Box Destilleri Tasting Notes

Box Single Malt Whisky, The 2^nd Step Collection 01 51.1%

Tasted: June 2016

Nose: A beautiful tropical fruit bomb! Sugar sprinkled apricot, melon, pear and apple, followed by crisp green apple, gooseberry, lime and honey. Suddenly a gentle thread of lightly medicinal and smoky peat appears.

Palate: Slightly darker with more malt character and dark honey. The tropical fruit notes are still present though and begin to emerge along with hints of barley, lime and green apple. The slightly medicinal peat begins quite quietly but builds up a head of steam!

Finish: Intense and chewy with coffee coated banana and dark, moist, earthy peat, liquorice and a touch of treacle. Great finish!

Conclusion: A truly world class whisky.

Box Single Malt Whisky, The 2^nd Step Collection 03 51.5%

A blend of 88% peated and 12% unpeated malt, aged in ex-Bourbon, virgin American oak and virgin Hungarian oak.

Distilled between Mar – Dec 2011 and bottled in 2017 (aged over 5.5 years)

Tasted: Nov 2017

The nose is quite earthy and smoky with subtle medicinal notes. There’s a touch of youthful rose petal marc and floral barley, along with coffee, vanilla and spicy virgin oak notes.

The palate is full and oaky with vanilla and a full on chunky oak character. However the barley and citrus balances as does the light saltiness. The earthy peat is subtler than the nose suggests. Good, intense and seriously spicy finish with gritty ginger bread, vanilla and slightly sweet pepper in the finish

 

Box Destilleri The Archipelago 56.5%

Nose: Raw, youthful and rather winey and sherried with malt biscuits, boiled sweets and herbal marc-like notes. Neat it doesn’t feel totally integrated. Water mitigates the rawness and brings out some fruit and barley.

Palate: Dry, intensely woody with a raw cask feel and hints of oily barley, boiled sweets and intrusive alcohol. Water emphasises the oily fruit but also simplifies.

Finish: Raw, intense and herbal with lingering coffee and marc-like notes. Diluted it shows more sweetness and a touch of earthy peat.

Conclusion: Far too young. It’s the first disappointing Swedish whisky I’ve had in a long time.

Box Whisky Dalvve 46%

63.48% is 5.24 year old unpeated whisky from 200-litre 1st fill bourbon casks.

24.13% is 5.23 year old peated whisky from 200-litre 1st fill bourbon casks.

12.39% is 5.07 year old unpeated whisky from 135-litre 1st fill bourbon casks.

All casks ex-Heaven Hill & Jack Daniels.

Batch 1/ Tasted: May 2017

The nose is estery and fruity, almost tropical in style with pineapple, apricot, green apple, white fruit and barley. Young and fresh with a subtle saltiness and earthy peatiness. With time a touch of perfumed honey appears along with some slightly grainy oak.

The palate is fresh and almost spritzy with salty white fruit, apricot, pineapple and hints of honey. Very mineral middle with a touch of malt and earthy peat. Long, salty and austere finish with youthful green apple on the finish, along with some subtle peat and oak. Very refreshing.

Smogen Distillery Tasting Notes

Smogen Svensk Primor 2010 (3 year old) 67.3%

Optic Barley peated to 45ppm

Matured in a combination of new European Oak casks and former Bordeaux casks.

Dist: Sept/ Nov 2010 Btl: Nov 2013/ Casks 5 & 14-21/ Tasted: Oct 2014

Smogen Whisky AB was established in 2009 by Par Caldenby, who (in 2006) published ‘Enjoying Malt Whisky’.

The distillery was built on a farm on the West coast of Sweden, North of Gothenburg, it has a 900 Litre wash still, a 600 litre spirit still, and a production capacity of 35000 litres.

The nose is intense and manure with bitter coffee, burnt wood and very dry peat. Quite edgy with a high toned spirit edge. The oak adds a boiled sweet sherry note along with hints of black pepper and olives, plus a late touch of soy sauce. A very unique and unusual nose!

The palate has a lovely intensity but also display a softness of character. The sherry comes through first bringing dried fruit notes, followed by some crisp spirit, followed by burnt wood, manure and dry peat. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to say that it’s extremely alcoholic and along with being pretty bitter on the finish it really brings tears to the eyes! However once everything has stopped watering you realise that some sugar have come out on the after-taste along with alight boiled sweet, rose peat and peat note. Intense is not the word!

