Mackmyra Brukswhisky

For my 100th review, I will go back to 0: a couple years before I started writing reviews. It so happens that Mackmyra's Bruskwhisky was my first single malt, my gateway. It may not be the most likely starting place, but I'd visited the Mackmyra distillery while on a business trip, where I sampled several malts showcasing the influences of different casks. This was my favorite of the tasting. I learned that it was a blend of sherry and Swedish oak maturation (after bourbon), and that the whisky had just been awarded 95.5 by Jim Murray. Amazed that a whisky didn't sting, I managed to secure a bottle (which was a struggle in Sweden), and enjoyed this over several months. I still remember how much I enjoyed the aroma and finish, as you will see.
Anyway, 100 malts later, I return to that origin— and review it for the first time.

Tasting notes - fresh

First vapor: A sweet tropical flower, perhaps like ripe cantaloupe or else passion fruit.

Nose: Exquisite and complex. Like that first moment stepping into a sweetly humid flower shop, with a hit of warm floral vapors and organic soil. My simplest description is: violet perfume with vanilla and red grape.

But excessive daintiness is arrested by a serious chalkiness, like finely powdery (& forest-y) sawdust. You’ll notice accents of toasted coconut flesh and grapefruit pith, and the ripe cantaloupe is hinted again. This is a unique nose, distinguished from any other spirit I have had.

Palate: Entrance of grass and raw coconut flesh. Slowly, sweetgrass develops into lightly-lemony woodiness, increasingly coniferous and drier… and drier....

Finish: The throat and nose get signs of buttery cherries (those “thick floral” nose aromas). These vapors are the best part. Sour grass sits on the tongue, and quite dry juniper woodiness remains in the mouth.

Tasting notes - oxidized

A month-oxidized sample improves, eradicating the grass and dry wood, gaining 5-6 points:

Nose (1 month): Same.

Palate (1 month): Easy entrance, now, of light flavors and no burn: coconut milk, lactose, and sweetgrass. (Grassier if it enters under the tongue.) The entrance flavors sustain, but become enhanced: with lemongrass on top of the tongue and some drier juniper-y woodiness under/back.

Finish (1 month): Again the buttery cherries (or cantaloupe/violet) in the throat; the tongue keeps the coconut milk from the palate but also feels dry, especially near the tip.

Summary

For me, this malt is all about the impressively floral nose. You can immerse yourself in it for an evening. I had thought that it was complex, from my first bottle, but now I realize how it stands out among malts, especially for a lighter expression without salt or smoke. I cannot recall another subsequent malt that delivered such perfumy aromas (perhaps the Arran 16 came closest). And of course, those nose elements play very well in the finish, too, with the buttery cherry sensation in the throat. The palate is... palatable, but not spectacular. I could recommend the fresh bottle to anyone not minding dry finishes and woody palates, because the complexity would intrigue you (the sherry-vs-Swedish oak contrast). But oxidation made the palate simply smooth: with no drawbacks but also with nothing compelling. I have good memories enjoying this first single malt bottle for the 6+ months it lasted me, especially in the summer months.

In short, this malt is interesting enough that more people should try it, if only for the excellent aromas as they come through in the finish.

Comparisons

What malts to try, if you like this? I'd been steered towards the lowlands and Auchentoshan in particular. Their 18yo has similar lightness in palate; but for more notable aromas I would recommend the 12yo or Three Wood. The character of the Brukswhisky palate reminds me Glenfiddich 14 Rich Oak, but again the aromas are not there. For similar aromas, you may find just traces in Highland Park 18. Finally, I think some of the Arran malts I’ve had (Original/10/14/16) bear resemblance in character; they would make a good branch for exploration.

Mackmyra is a Swedish distillery with a cool back story. In 1998, 8 friends went on a skiing trip. Each of them took a bottle of malt Whisky for the host. They drank and talked and discussed why there wasn't a Swedish Whisky. This question led them to start exploring the possibilities of making their own Swedish whisky.

One year later the company was founded and a pilot distillery was started. By the end of the year they had distilled their first drops.

