Langatun 5 Years - Wajos
The Langatun 5 Years - Wajos promises Swiss whisky craftsmanship from the Langatun distillery, bottled by the independent bottler Wajos. With a proud 40% alcohol content and five years of maturation, which should apparently feel like an eternity. Spoiler alert: it doesn't.
Tasting Notes
Nose
At first sniff you think: "Okay, that could work." Honey - nice. Extremely cereal-like - well, that happens with young whiskies. A little malty sweetness - at least something. With a lot of imagination, you can even detect a touch of peach and a hint of coffee. So far, so solid. Then comes the reality check: solvent and superglue in the background. Not subtle. Not charming. Just there. It's as if someone had diluted the distillate with DIY store chemicals. This is the moment when you ask yourself whether the five years of maturation were perhaps a few years too little after all.
Palate
The first sip confirms all fears. Slight creaminess - more wishful thinking than reality. Grain, mango, apple - it's all there, but so thin that you wonder whether there's any whisky in the glass at all or just flavoured water. Somewhat malty sounds good on paper, but feels like a bashful whisper at a concert. The main problem: the 40% alcohol strength makes this whisky so mild that it would lose out to mineral water. Here, quantity was obviously prioritised over quality - or rather: profit over taste.
Finish
A little dry - that's it. Slight youth shines through - a diplomatic way of saying "tastes unripe". Another hint of apple and some milk chocolate, but everything is so fleeting that you hardly notice it before it's gone again.
Thoughts
Marcel 55/100
This Langatun 5 Year is like a quiet whisper in a loud whisky world – technically fine, but lacking character or bite. It might seem innocent enough for beginners, but true connoisseurs will likely be disappointed. Better to save a few francs and treat yourself to something with more soul.
Sascha 66/100
The balance of the Langatun 5 Year feels off-kilter, with a weak structure and an alcohol strength that’s too low, which stifles its complexity. Although solidly made, the whisky lacks depth and persistence, making it unappealing for seasoned tasters. It might be acceptable for newcomers, but the value for money is hardly convincing.
Value for Money: Very expensive
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Why does the Langatun 5 Year - Wajos taste so immature despite five years of aging?
Five years is relatively short maturation time for a whisky, often resulting in dominant grain and solvent notes. In this case, the flavors don’t seem sufficiently harmonized yet, which amplifies the impression of immaturity and chemical undertones.
How does the 40% alcohol strength affect the taste of this whisky?
At 40% ABV, the Langatun 5 Year - Wajos is comparatively mild. This lower strength causes the flavors to be less intense and the whisky overall to feel thin and lacking presence.
What does it mean that the whisky comes from an independent bottler like Wajos?
An independent bottler purchases whisky from a distillery and releases it under their own label. In the case of Langatun 5 Year - Wajos, this means Wajos selected and bottled the whisky, which can influence maturation, cask choice, and bottling strength.