A drop of water makes the nose softer and  less visceral. It also makes it a bit more harmonious. A little apricot and toasted nuts can be detected now and the peat and manure sort of gently wafts through the sherry. The palate is softer and gives the sherry a more coffee’d chocolaty sheen, also a little more malty character can be detected.. The manure and peat notes are now quite subtle though. The sugars seemed to have skulked off somewhere and that does make the bitterness on the finish stand out a little more, however it’s still impressively spicy and tongue tingling!

Smogen 4 year old French Quarter Cask 61%

Vatting of 5 casks

Tasted: Apr 2016

Intense aromas of gritty, grainy, toasty, sweet-ish oak with hints of barley, herbs and lightly medicinal peat. Its shows its youth with a hint of feints and boiled sweets, but the balance for such a young spirit is superb. With time hints of coffee, sweet peat, charred wood and bonfire notes.

Like the nose the palate opens with the gritty and grainy oak, followed by slightly oxidised apricot fruit, earthy peat and coffee’d, spicy wood notes. Malty and barley’d on the middle with the fruit sweetness underpinning. Excellent length with lingering burnt wood, dry tannins, earthy peat and smoke. Wonderfully intense with the alcohol well integrated. Unfortunately I didn’t have a big enough sample to try it diluted.

Smogen Wee Swede 2012 (4 year old) 62.5%

Heavily Peated Optic Barley

American Oak Barrel/ Swedish Oak Bloodtub

Cask 17/2012

Dist Mar 2012 Btl: Aug 2016/ Tasted: Sept 2016

For the Wee Swede, Par took one single Bourbon barrel filled in 2012 and let its contents go through two small 30 ltr Bloodtub casks of new Swedish oak. After three instalments of two months each, the whisky was returned to the original barrel for marrying.

The nose opens with some young, oily cereal notes with hints of lime and barley. Once it has settled in the glass and given some aeration it really opens up to show some lovely, sweet barley and hints of Bowmore-esque parma violets. The peat character is actually relatively subtle and adds hints of manure and smoke. I love the combination of dusty American oak and tighter grained European oak, the later adding a touch of burnt spice.

Dry, dusty barley and a little more peat intensity on the palate. That peat character is wonderfully young, smoky and primal. Hints of honey, sweet cereal, barley, gritty oak spices come through but the soft and supple American oak vanillins underpin. Long with lingering salty peat and violet notes.

A drop of water makes the nose heavier and oilier with a chunkier barley character and hints of honey and menthol. There is less peat influence now but the parma violet notes are still noticeable. The palate is a little simpler, which is probably down to the water emphasising the oak vanillins. Still it’s very rounded, spicy and dusty and long.

Smogen Wee Swede 2012 (4 year old) 62.5%

Re-Tasted: Oct 2016

Nose: Dry but phenolic peat, tar and creosote with hints of burnt heather and ginger. Beneath lies some sweet barley and tight European(?) oak notes along with toffee, grainy dried fruit, manure and smoke.

Palate: Dry, dusty peat with a hint of Bowmore-esque violets. Intense and smoky on the middle with tar and creosote. Definitely not one-dimensional as the barley adds sweetness and the oak adds gritty tannins.

Finish: Long, with lingering peat smoke, salt and gentle oak vanillins.

Conclusion: Intense, primal and exceptionally good. Those mad Swedes have come up with a cracker again!

Smogen Triple 2011 (5 year old) 54%

Triple distilled, heavily peated optic malt, aged in 2 ex-Sauternes barriques (5/2011 and 6/2011)

Dist: Mar 2011 Btl; Jan 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017

Lovely, soft and herbal aromas with plenty of fragrant honey, honeysuckle and thick set honey. Yep, lots of honey! Extremely deep with hints of barley, apricot, earth and coffee’d tannins.

The palate is soft and barley’d and like the nose oozing honeyed character. Lightly grapey with a touch of white chocolate, butter-cream, apricot and slightly perfumed honeysuckle. Lovely intensity with a long, honeyed and barley’d finish. Subtle smoky, coffee after-taste. Considering this was distilled using heavily peated malt, it would appear that the triple distillation has pretty much removed all the peat character.

