Reviews of affordable whiskies with some entertaining tales along the way…
In part three of my week-long series dedicated to the latest batch of single casks from Single Cask Nation, I’m diverting my attention away from Scotland and looking to our Scandinavian neighbours for refreshment. This cask of 13-year-old single malt whisky was distilled at Mackmyra in Sweden and bottled at 47.5% abv. The whisky was matured in a first-fill bourbon barrel.
Mackmyra was the first whisky distillery in Sweden. Established in 2002, the brand has developed a reputation far beyond its homeland. It’s a regular sight at whisky tastings and festivals and there’s been a real buzz around some of their more creative releases over the last few years. Single cask releases don’t cross my path all that often, however, so this is a real treat…
For part one of this series visit here
For part two of this series visit here
Single Cask Nation Mackmyra 12-year-old
*Full disclosure: the sample featured in this review was sent to me free of charge. As always, I will strive to give an honest opinion on the quality of the dram and the value for money it represents.
Smell: Woody nose – not like old, dank dunnage oak, this is new, fresh, woodwork shop oak. Freshly sawn with sawdust in the air. There’s also honey and oatcakes. Digestive biscuits. A little bit of wood varnish. Green apples and pears. Some subtle baking spices. Almond flakes.
Taste: Light-bodied and very seriously oak-led. Feels a bit like licking a two-by-four at first. The honey and biscuit notes from the nose are here too, along with lots of the woody spice you find in Mackmyra’s Svensk Ek bottling. A splash of water brought out some light fruity notes – almost picking up some blueberries and blackberries. Orange peel.
Thoughts: It’s an interesting one. At first, it seems like way too much of the new oak character but it settles down over time – particularly after water has been added. It actually reminded me a little of Compass Box’s Oak Cross in the way the woody flavour almost draws in the cheeks. Underneath the oak and vanilla, however, there’s a rather delicate, fruity spirit trying to make its presence felt. It never quite totally succeeds but I’d stop short of calling this whisky over-oaked, it’s just the dominant characteristic. A lightness on the palate, combined with the relatively low abv of 47.5% makes it rather sippable and helps to balance the power of the bourbon barrel. It’s an interesting dram but I suspect it won’t be for everyone. That’s ok though. It would be boring if everyone liked the same stuff.
Price: £87. Enjoyable but not sure it’s that enjoyable.
For more on Single Cask Nation visit https://singlecasknation.com/
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