Mackmyra Bjorksav

“Green Green Grass of Home”

Whisky Review # 993

Country: Sweden 🇸🇪

Region: Norrland

Brand: Mackmyra Bjorksav - Sasongswhisky Series - Limited Edition - 15000 Bottles

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Age: NAS

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.1%
Maturation: Mixed Casks (See Conclusion)

Chill Filtration: No

Price Range: US$ 50-65 (June 2023)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍

Buying Advice: 😉 Not for everyday but certainly nice to enjoy once in a while

Colour: Golden Sunlight (Natural Colour)

Nose:

I never have had the pleasure of tasting Birch Sap. But there is certainly a "Green" feeling to this Mackmyra. I also notice the presence of New Oak, probably Swedish in this case. The Nose is a mix of Sweet and Sour notes. It's like entering a Candy Shop in the middle of a forest. Fresh and Different! The Alcohol is noticeable but does not interfere with the Nosing procedures.

Main Aromas:

Barley Sugar, Vanilla, Honey,  Grass & Green Plants, Pine Resin, Yeast, Green Apple, Sour Berries like Gooseberries, Fruit-Flavored Candies (Melon, Strawberry, Lemon, Cherry), Forest Floor and Mint.
    
Supportive Aroma Accents:

Toffee, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Buttered Toast, Wax, Unripe Pear, Plum Wine, Fresh Herbs, Nectarine, Oak, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Aniseed and Varnish.

Palate:

Fresh, Clean, Green and relatively Young. A mix of Bitter, Sweet, Sour and Mineral notes. Developing Dryness. It's different but certainly not unpleasant. The Alcohol is noticeable.

Main Flavours:

Barley Sugar, Vanilla, Butter, Pine Resin, Fruit-Flavored Candies (Strawberry, Green Apple, Melon, Lemon, Banana, Pear), Sour Berries, Grass & Green Plants, Forest Floor, Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Menthol and Mint.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Caramel, Brown Sugar, Syrup, Dough, Yeast, Nectarine, Bitter Almonds, Milk Chocolate, Wet Pebbles, Green Herbs, Aniseed, Nutmeg, Cardamom and Varnish.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Fresh, Light, Clean & Green. Sweet at first but with developing Bitter notes towards the Dry end. The Alcohol remains noticeable. I find Barley Sugar, Vanilla, Butter, Fruit-Flavored Candies (Melon, Lemon, Pear, Green Apple), Honey, Grass and Green Plants, Sour Berries, Green Herbs, Wet Pebbles, Bitter Almonds, Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cardamom, Aniseed, Menthol, Mint and Varnish.

Drinking Advice:

A little added water enhances the Barley & the Fruit on the Nose. The Alcohol fades away on the Palate and you get a lot of Menthol in the Finish. Nice to try it out both ways though.

Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)

Nose: 7.5 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7

*** Important Note with respect to Rating.

If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good and certainly different.

Conclusion:

The Bjorksav (Birch Sap) was released in the spring of 2021. It matures in a mix of Ex-Bourbon casks (30%),Oloroso-Seasoned American Oak (24%) and Birch Sap- Seasoned Swedish (8%) and American Oak (20%). The remaining 18% is Whisky aged in non-specified other types of Seasoned casks. The casks vary in size as well. The Bjorksav was inspired by the long-awaited return of Spring. The Birch sap can only be harvested in the beginning of the Spring to avoid Bitterness. Mackmyra uses Birch Wine from local producer Grythyttan owned and run by the brothers Per and Ingunn who seek to highlight the taste of the Nordic forests.

This is most certainly the "greenest" Whisky I have tasted so far. Mackmyra has put a lot of effort in assembling this Single Malt and the result is certainly worth the try. I can imagine enjoying this on sunny days in the garden. It's quite different when compared to your average Scotch Single Malt & it might not be to everyone's liking. I would certainly advise you to try a sample first before buying a full bottle. But fortune favors the brave and as such Mackmyra's future looks sunny. Just like this Bjorksav.

Cheers!