 

---

Smogen Single Cask 60.9%

Cask 20/2011

Aged for 3 years and 2 months in Ex-makers Mark cask

Tasted: Feb 2015

Pungent and oily aromas of lightly tarry and manurey peat with a light medicinal/ herbal edge. The spirit itself is quite full and rounded, which is amazing given its age with a touch of toasted oak coming through. Quite primal but controlled.

The palate opens with the soft, toasted oak and herbs but the earthy peat is not far behind! It shows its youth with a little oily spirit note, but it also has some lovely crunchy barley and a light rose petal note. Lightly medicinal on the finish with the peat lingering and a light tarry after-taste. Fantastically clean and given the alcohol is very well integrated.

A drop of water brings out the charred oak and toasted caramel biscuit notes. The peat has become subservient but is still slightly medicinal. The palate is similar to the nose. Maybe there is a little more of the fresh rose petal character but dilution certainly hasn’t impinged upon its complexity.

Smogen Single Cask 3/2010 (5 year old) 61.3%

Fresh Bordeaux Barrique. Peated to 40ppm

Dist: Oct 2010 Btl: Jan 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016

The nose opens with some relatively subtle peat with hints of sweet barley and redcurrant/ cherry notes along with malt, treacle, tar, manure and wood spice. Intensely alcoholic but it is well integrated. With time it develops a fresher, almost salty edge.

The palate is quite sweet to begin with, showing syrup coated red fruits and hints of straw, barley, earthy peat, malt, liquorice and treacle. The manure peat notes build on the middle along with some coffee notes. Seriously alcoholic finish but the sweetness balances. Lovely, lingering earthy peat, light tar and smoke.

A drop of water brings out a touch of creamy oak and more barley as the red wine character is pushed into the background. The peat has become a little medicinal and some heathery herbal notes and boiled sweet notes are apparent. The palate is softer and rounder with more tar, liquorice and treacle and plenty of pure grainy French oak tannins. Quite a mineral and almost tartly citrus finish with the treacle offsetting. Lovely length with lingering red fruits, citrus and a final dusty/ floral note.

Smogen Single Cask 18/2012 (5 year old) 61.3%

Heavily Peated Optic Barley/ Fresh Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2012 Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Oct 2017

Gritty and earthy with a lovely combination of sweet, heathery peat and earthy peat. Hints of honey, fresh barley and taught vanillins. The apricot fruit has a sort of almost winey edge and with time it becomes pleasantly crisp and mineral with a touch of salt and lemon.

The palate has a lovely intensity of gritty peat and earth backed by voluptuous honeyed fruit. The alcohol holds that honey sweetness in check allowing barley, white fruit and mineral notes to emerge. Long with lingering earthy peat, wood embers, subtle coffee and stone fruit. Intense and full of elemental character.

Water emphasises the oily spirit character and I swear I can smell a slight botrytis grapey note, a la a Sauternes cask, or that might just be my imagination. It also brings forward the oak and sweet fruit. The peat has become quite wispy. The palate is softer and fruitier. Still quite earthy and like the nose, subtle on the peat. Hints of honeysuckle, camomile appear in the finish now, long with charred wood and earthy peat.

Smogen 6/6 2011 (6 year old) 59.2%

Peated to 50ppm/ From 2 large barrels of new Swedish oak/ Dist: June 2011 Btl: 2016

A dense, rich, earthy and spicy nose with a good dollop of taught, tannic oak. Hints of treacle and tarry peat follow with hints of heather, sweet barley and toastier oak notes. The spirit shows its relative youth with a subtle rose petal marc note, but it’s all beautifully integrated.

The palate opens with treacle, tar, earth, peat and subtle rose petal marc. The oak is subtler but still quite taught and tannic but the mouth-coating tar laden peat returns on the middle. Intense and almost primeval! Long with lingering peat, toasty oak and rose petal marc. Fabulously balanced and seriously intense.

With water the nose becomes smokier with more, open, toasty vanilla and barley. The peat has almost completely vanished, which leaves the sweet-ish and fruity spirit on show. The palate is very munch as it is neat, maybe it’s a little softer with bbq smoke and treacle coated herbal meaty notes.

 

---

Smogen Sherry Project 1.1 51.8%

Aged for 2 year and 10 months in heavily toasted European Oak Quarter casks followed by 4 months finishing in Oloroso Sherry Butts.

Tasted: Feb 2015

The nose is quite toffee’d and herbal with a boiled sweet sherry note. Pungent dried fruit – prune and raisin, burnt wood, earthy peat, dried grass and slightly singed thyme follow. The sherry aromas continue to evolve and become fairly treacly and display a slight dried grapey PX character.

