Mackmyra Svensk Ek

One of the most exciting realities in the world of whisky these days is the drive toward deepening the connection between place and spirit...the terroir of whisky, if you will. The Svensk Ek from Mackmyra is a great example of this, with locally sourced grains aged, mostly, in Swedish oak. The Swedish oak lends a unique profile to the dram; the nose has a perfumed quality to it, with allspice and sandalwood alongside vanilla and a grapey note. The palate comes loaded with juicy ripe fruit (especially stone fruit), a bit of vanilla, spice, a little salt, and a woody note. I couldn't help but think that this is what an Old Pulteney NAS might taste like, to a degree. This would be a slam dunk if it didn't taste so young; it's just a little too rough around the edges yet. That said, it's a delicious promise of good things to come with some extra maturation...and still pretty enjoyable to drink as is.

Nose: Juicy, sweet apple tart with marzipan. Coffee with milk. Touch of dark chocholate. Rosted nuts. Vanilla. Palate: More roasted nuts and marzipan. Spicy and sweet coffee, but with a light fruity touch as well - which goes well with it. Finish: Medium long. Sweet and woody, yet fruty. After a while it tirns into milk chocholate (very faint). Overall: Liquid apfelstrudel with coffee! Really nice. Mackmyra’s (green) fruity, spirit goes very well with the active parts of the casks used. Solid 3.75 - just a stronger finish from being really great.

Don’t usually rate to 5 stars for any whiskey, but for this... it is more than deserving. This whiskey isn’t remarkably different from say, any highland scotch whiskey, but it is almost as if Mackmyra took the single best trait of every highland scotch and incorporated it into their recipe. This one spoke to me. Not daring, not even bold. Just damn good whiskey not pretending to be anything else.

Nose: Sweet caramel, orchard fruit, sweet bread / cake. Palate: Black pepper, spices, roasted oak and pine nuts. There’s an underlying caramel and honey sweetness that shines through. Finish: Citrus and oak on the short finish. A dry, baked spice aftertaste. This is a very easy drinking dram. It’s quite a different experience from most Scottish whiskies, but one I’d happily go for again.

Au nez, on retrouve la pomme du Brukswhisky mais plus sucré, comme de la pomme cuite. En bouche, c'est léger aussi, mais avec davantage de caractère et des arômes d'agrumes. C'est encore trop vert pour moi mais mieux que le Bruks. La finale est agréable, sur la langue, avec des arômes d'orange sanguine. Un whisky léger mais sympa.

The nose is oaky and spicy (black pepper spicyness and not much else going on, the taste is rather sweet on the tounge with the same spicy pepperness that is a signature note from swedish oak on to the finish the sweetness keeps developing but the oak is taking to much space.