Jan van den Ende                                                                           June 20, 2023

Mackmyra 10 Years Review - Mackmyra Vinterdröm Review

“Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Dram After Midnight)”

Introduction:

Most of you know that I mainly use samples and miniatures when preparing my Reviews. I usually buy these in Holland and sometimes in Germany or the UK. Sometimes I receive samples from friends or readers or independent bottlers. In only two cases I received a few samples directly from distilleries. When planning my reviews for the next months I always try to give attention to all Scottish Whisky regions as well as other Whisky/Whiskey/Bourbon producing regions all over the world with special attention to the USA, Ireland and Japan. And last but not least the blends. At the request of many readers I give preference to more recent expressions. As a result, my backlog of older samples has increased quite a bit. To do justice to those samples I will review them in the format of Specials. These specials will deal with a specific distillery like today or with specific bottlers, countries or regions. The reviews in these Specials will concentrate on the Whisky and won't go into details about distilleries, maturation etc. I do hope you will like these Specials just as much as my regular reviews and I look forward to your reactions and suggestions. In this special I will review two   expressions of the Swedish Mackmyra distillery. Enjoy!

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Whisky Review # 743

Country: Sweden

Brand: Mackmyra

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: 10 Years (Limited Edition - 20.000 Bottles)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.1%
Maturation: A mix of Ex-Bourbon casks, Oloroso Wood and Virgin Oak
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 55-70 (June 2018)
Buying Advice:😐 Not bad but a little too Oaky for me. Not cheap for a 10 Y.

Colour:

Golden Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Be sure to give this Mackmyra sufficient time in the glass. Fresh Wood calls the immediate attention as so often in European mainland Whiskies. But in this case it doesn't control the Fruity, Floral, Grassy and Malty notes. On the Nose, the 10 Years does not present really deep and mature Aromas. It's quite Clean actually but pleasant nonetheless.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Barley, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Salted Butter, Vanilla, Yeast, X-Mas-Pie with Rum-Soaked Raisins and Sultanas, Apple Puff Pastry rolls sprinkled with Cinnamon and Powder Sugar, Raspberry Jam, Fresh Oak and Wood Pellets, Citrus Peel and Dried- and Fresh Herbs.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Fresh Polished Wooden Floors, slightly Sour Grapes, Sherry, Olive Oil, Dusty Track and Cocoa Powder.

Palate:

Bitter-Sweet, Oaky, Spicy, Grassy, Oily, slightly Rough and Sour. The Alcohol is more noticeable by now.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Barley, Salted Caramel, Butterscotch, White Grapes, Green Apple, Pear, Lemon, Grass, Fresh Oak, Bounty Candy Bars, Vanilla, Cassis Liqueur, Pepper, Cinnamon and Sour Berries.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Sherry, Varnish, Bitter Orange, Banana, Rum-Soaked Raisins, Aniseed, Ginger and Nutmeg.

Finish:

Middle-Long, Bitter-Sweet, Tannic and a little Rough. (Medium) Dry towards the end. Wood and Wood-spices come to the front without totally dominating the Fruit. It's quite balanced for a 10 Years old thanks to the variety of casks used. The clear Oak notes suggest the use of smaller casks alongside the Virgin Oak. I find Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Dough, Vanilla, Green Apple, Pear, Grass, Honey, Bounty Candy Bars, Raisins, Cassis Liqueur, Herbs, Pepper, Cinnamon, Nutmeg & Sour Berries.

Drinking Advice:

I added a few drops of Water and the Nose relaxes. Barley and Fruit take over. I get a little Peach as well. Palate and Finish confuse me a little bit. They get a bit friendlier as well but I also get an odd note of used Oil to fry French Fries. Very unusual. The Mackmyra 10 years certainly accepts a little added Water.

Rating: 84

Nose: 21.5 - Taste: 21 - Finish: 20.5 - Overall: 21

Drinking Experience: Okay/Good

A bit too much (Virgin) Oak influence for my personal taste. But certainly not a bad Single Malt.

Conclusion:

The first Mackmyra distillery was founded in 1999. In 2012 a new distillery started production. It is located just outside Gavle, only a few miles away from the first distillery. The new structure is one of the highest in its kind and follows the gravity model where the production process starts on the upper floor and works it way downwards. This process decreases energy costs by almost 45%. The owners (Mackmyra Svensk Whisky AB) suffered some financial problems in 2014, probably as a result of the huge investment in the new distillery. As a result production went down considerably. But it seems that the situation is back under control now and the future looks bright.