The palate is soft, dense  and treacly with an abundance of rich fruitcake dried fruit and boiled sweets. Earthy-peat comes through on the middle along with some lightly toasty oak and burnt wood. Long with lingering treacle and dried fruit. Quite dry at the death but not bitter.

Water makes the nose fresher and more citric with a slight medicinal note appearing. On the palate it brings out more caramel, tar and molasses notes. Like in the cask strength bottling there is a hint of fresh rose petal and as the sherry has diminished a little it allows the peat to emerge more forcefully in a drier and dustier form.

Smogen Sherry Project 1.2 55.7%

Aged for 2 year and 10 months in heavily toasted European Oak Quarter casks followed by 8 months finishing in Oloroso Sherry Butts.

Tasted: Feb 2015

The nose is softer and sweeter than 1.1 with more herbal Oloroso character. Hints of dried apricot, orange, rose petals and just a light boiled sweet note follow. The sherry doesn’t have the treacly character of 1.1 and allows a touch of perfumed barley to emerge. The peat also feels a little lighter and again more herbal.

The palate is also softer and sweeter than the 1.1 and shows a light syrup coated dried apricot and sultana character. The peat is more noticeable and drier although the herbal notes come through quite strongly on the middle along with hints of dates and walnuts. Quite an alcoholic finish with lingering boiled sweets, dusty smoke and gritty but soft tannins.

With water the nose is toastier with only a subtle boiled sweet sherry note and more noticeable peat. The palate is similar to the nose but not quite as complex now. The oak is bittering a little the peat is wonderfully prominent and dry, however some sugars come through on the finish to offset the dryness and give it a superb balance.

Smogen Sherry Project 1.3 53.7%

Aged for 2 years and 10 months in heavily roasted European Quarter Casks. Finshed for 12 months in Oloroso sherry butt.

Tasted: Sept 2015

Intense aromas of charred oak and very winey, primal sherry. Big chunks of earthy peat, dried apricot orange with a light treacle veneer. Talking of chunks there’s 90% cocoa chocolate, burnt raisins and developing green nuts, herbs and liquorice. An incredibly deep primal soup of a nose!

The palate is thick, winey, grapey with an almost Pedro Ximinez-like sherry character. Intense is not the word! Charred wood, green nuts, tannins and lots of herbal notes assail the palate. Thick slabs of oily peat emerge on the middle. Long, drying and slightly smoky with the peat becoming very sticky and tarry. Wow, that’s a tannic finish, just liking licking the inside of the barrel!

Diluted the nose is still very primal, grapey, winey and treacly – so no change there! The palate has become a little lighter but not by much. Less intense on the peat and it allows a marmalade orange note to come through along with hints of 90% cocoa chocolate. The peat kicks in on the finish with waves of herbal, almost bog myrtle-like notes plus creosote, tar, liquorice and sticky cough syrup. Wow!!!!

Smogen Sherry Project 1.4 57.2%

Aged in sherried European Quarter Casks. Finshed in Oloroso sherry butt.

Tasted: Sept 2015

The nose is softer and smokier than 1.3 with less treacle and more lightly nutty sherried fruit. The peat is quite hidden and displays a more medicinal character. Lightly coastal with a touch of boiled sweets, vanilla custard and some sweeter, more heathery smoke.

The sherry on palate is lighter and feels more manzanilla-like in character with a distinct nuttiness and hints of liquorice, charcoal, very sweet crystallised orange and building, slightly bitter dark chocolaty tannins. Seriously mouth-watering but the subtle honey and treacle balances the alcohol rather well. Very long and smoky with a dusty peat, toasted oak and burnt wood finish.

A drop of water really brings out the toasted oak notes as the sherry takes a bit of a back seat. Now some honey coated barley appears along with hints of earth, manure, tar and sweet, heathery smoke and the peat is a little more prominent too. The palate is crisper and like the nose shows more barley and honey. Again the sherry is quite subtle and the sweet peat, heather, thyme and citrus comes through. Beautiful, dry, nutty finish.

Smogen Sherry Project 1.4 57.2%

Re-Tasted: Apr 2016

Nose: Soft, nutty Oloroso and dense peat smoke. Slightly briny with cinder toffee, treacle and sweet dried fruit. Lightly medicinal with boiled sweets, heather and vanilla custard. Water emphasises the toasty oak and brings out a touch of manure.