These 8 pioneers produced 170 different recipes and then selected ambassadors to help decide which two recipes would be used going forwards.

In 2002 they released 2 expressions, Mackmyra Elegant and Mackmyra Smoke. These were an immediate hit and by 2008 there were two more expressions ready for market (First Edition and Mackmyra Brukswhisky).

The bottle I bought was the Brukswhisky. Matured primarily in first fill bourbon casks and also including both Whisky aged in sherry and Swedish oak as well as a smokey malt. This adds complexity and makes it very interesting.

It is very pale and bottled at 41.4%.

The nose is fragrant with vanilla, fruity, citrus, spices. You get a grain and floral undertone.

In the mouth it feels creamy with oak, mild spices, summer fruits. It is fresh and crisp which complements the creamy nature in a pleasant way. It is well made and is a definite summer classic.

The finish is short to medium, sweet, fruity with a mid tongue tingle. This is very easy drinking and goes down very well.

This bottle is my first taste of Swedish whisky. I bought it with the understanding that it is a young entry-level malt, and that it resides on the lighter side of the flavour spectrum.

The whisky is quite light in colour and also light on the nose. Light, yet full. Quite sweet with vanilla essence that grows over time. Also there is an impression of fruit, especially grapefruit. Also lemon rind. A slight toasted oak note tops it off. Very inviting.

In the mouth the whisky is medium-bodied and somewhat oily. The vanilla-fruit sweetness is balanced by a gentle prickle on the tongue and a slight woody dryness. Quite a build-up of spices as well. I am reminded more than anything of an independent Dalmore bottling I had some time ago. Very clean, almost austere.

The finish is somewhat marred by a sour note. I tend to be sensitive to such things, I guess. However there is some length to it, and once the sourness is gone you get a pleasant fade.

Overall I am pleased with this whisky. It makes a good mid-afternoon summer drink, to be sure. It is not lacking in flavour or complexity, even if it is light and unpeated.

Light, floral, fruity, delicate, aetherial, fey. These are all words one could and might use to describe this one. And we don't often describe Swedes that way, do we! And not remotely what I was expecting here, though the "apple" notes for Mackmyra are well known. Is this uber-cool stylish sophisticated sexy Stockholm, in a glass ? Maybe, maybe not - rather more one-dimensional, like so many Swedes are. It's nice, balanced, light and clear, not overpowering, and as far from the Viking heritage as say elderflower cordial is. But, I would happily drink it, as a "Summer scotch" not a "Winter warming" one. Would be interesting to compare this style with the "second" whisky of Sweden, "Spirit of (H)Ven" - the island is the "Pearl of the Orosund". There are nine distilleries in Sweden - sounds a lot, maybe, but then it is Europe's third largest country, and little Islay in Scotland just 30 miles long has as many. Anyhow, try some Mackmyra - I hope to visit their destilleri in Gavle shortly North of Stockholm.

his is the Entry level expression. I took the liberty of asking Angela about the unusual ABV% of 41,4% and she did say that this level was chosen as it’s better than the basic 40%, and since whisky in Sweden is very expensive, they wanted to keep this expression’s price down. It’s natural colour, and Non chill filtered (so are the next ones we’ll review). This whisky was matured in 200 litres Ex-Bourbon Barrels for about 5 to 6 years vatted with some whisky aged in Quarter casks (first fill sherry) and new Swedish oak. In addition one cask of mackmyra Smokey whisky is added to the vatting for flavouring and complexity. Brukswhisky has won a gold medal at the IWSC 2010 and was rewarded the 2011 “European Whisky of the Year” (95,5 points) in the Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. Pretty impressive, let’s see what we think of it.

nose : Lots of fruit, vanilla and saw dust. some cherry and bubble gum!

Palate: quite fruity, and spicy. very like Kriek beer (cherry) and some spices thrown into it, kind of like a bourbon spiciness, even a rye. quite buttery , a lot of butter, and pepper.

Finish : cherries, sawdust, pears, butter, dying into bitter wood.