The 10 Years Limited Edition was launched in 2017. It is said to contain 10-13 year old Whisky. I believe it was the first Mackmyra with an Age Statement. It must have been produced at the old distillery as a consequence.  I have mixed feelings about this Single Malt. It's well-made and Mackmyra is not copying Scotch role models. It has succeeded in creating its own place in today's Whisky world. And they deserve merit for that. I also applaud the search for innovative ways to mature Whisky using a variety of casks. But wood should serve the Spirit and not the other way around. The New Make Mackmyra Spirit is quite Delicate, Fresh and Fruity. Too much Fresh Oak and small Casks have the tendency to start dominating the Spirit. I believe that to be slightly the case here. But other than that I do not have much to complain. It's not cheap of course as is usually the case with European mainland whiskies. But if you like Spicy and Oaky Orchard Fruit the Mackmyra 10 Years might be just what you're looking for!

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Whisky Review # 744

Country: Sweden

Brand: Mackmyra Vinterdröm (Limited Season Series Edition)

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS - Bottled in 2016

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46.1%
Maturation: A mix of Ex-Bourbon casks and Fresh Swedish Oak with Plantation Jamaican/Barbados Rum Cask Finish.
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 60-80 (June 2018)
Buying Advice: 😏 Young & Boring. Way too expensive for what it offers.

Colour:

Light Amber/Yellow Gold (Natural Colour)

Nose:

Light, Young, Fresh and Clean. The Alcohol is noticeable as is the Swedish Oak. The Rum cask finish must have been a short one. On the Nose this Mackmyra presents Sweet, Sour, Fruity, Malty and Herbal notes. Most of these notes are quite subdued though.

Main Aromas:

Toasted Cereals, Butter Kekse (German Butter Biscuits), Treacle, Vanilla, Green Apple, Gooseberry, Lemon, Grapefruit, Banana, Pineapple, Fresh Oak and Wood Shavings, Dried & Fresh Herbs, Cinnamon, Ginger and Aniseed.

Supportive Aroma Accents:

Honey, Dusty Track, Rum Soaked Raisins, Orange Peel, Milk-Hazelnut Chocolate, Nutmeg, Cloves and Tobacco.

Palate:

Young, Light and slightly Rough. The Alcohol is quite noticeable. A combination of Sweet, Sour, Spicy and Herbal notes.

Main Flavours:

Toasted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Treacle, Vanilla, Gooseberries, Grapefruit, Oak (Virgin and Wood Shavings), Green Apple, Lemon, Dried & Fresh Herbs, Pepper, Ginger and Aniseed.

Supportive Flavour Accents:

Honey, Rum Soaked Raisins, Hazelnut-Milk Chocolate, Salted Peanuts, Cloves, Cinnamon and Tobacco.

Finish:

Middle-Long and slightly Rough. Sweet and Sour notes at first. An increasing Bitterness towards the end. I find Malted Cereals, Salted Caramel, Virgin Oak, Gooseberries, Grapefruit, Lemon, Aniseed, Menthol, Young White Rum, Cocoa Powder, Treacle, Nuts, Black Espresso, Pepper, Nutmeg, Cloves and Ginger.

Drinking Advice:

With added Water it starts to taste like a Peppered Vodka with Rum Finish. Well, something like that. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 80

Nose: 21 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 19 - Overall: 20

Drinking Experience:

Okay. Uninspiring.

Conclusion:

This Mackmyra would have been the ultimate Whisky to "enjoy" during the 2nd half of the World Cup England-Panama game. Because both were utterly boring. The Vinterdröm is just a young Spirit with a Wood & Rum make up. It's not bad but it doesn't bring any excitement to the table. I think that Mackmyra is going the right way with their aged expressions as the 10 Years above shows. But Vinterdröm is just an inventive way to make a quick buck with young Whisky. No way I'm gonna pay 65 US Dollars for this despite the nice bottle/packaging. I will wait for Mackmyra's 12 and 15 Years.