Palate: Nutty, almost Manzanilla-like sherry with dark treacle, prune, walnuts, liquorice, charcoal and subtle peat smoke. Dark, bitter chocolate comes through on the middle. Water brings out a hint of barley and honey as the sherry recedes.

Finish: Long and smoky with mouth-coating dusty peat, burnt wood and treacle. Water emphasises the sweeter peat notes and heather.

Conclusion: Charting the evolution of this whisky has been a fascinating experience and if you haven’t experienced it yet, then you should!

Smogen Sherry Octaves Project 2.1 (4 year old) 53.6%

Vatting of 18 fresh sherry octaves/ Dist: Apr 2013 Btl: May 2017/ Tasted: Oct 2017

Huge aromas of burnt coffee and gritty peat. Quite primal and intense with hints of herbal marc. licquorice, treacle, herbs (marjoram?), black olives and chunky raisinated fruit. With time it becomes quite smoky with bbq meat, barley and a touch of salt.

The palate opens with the combination of gritty sherrywood and gritty peat, softened by some chunky treacle and hints of sweet bbq sauce. Raisinated fruit, burnt coffee and a touch of citrus come through on the middle. Long and treacly with the bbq sauce and the peat lingering. That’s wild and wonderful.!

Mackmyra Tasting Notes

Mackmyra Preludum: 03 (3 years old) 52%

Sherry – Svensk Rok/ Tasted: Mar2007

Big, rich and fruity. Banana fritters coated in honey and toffee. Buckets of sherry cask with hints of manure, marzipan, old lanolin, demarara sugar and banoffi Pie!

The palate is soft, yet intense with lightly honeyed demarara coated sherry fruit. Ok, it’s a bit simple at this stage but there is an oily malt component with some youthful cereal, although the sweedish oak imparts quite a bitterness on the middle. The nose displays a lot more complexity as the wood is really gripping the palate. Given time this could be amazing, but only time will tell.

Mackmyra First Edition 46.1%

Tasted: Apr 2009

After the number of Predulum bottlings, this is the first ‘official’ release of the Swedish malt. Having tasted a couple of those earlier bottlings I though they showed a definite promise, so it was quiet interesting to try this. However………

The nose is surprisingly grainy and floral with hints of light pine, sap and a suggestion of orange fruit. The palate is lightly oiled, again very light and grainy with oiled wood and botanicals. A touch of apricot-ish fruit battles against the gin like spirit middle but looses!

I have to say that I’m disappointed. The predulum bottlings displayed a lot more guts and depth than this. Maybe I’m being a bit hard on this because I though the previous bottlings were really good. I’m not saying that this is a poor spirit, it’s just I feel let down by it.

Mackmyra First Edition 46.1%

First Fill Bourbon/ Virgin Swedish oak

Re-Tasted: Jan 2013

A lot less spirity on the nose than the last time I tasted this. Yes it is still young but there is a good depth of apricot, banana and unsweetened pineapple. Lightly sappy with notes of crisp unsweetened barley.

The palate is soft and gentle, opening with some slightly sugared barley, followed by apricot, banana and pineapple. Relatively straightforward with a spicy finish. There is not a huge degree of oak interaction, maybe an intimation of toasted vanilla, but that’s about it. In conclusion it’s a lot better than the last time I encountered it, then I was seriously disappointed, now it’s a pleasant, easy going 3-5 year old malt.

Mackmyra First Edition 46.1%

Re-Tasted: Sept 2015

A lovely nose of aromatic, slightly dusty barley, creamy oak and estery pineapple and apricot. Hints of edgy spices follow with earth, herbs and a late subtle honey note.

The palate is full and barley’d with sweet vanilla and edgy herbal oak. Unsweetened pineapple and apricot comes through with a lovely intensity. Quite youthful but a long, sweet oak and spice finish. Definitely a crowd pleaser!

Mackmyra Svensk Ek 46.1%

Bourbon/ Swedish oak

Tasted: Sept 2015

Soft and full, barley’d aromas. Quite estery – pineapple, apricot, peach and pear with hints of sandalwood and ginger. Subtly earthy with a developing taught, grainy wood spices and a touch of buttery vanilla.

