expansion of the diverse flavors of this wonderful spirit. Thus, the Seven Seals brand has been refining whiskies in an almost perfect manner for three years.
Dolf Stockhausen, the inventor of the Seven Seals process, decided at the age of 72 to improve the classic cask aging process of whisky, because otherwise he might not have been able to taste his first whisky after this process. But as is usual with the best inventions, it was only through close collaboration with a Swiss distillery that it
that it was possible to create an exceptionally tasty product that has since won numerous awards. In addition to the classic whiskies, the existing classic product line was expanded to include the Zodiak series, with the goal of implementing the many possibilities of the process and the numerous ideas of the team. Seven Seals translates in its whiskies of the Zodiak line some characteristics of the signs of the zodiac to the whiskies, working only with the positive characteristics of the respective
zodiac sign. In the production of the whisky, these character traits are addressed and transferred to the whisky. The result is incredibly exciting whiskies with interesting flavors. The Seven Seals Zodiacs are bottled in various limited batches of 365 bottles. The following single malt whisky of the Zodiak line are already available in stores:
The Age of SCORPIO
The idea, and therefore of course the first Zodiak Single Malt Whisky, was realized and brought to life as a thank you to the wife of the inventor of the Fast Forward Finishing process. Thus, the first single malt whisky of this line is in the zodiac sign of Scorpio, the birth month of Maria Stockhausen and, like her, is characterized by willpower, determination, diligence and a certain skepticism.
Therefore, it is subtle from the beginning but to the point until the finish! It is flavorfully balanced and complex with hints of vanilla and a touch of roasted nuts and wood. At the end remains a fruity note which is perfectly integrated into a multi-layered complexity.
The Age of AQUARIUS
In honor of the inventor was created the second whiskey, which is in the zodiac sign of Aquarius, the month of birth of Dolf Stockhausen. Peaty Aquarius stands for nothing but eccentricity, progress, future, sociability, thus expressing his individuality. It is a gentle giant and has its voluminous smoke aroma cleverly wrapped in velvet. Fine aromas of gingerbread, dark chocolate, fine spices are accompanied by roasted aromas from the campfire. A very long finish crowns the pleasure.
The Age of TAURUS
The third whisky is the Seven Seals "The Age of Taurus", which, like its two predecessors, was also provided with the positive character traits of its zodiac sign. This single malt whisky of the zodiac sign Taurus is down-to-earth, balanced, enjoyable, self-confident and persevering. Like the zodiac sign, Seven Seals "The Age of Taurus" represents the full enjoyment of life. For this reason, this whisky is a smoke port bomb with Triple Wood Double Tawny Port Finish. It is intense and bold, earthy with a light toasted smokiness and a playful bitterness with subtle sweetness in the background.
The Age of LEO
Sweet and yet powerful is not possible? The Seven Seals "Th e Age of Leo" shows impressively that this is not a contradiction. This single malt whisky is under the zodiac sign of Leo and is a real winner. He appears self-confident, yet he is rather on the sweet side. He is determined, sociable with a big heart and lots of fire. He is our fat lion, with Triple Wood and Double Pedro Ximenez Sherry
Finish, just an absolute sherry bomb. The whiskey is very balanced, wonderfully intense, beautifully fruity and is accompanied by woody notes with intense forest honey.
The Age of SAGITTARIUS
This single malt whisky is under the zodiac sign of Sagittarius and is extroverted and enthusiastic, its optimism and humor make it popular and its positive attitude towards life infects other people. Sagittarius is nicely balanced from the start. It is pleasantly smooth with subtle aromas of licorice, raisins, subtle gingerbread, of roasted nuts and a fine wood note. A nice long finish crowns the pleasure.
Ilona Fässler is one of the few spirits sommeliers in Switzerland. She is one of the few women who have completed and successfully completed this training and she sits on various juries at home and abroad. She is a trained food technologist and has been interested in various distillates for some time. She is interested in the great variety of beverages, which are produced from the most different raw materials. Thus, the spirits sommelière recognizes which distillate it is based on the raw material and recognizes the subtleties and peculiarities of juniper in gin, fruit in fruit brandies, cane sugar in rum and grains in whisky.
SETTE: Ilona Fässler - You work as a production manager and master distiller at Kindschi & Söhne AG in Schiers, Grisons. How does a young woman like you get into strong alcohol and what fascinates you about the production of spirits?
Ilona Fässler: My love of strong liquor comes from different directions. Clearly, my father influenced me with grappa and fruit brandies. He always had a shelf full of different bottles in his old wooden cupboard. And it was often said after the meal "a grappa for dad". From my side, I like to travel and taste the specialties in all countries and cultures. And what you find in every country are spirits. So I have been more and more magically attracted to the spirits world.
In addition, you recently became a spirits sommelier. What does a spirits sommelier do and why did this title interest you?
I am an ambitious person and wanted to further my education in the field of spirits. I have done various trainings, including the Swiss Spirits Sommelier but also WSET Level3 in Spirits or the Whisky Ambassador. I am far from finished with further education. There is always more to know. But with the spirits sommelier, it's not just the title that counts; it's important to train regularly. Sensory skills are something that can and must be trained. I also go to various tastings, whether national or international, so I also train with the tasting circle, in my free time.
Now you also have a weakness for whiskies. What fascinates you about the spirit whisky?
I particularly like the variety of flavors in whisky. There are whiskies where you can always discover new flavors, every time you smell the glass. In addition, there are now already so many countries that produce whiskey and yet each is different and reflects its country. I just find that exciting.
Which whisky brand has impressed you the most recently and why?
There are two. Clearly Seven Seals, the flavors they make with their whiskies at that young age is fascinating. I am always overwhelmed by the products they bring to the market. I've also had them in blind tastings many times. The results have always been the same, not only from me, but from colleagues as well. The Seven Seals whisky always clears super points, as it can easily keep up with the older ones in the blind tasting. The second is Torabhaig on the Isle of Skye. A new distillery that also makes very good young whisky. The interesting thing is, we can now witness how it grows and develops. A really very interesting journey of whisky and its distillery.
Why do you like 7Seals The Age of Taurus in particular?
The balance of smokiness and fruitiness, I find there just perfect. A super texture and a good mouthfeel, round on the finish. The smoke is nicely integrated without drowning out the other flavors. A symphony of flavors including caramel, vanilla, dried fruit and earthy flavors, infused with a harmonious smokiness. Even though my zodiac sign is Leo and I'd like to prefer that one, I have to be honest that I like the Taurus better.
Can you still create cocktails with such a fruity and smoky whiskey?
I'd say a resounding YES to that. I'm not a bartender, but I've had some super cocktails with smoky whiskies. My favorite cocktail is the Whisky Sour, I haven't had a Whisky Sour with the Taurus yet, but I wouldn't push that cocktail off the edge of the bed.
Can you accompany a meal with the 7Seals The Age of Taurus? What would you recommend to go with it?
I can very much imagine pasta with a creamy smoked salmon sauce with it. Or when I fire up the smoker in the summer with my brother and family and make really good spareribs on it, I'm sure it would go great with that too. My mouth is already watering, yummi.