Jan van den Ende                                                                     June 25, 2018

The original Mackmyra reopened as a Lab Distillery in 2017

Mackmyra Motorhead Review

“Ace of Spades Meets The Dancing Queen” 

Whisky Review # 645

Country: Sweden

Brand: Mackmyra Motorhead (Limited Edition - Batch # 1)

Type: Single Malt Whisky
Age: NAS (Around 5 Years)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 40%
Maturation: Bourbon casks with Partial Sherry Finish  
Chill Filtration: Yes  
Price Range: US$ 65-80 (September 2017) 

Buying Advice: 😐 Neutral. Nice Mackmyra. Expensive for a 5 Year old!

Colour: Golden Amber (Natural Colour)

Nose: I immediately get the Aroma of the New Wood that is quite characteristic for West-European mainland Whisky. Light Resin, Alcohol and Varnish are there as well but not in a very aggressive way. I also find Freshly baked Croissant, Salted Butter, Butterkekse (German Butter Biscuits), Toasted Cereals, Caramel, Toffee, Honey, Sugared Almonds, Vanilla, Hay, Dried Fruit/Nuts mix, Dried and Fresh Herbs, Lemon, Aniseed and some faint hints of Green Tobacco, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum and Freshly printed Newspaper. On the Nose, Motorhead is mostly Sweet with some Sour and Herbal notes. The First-Fill American Oak barrels lead the way but the Sherry cask finish is noticeable as well and slightly masks the youth of the Spirit. The Nose is certainly not unpleasant although it's more Abba than Motorhead. 

Palate: The Youth of the Spirit is more noticeable now. And so is the Alcohol. But fortunately it doesn't get out of control. On the Palate, Motorhead is Sweet, Herbal and slightly Spicy. I find Toasted Barley, Toffee, Caramel, Vanilla, Hay, Almonds, Lemon, Raisins, Honey, Orchard Fruit, Dried and Fresh Herbs, light Aniseed, Menthol, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves and Toasted Oak. Abba is gone and Motorhead takes control!

Finish: Middle-Long, Sweet, Herbal, slightly Hot and Spicy. Dry towards the end with a light Metallic note that will please Motorhead fans😜. I also find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Toffee, Salted Caramel, Raisins, Lemon-Flavoured Herbal Tea, Grass, Toasted Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves, light Aniseed, light Menthol, light Varnish and hints of Green Tobacco.

Drinking Advice:

The Motorhead does not improve with added Water. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 80.5 

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks:

🏣   The Distillery and Today's Whisky:

The first Mackmyra distillery was founded in 1999. In 2012 a new distillery started production. It is located just outside Gavle, only a few miles away from the first distillery. The new structure is one of the highest in its kind and follows the gravity model where the production process starts on the upper floor and works it way downwards. This process decreases energy costs by almost 45%. The owners (Mackmyra Svensk Whisky AB) suffered some financial problems in 2014, probably as a result of the huge investment in the new distillery. As a result production went down considerably. But it seems that the situation is back under control now and the future looks bright. 

The British Rock/Heavy Metal Band Motorhead was formed in June 1975. In 2015 it celebrated its 40th Anniversary. To commemorate this achievement the Motorhead Whisky was released in collaboration with beverage partner Brands for Fans and the Mackmyra distillery. The band most likely choose Mackmyra because drummer Mikkey Dee hales from Sweden. Apparently the band played an active role in choosing the casks and the subsequent blending process. 2015 was to be a year of celebration but unfortunately Motorhead's founder and lead- vocalist/bass player Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister died from cancer on December 28, 2015. The following day the two other band members confirmed that Motorhead would not continue.

Mackmyra Stills (Picture Credit: Petr Dudin)

🍷  The Spirit:

The new distillery has one pair of Stills. The Lyne arms have a slight downwards angle. With the exception of the yeast, all raw materials are sourced within an area of 75 miles around the distillery. The water is filtered naturally before being sterilised with a high-intensity UV light. The distillation process is very slow creating a full, mature Spirit.

🌲  The Wood:

The Spirit used for this Whisky basically matured in new First-Fill American Oak Barrels. A small part of the Whisky was finished in Ex-Oloroso casks during the last 6 months before being re-married with the remaining Spirit before bottling.