The palate opens with the soft peppery spices and sandalwood. Apricot, pear, apple and barley comes through powerfully on the middle along with a touch of ginger, herbs and subtle, grainy almost French oak notes. Excellent depth and complexity. Very long with some American oak vanillins appearing, but wow, that’s spicy! An almost rye-like spiciness!

Mackmyra Svensk Rok 46.1%

Bottled 2013/ Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Crisp And phenolic with very sweet, heathery peat and hints of boiled sweets, pear drops and barley.

Palate: Soft and a little watery with barley and light honey notes. The peat is very subtle with building notes of heather and granulated sugar.

Finish: Crisp and very citric, quite mouth-watering in fact. Lingering heather notes.

Conclusion: Relatively straightforward but pleasant with an excellent finish.

Mackmyra Svensk Rok 46.1%

Re- Tasted: Aug 2015

Fresh, briny and faintly phenolic aromas with hints of sweet ‘Toshan-like boiled sweets, barley, rye-like herbs, earthy peat and biscuity notes.

Youthful but displaying a lovely degree of sweet barley with hints of honey, fishy-peat, biscuits, earth and , rye-like herbal notes. Quite a fresh and salty finish with a touch of vanilla, wood smoke and berries on the finish.

Mackmyra 10 year old 46.1%

Bourbon Cask, First Fill Quarter Cask Finish

Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Young, intense and gristy aromas of lemon, edgy peat, manure and sweet-ish marc-like notes. With time more of the decaying rose petal notes come through.

Palate: Opens with edgy barley and herbs. Very lightly oaked but supportive, adding a touch of lightly toasted caramel.

Finish: Very long, dry and herbal with the marc-like notes lingering.

Conclusion: Strangely compelling. It’s a bit rough at the edges but it’s an honest spirit.

 

---

Mackmyra Special Edition 03 ‘Small Casks’ 48.2%

Matured in a combination of Sherry, Bourbon and Virgin Swedish oak 30 litre casks

Tasted: Jan 2013

A slightly deeper but displaying a similar fruit profile to the First Edition – Apricot, banana, fleshy white fruit and pineapple. However, aging in smaller oak casks has added a greater degree of oak intensity. Again slightly sappy with hints of vanilla, sherried dried fruit and an almost Tequila-esque pepperiness. All very harmonious

The palate is quite fresh and citrusy with a distinct mineral hardness. Gently fruity with a big hit of bitter oak and tannins. Yes there is a touch of sweet barley but I’m struggling to get past the bitterness of the oak. It’s an interesting idea, but I don’t think I would part with £60 for a bottle of it.

 

---

Mackmyra: Moment Barnsten 49.8%

Tasted: Jan 2015

Nose: Aromatic, sweet corn and enormous herbal rye and coffee’d rye go head to head with chunky oak. Hints of praline and cream appear but the focus is well and truly on the herbal rye.

Palate: Oily with herbal rye and hints of lightly toasted wheat flakes, bran and treacle. Again the oak is pretty dense but it sits beneath, but it does display a harder, grittier and more tannic character.

Finish: Reasonable length with again plenty of herbal notes. Finally a little creamy oak and corn comes through but it’s quite a dry finish.

Conclusion: Entertaining but it just lacks some sweetness to balance the alcohol and the almost astringent rye.

Mackmyra: Moment Solsken 52.6%

Tasted: Apr 2015

Nose: Pungent, sugar coated almonds, barley and toffee. The aromas become quite leafy an herbal with time and hints of apricot, orange, tangerine and banana appear. Water makes it a little more aromatic and allows some buttery American oak notes to appear.

Palate: The intensity of sugar coated barley is frightening. Almond and sweet, leafy herbs follow along with a touch of dried grape and honey (Sauternes finished?) Quite alcoholic with developing apricot and wood smoke. Water emphasises the casks sweetness.

Finish: Very long and very herbal with plenty of drying alcohol. Water lengthens and sweetens.

Conclusion: Now, that’s an excellent whisky. It has power, elegance and complexity. If it isn’t aged or finished in an ex-Sauternes cask then I have no idea where that sweetens comes from! Either way it is a must buy whisky!

Mackmyra Moment: Blomstead 46.1%

Oloroso & Pedro Ximinez casks, finished in ex Cherry wine casks.

Tasted: Mar 2017

A chunky and dense nose of toffee, Oloroso, Pedro Ximinez, malt and hints of dark cherry fruit. Quite elegant and balanced with a subtle nuttiness.

