Mackmyra: First Edition (Swedish Single Malt Whisky: No Age Statement: 46.1% abv)
Visual: Light yellowed grain.
Viscosity: Many slow thin streaks.
Nose: Light sulfur. Gingerbread. Tangerine. Sliced cucumber. Water makes much more orange filled and brings out vanilla.
Body: Energetic. Tangerine and rose wine. Noticeable alcohol. Oak. Lime. What I can only describe as a quicksilver feel, in metaphor if not in actual. Water smoothes and brings out a mix of malt chocolate and ovaltine over time.
Finish: Oaken. Oranges and tangerines. Rose wine. White grapes. A metallic sheen. Water makes huge lemon and orange sorbet. Pears. Gin air.
Conclusion: This is a fresh faced whisky, and had a bit of young malt in it if I am not mistaken. Very bright, very fruity and very brash. – on first impressions it has a few of those less pleasant elements that can come with a young whisky – a slight cucumber like touch on the nose and a metallic sheen in the body onwards, along with a good chunk of alcohol fire. Though that last one could be due to the slightly higher than normal abv.
Thankfully, as is often the case, a bit of water is your best friend – though here it should be used in moderation, the whisky doesn’t need much. Just an odd few drops and that fruitiness booms and takes center stage. Here is the whisky at its best, with lovely fresh tangerine and lime, sorbet styled finish, and full of the bright character and youthful exuberance promised, but without the alcohol burn.
Here the burn fades to reveal an oaken and malt drink grounding backing, not too heavily, just an element that is there for the bright flavours to work from. Here there is almost rose wine feel set between the grounding and the bright citrus flavours, all in all it combines to a very distinctive and enjoyable package.
It still has a few flaws, it feels a tad young still, to me at least – while no longer fiery it still has a distinctive alcohol air to it – there are rough edges, but less so than the charm.
Too much water pushes out the fruit, creating a more leaden whisky – this is to be avoided, so limit your water to just what you need. Less is definitely more. Had just right this is a slightly rough edged, but very impressive fresh citrus fruit whisky. Well worth a look.
Background: I tried this, way back at the Dieu Du Ciel tap takeover. That night I resolved to review it. Over a month later I finally pulled my finger out to do so. Because I am an expert at procrastinating. Anyway, the first release from the Swedish distillery, and one matured quite heavily in new oak. I found out my camera battery was dead, so I had to resort to my clunky old phone camera, sorry for the low quality.
