Brennivín Special Cask Selection 2017 Aquavit
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
- ABV
- 40%
- Base spirit
- Grain (unspecified)
- Color
- Pale Gold
- Style
- Barrel-Aged Aquavit
- Maturation
- 1 year in Ex-Sherry cask + Ex-Bourbon cask American oak
Brennivín Special Cask Selection 2017 is a limited barrel-aged Icelandic aquavit released under the Brennivín brand. The expression was matured for 12 months in sherry and bourbon casks and bottled at 40% ABV in a 700 ml format. The bottle is marked “2017 Release,” “Special Cask Selection” and “Sherry & Bourbon Cask Aquavit.”
The 2017 release was limited to 2,300 bottles worldwide. Contemporary retail documentation describes the maturation as contributing sherry, bourbon and vanilla notes to the underlying caraway-led spirit.
The underlying Brennivín uses a neutral grain base, with caraway incorporated during a second distillation through a botanical basket in a copper pot still. Technical documentation for the Special Cask Selection series describes maturation in ex-Kentucky bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry casks, followed by proofing with Icelandic water and bottling non-chill filtered at 40% ABV. This is consistent with the 2017 release’s documented sherry and bourbon cask maturation.
Bottle gallery
About the producer
Kveldúlfur Distillery
Reykjavík, Höfuðborgarsvæði, Iceland
Kveldúlfur Distillery is the current producer of Brennivín and operates within the Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson group. Vínbúðin identifies Kveldúlfur Distillery as the producer of the standard 40% Brennivín, while Ölgerðin is listed separately as supplier and owns the Brennivín brand.
Kveldúlfur Distillery is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ölgerðin. Ölgerðin’s financial statements list Kveldúlfur Distillery ehf. among the companies owned 100% by the group, alongside Borg Brugghús and several other beverage businesses.
The wider Ölgerðin business was founded in Reykjavík in 1913 by Tómas Tómasson and developed from a small brewery into Iceland’s largest producer of alcoholic beverages. Today the group owns a number of major Icelandic drinks brands, including Brennivín, Gull and Boli, while Kveldúlfur functions as the distilling entity associated with Brennivín production.
The relationship between Brennivín and Ölgerðin is therefore more recent than the spirit itself. Brennivín originated as a state-produced spirit in 1935; after ÁTVR ended alcohol production in 1992, production moved into private hands. The current structure places production with Kveldúlfur Distillery and brand ownership and distribution with Ölgerðin.
Ölgerðin also manages Brennivín as an international brand. Company filings state that the Brennivín word and figurative marks are registered in the European Union and the United Kingdom, while the Brennivín word mark is also registered in Canada.