The palate is rich and toffee’d with plenty of grapey/ treacly Pedro Ximinez and spicy Oloroso. Again well balanced with a little barley character and hints of honey and cherry fruit coming through. Vibrant finish with slightly perfumed vanilla, ginger and subtle herbal notes.

Mackmyra Moment: Maelstrom 46.4%

Aged in 30ltr casks – First Fill Bourbon, new American oak, Oloroso, Swedish oak and hybrid casks (American oak body, Swedish oak ends)

Tasted: Mar 2017

An intense and oaky nose. Perfumed and subtle vanilla mingles with taught, resiny Swedish oak, sherry spice. Underneath is a good depth of almost tropical apricot and pineapple fruit, barley, wood smoke, white pepper and nettly herbs.

The palate is earthy and a little more rugged and less fruity than the nose suggests. Still balanced and elegant with vanilla, herbal Oloroso and tight, spicy, grainy Swedish oak. Juicy, honeyed and mouth-watering middle with hints of sub-Armagnacy dried fruit. Very long with the creamy American oak coming back on the finish.

Mackmyra Moment: Skog 52.4%

Finished in ex Lingonberry and Blueberry wine casks.

Tasted: Mar 2017

A pungent, natural and rugged nose of dark berry fruit and dark chocolate. Hints of herbal peat, treacle, pine and hints of spicy oak. Quite dark, foresty and malty with cocoa powder and coffee.

Herbal and soft, although, dark and tannic. The oak is a little aggressive but the treacle,, pine, blueberry balances. Again pleasantly natural and rugged with a great mouth-watering intensity. Quite a youthful finish with tongue tingling spice, citrus and a subtle marc-like note.

A drop of water emphasises its youth and herbal, piney, foresty winey notes. The palate shows a little more vanilla and toffee’d oak.  Again the emphasis is on the herbal, berry fruit and pine. Still a fairly youthful finish.

Mackmyra Moment: Ledin 48.2%

First Fill Bourbon (Sauternes seasoned)

Casks selected by Angela D’Orazio and Tomas Ledin (Swedish singer/ songwriter)

Tasted: Oct 2017

Intense, rich, honeyed aromas with hints of pear, vanilla and lightly toasty oak. It becomes quite fragrant and grapey with an aromatic, sweet and herbal spiciness.

The palate is oily and viscous with nutty honey and soft grapey notes. Lightly herbal on the middle with hints of barley and subtle but estery fruit. The lovely honey notes deepen and the finish is long and full of dusty, earthy spice, vanilla and lingering estery fruit.

Mackmyra Moment: Korsbar 47%

Korsbar means cherry in Swedish

Blend of First Fill 128ltr ex-Oloroso (Sweet cherry wine seasoned), First Fill 200ltr ex-Bourbon (Sweet cherry wine seasoned), plus Mackmyra Reserve aged in 300ltr First fill Bourbon, First fill American oak (Oloroso seasoned) and Hybrid Bourbon/ New Swedish oak casks.

Tasted: Oct 2017

Initially the aromas are hugely fruity – Cherry and Oloroso. However give it some time and the complexity of the aromas is breath-taking. It’s quite spicy and subtly herbal with an underlying, classic fruity spirit character. The tight and spicy oak comes through along with a light, pine sap and foresty notes and finally a touch of barley and earthy vanilla.

The palate opens with the cherry fruit and a touch of bitter oak and herbal Oloroso. Lightly chocolaty with hints of ginger and sweeter cherry. Delightfully herbal and spicy on the middle, with layer upon layer of flavour. Long and a little drying with lingering cherries and oak – pure Oloroso, vanilla, toasty American and slightly tight, grainy Swedish oak. A truly stunning blend of different cask types!

---

Mackmyra Seasons: Midvinter 46.1%

Tasted: Mar 2015

Nose: Exuberantly estery and fruity with pineapple, banana, guava, melon, creamy oak and a touch of eucalyptus. A touch of pomegranate and musky flower emerge along with a late toffee note. Over time the toffee begins to dominate.

Palate: Crisper and less estery than the nose, showing more barley, but the sub-tropical under-ripe banana, melon, pineapple are still there along with the toffee. Quite herbal, almost rye-like on the middle.

Finish: Long, juicy and really well balanced.

Conclusion: An all-round lovely malt. An Irish rye whiskey perhaps?