Drinking Experience: Good

Conclusion:

When Nosing and Tasting European mainland Whiskies you should really switch off your Scotch references. In my opinion these mainland Whiskies have their own Aroma and Flavour profile and should be judged as such. In doing so I find this Motorhead quite enjoyable despite the fact that it's Young and dominated by the New Wood. It's easier to enjoy this type of Whisky if you're into Bourbon. On the Nose, this Mackmyra is more like Pop Music but on the Palate and in the Finish it's Sharper and Edgy and even presents a slight (Heavy) Metal note. This Whisky was not really "Born to Raise Hell" but I'm sure it will please Motorhead fans nevertheless as it was created to honour the musical legacy of this famous band. 

Jan van den Ende                                                            September 21, 2017

Mackmyra Gravity Distillery, Gavde (Picture Credit: Robin Hayes)

Mackmyra Happy Hunting Review

“Too Young To Be Married”

Country: Sweden

Brand: Mackmyra Special # 5 "Happy Hunting"

Type: Single Malt Whisky 

Age: NAS 

ABV: 47.2 %

Colour: Golden Straw

Nose: The Fresh Oak, Resin, Vanilla and light Varnish immediately remind me of German and Dutch whiskies I have tasted recently. The Aroma is really quite different from your average Scotch Single Malt or Blend. It's young Whisky for sure and the Wine Finish must have been rather short. I find notes of slightly Sour Cranberry Juice, Grass and Straw, German Butterkekse (Butter Biscuits), Toffee, Lemon Pie, Aniseed and Dried Herbs. The Alcohol is quite present. I do not believe a young whisky like this benefits from such a relatively high ABV. The Nose is certainly not unpleasant but there's an unfinished feel to it. 

Palate: Young and Edgy. The Alcohol is a bit too strong in my opinion. I find Red Fruit, Sweet Barley, Creamy Vanilla, Oak, Toffee, Straw, Ginger, Pepper, light Menthol and Dried Herbs.  

Finish: Short, Spicy and Dry towards the end. The Alcohol stings a bit. I find Banana flavoured Candies, Toffee, Creamy Vanilla, Ginger, Pepper and Lemon Grass.

Lingonberries (Picture: Wikipedia)

I added a bit of Water and you get a bit more Red Fruit on the Palate. The Alcohol is of course subdued but the added Water leaves the Spirit without its identity. Better sip it neat.

Rating: 81

Nose: 20.5 - Taste: 20 - Finish: 20 - Overall: 20.5

General Remarks: The first Mackmyra distillery was constructed in 1999. Today it's being used for special expressions and marketing events only. The reason for this is that in 2012 a brand new distillery was built close to the old one.

The new distillery is quite high as it operates via the gravity principle. Water and and Malted Barley start the process on the highest floor and the product winds its way to the bottom floor where the stills are installed. The Happy Hunting is Expression # 5 of a Special series, launched between 2009 and 2013. It really is different from your usual Scotch in the sense that it matured in small casks made of Swedish Oak before being finished in Casks saturated with Lingonberry Wine. These berries are related to Cranberries and Blueberries. The Happy Hunting was inspired by an Autumn walk in the forest and is not artificially coloured It has now been discontinued but was sold at an average 80 US Dollars.

Drinking Experience Neat: Good  

Conclusion: I have tasted quite a few West European mainland whiskies in the meantime and I have acquainted myself to their specific Aromas and Flavours that are quite different from their Scottish brothers. The mainland Whiskies are almost always very young when they are bottled and mostly mature in new oak casks. No wonder they often remind me of Fruity Liqueurs or New Make Spirit with lots of Creamy Vanilla and Resin from the new Wood. But unfortunately they are not allowed to have more wood contact to extract additional Aromas and Flavours from the Casks. And, as is the case with the Mackmyra Happy Hunting, the Finishing in a different kind of cask is not long enough to add sufficient additional Flavour components. Like so many starting distilleries, Mackmyra needs to find a balance between the necessity to make cash to start paying back the high investment costs and the need of building up stocks of fully matured whiskies that would certainly please consumers. As a result of the above, most of the European mainland whiskies I have tasted so far, while certainly not bad, give an unfinished impression. Let's hope these promising new distilleries will be allowed to launch fully matured whiskies in the future, allowing them to show the consumer their real skills. I, for one, am looking forward to that moment!

Jan van den Ende                                                                    March 23, 2015

The First " Old" Mackmyra Distillery