Mackmyra Svensk Rök

Svensk Rök, which simply means Swedish smoke, is the only peated single malt available that was produced from only Swedish ingredients. It matured on very small casks of 30 liters. The staves are from American oak, while the heads are in fact from Swedish oak. It is only available in 50cl bottles because the Swedish government (who owns the right to sell alcohol) issued a tender for peaty whisky in small bottles. Mackmyra was awarded the assignment to produce it.

The nose is firstly sweet on vanilla and caramel, before the smoke kicks in. The smoke is very discrete, I must say. The fruit translates into apples, oranges, some banana and a surprising touch of juniper berries. Yes, sniffing this with my eyes closed, it reminds me a bit of gin, but with a twist. After a few moments, some sultanas join in.

Lightly oily and immediately pretty spicy. Think aniseed, garden herbs and a hint of woodspice. The smokiness develops nicely in a sweet and sour jacket of gooseberries, sniffing tobacco and lime. Surprisingly different from the nose, but pleasant.

The finish is rather long, sweet and sour with a salty burst at the very end.

I was not very impressed with the nose, but the palate and certainly the finish made up for a lot.

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