Mackmyra Seasons: Iskristall 46.1%

American & Swedish Oak, PX Sherry Finish

Bottled 1014/ Tasted: Dec 2014

Nose: Pungent and youthful with coffee and oily spirit notes. A touch of barley and boiled sweets comes through along with some creamy oak and herbal notes.

Palate: Edgy but soft with herbal coffee and creamy oak. Plenty of barley on the middle with hints of herbal rye-like notes.

Finish: Intense, youthful and herbal, but quite long

Conclusion: Lovely intensity and integration. I would like to see this with a bit more maturity.

Mackmyra Seasons: Iskristall 46%

Re-Tasted: Feb 2015

Nose: Very perfumed and estery with pineapple and banana, but there’s also a slight youthful spiritiness to the aromas. With time it becomes quite herbal and rye-like.

Palate: Lightly oiled and like the nose very estery with a gentle spice note along with a whiff of smoke. Pleasantly sweet with a good depth.

Finish: Long and very enjoyable with a touch of white chocolate and barley in the finish.

Mackmyra Seasons: Midnattssol 46.1%

American, Swedish oak, Sherry, Bourbon. Finished in cask that once held Swedish wine made from Birch sap

Tasted: May 2015

Thick, dense and saturated aromas of sappy honey and sweet apricot with hints of pineapple, elderflower, pear, citrus and sweet herbal notes. Full and aromatic with a late coffee/ vanilla note appearing.

The palate is full and honeyed. Herbal and sappy with sweet barley, apricot, pineapple and toffee. A pleasantly crisp citrus note balances the sweetness and a touchy of gentle spice and oak follows. Long and herbal with hints of green oak in the finish.

Mackmyra Seasons: Vinterdrom 46.1%

Finished in ex-Plantation Jamaican rum casks.

Tasted: Nov 2016

The nose is slightly oily and youthful, opening with barley, anise and subtle herbal notes. The slightly high toned dried fruit comes through with hints of oak, cocoa spice, banana and rye-like herbs.

Soft, full and generously fruity on the palate. Youthful barley and oak mingle with luscious dried fruit, molasses, spice, tobacco leaf and malt. The rye-like herbal notes come through on the middle and the finish is long and oaky but with a balancing tart citrus and salty note.

Mackmyra Seasons: Vinterdrom 46.1%

Re-Tasted: Jan 2017

The nose is lightly oiled with sweet-ish banana and sultana from the rum casks. Hints of barley, anise and rye-like herbs follow and it develops a lovely, almost agricole-eque herbal note.

The palate is full and oily with plenty of rummy dried fruit, rye-like herbs, molasses and light spice. Some astringent, almost agricole notes add balance. Long and herbal with lingering sweet barley, salt and oily rum notes.

Mackmyra Season: 10 year old 46.1%

Bourbon, Virgin charred oak, Oloroso and Swedish oak.

Tasted: Mar 2017

A soft and supple nose which kicks off with the grainy Swedish oak, followed by classic notes of apricot, banana, green apple and fragrant honey, followed by hints of toffee, toasted oak and mocha. Beautifully balanced with a hint of spicy sherry and a late, herbal rye-like note.

The palate is soft and voluptuous with barley, honey and subtle, sub-tropical fruit. The toffee’d, nutty, vanilla’d oak follows along with a touch of grainy sherry wood. Like the nose it is superbly balanced and displays a lovely progression of flavours in the mouth. Long and frsh with a slightly gingery finish and herbal after-taste.

Mackmyra Seasons: Skordetid 46.1%

Blend of: First Fill Bourbon, First Fill Oloroso, First Fill ex-Masi Costasera Amarone, Fist Fill American oak (PX sherry seasoned) and 30ltr Mackmyra Reserve.

Tasted: Oct 2017

The nose is fresh and aromatic with plenty of creamy American oak, along with tropical apricot, pineapple and barley. The Amarone adds a background of sweet and spicy red fruits with a touch of aniseed, treacle, raisin, ginger and vanilla. Beautifully fragrant.

The palate opens with the herbal barley and although the fruit is less exuberantly tropical, it’s still pretty fruity. Hints of ginger, lime and fleshy barley follow and just like the nose the winey red fruits are pleasantly subtle and unassuming. Seriously multi-layered with hints of treacle and raisins towards the middle. Long and spicy with lingering herbal sherry and raisinated fruit. Stunning progression.