The #Mackmyra2013 twitter tasting

This is the 600th post on the blog, and i can not think of a better way to celebrate it , than with 5 Swedish drams. so here’s to another 600!

Almost one year passed since the last Mackmyra blind tasting on twitter organized by Colin (the scots dreamer) and Angela D’orazio, Master Blender At Mack. How time flies. This tasting should have taken place sometime in December but was postponed after a lot of samples did not arrive in time (well, we all know that. mail sucks). Mine did arrive very surprisingly, and were very cool. they were more like urine samples (because of the plastic bottles), and it was great fun shocking people and showing them those (taking a wee sip) and how i was not intimidated by drinking them. LOL.

anyways, new years has passed and here we were a grand forum from around the world (Israel, NL, UK,Sweden, South Africa, Germany….) ready to try on some 5 new samples numbered 1…5 without any hint what was inside. I barely made it this time, since i was on vacation that day, and was traveling north with my family to see some snow (we never get snow on the plains where i live).  We started with #1, through 5 with Angela giving some details about them (no names) as we went, and each shouted his notes over the net.

#1 Special 09 Vildhallon, Wild Raspberry Wine Finish (46,1%) , 598 sek

info : Autumn 2012- production 15000 bottles. Age is between 6-8 yo

Nose: Fantastic and complex nose,  fruity yet green and woody, with a banana, almond and peppery taste, Sandalwood.

Palate: Sweet, bourbon-y, with banana, almonds, vanilla, apples, American oak, not too old, with leafy herbs, pepper, and a gentle bitterness.

Finish: Dry, some fruit.

A very nice dram , with a funky finish.

#2 Moment Källa, Back to the source Edition (53,4%)

Info:Released December 2012, 1065 bottles. Age is between 7-9 yo.

Nose: Blueberries and some other Red fruit with marmalade, some wine notes, and sweet and spicy stuff going on here. more alcoholic, and acetone.

Palate: still alcoholic, even after some water addition. thick and sweet, jam like, with lots of wine sort of notes, fig, plum sort of marmalade. water really helps this one, and makes it more accessible and nice.

Finish: More marmalade, sugar, wood, getting a bit tannin-y.

#3 Moment Glöd, Glow Edition (51,2%)

info: Released December 2012, 1088 bottles. Age is between 6-9 yo

Nose:very different. with some smoked bananas, BBQ. sweet BBQ pork, spices, not sweet ones. dried. 180 degrees from the last 2 samples! quite some smoke and ash here.. very much to my liking.

Palate: Spicy, lots of smoke, dry sort of smoke, ash, meat, but also sherry. very unique combo. smoked dried bananas, BBQ’ed pork.

Finish: lots of smoke, BBQ. herbal.

A true cracker of a dram! my favourite.

#4 Moment Skog, Forest Edition (52,4%)

Info: Released June 2012,3000 bottles. Age is between 6-9 yo

Nose: back to the sweeter  stuff. vanilla in Kilos, banana flan. sweet , but also spicy with pine leaves.

Palate: vanilla ice cream with peaches. pencil box.this one is high on ABV and feels like it. very pronounced.

Finish: Smoky, with hints of peat smoke.

#5 Bee Honey Whisky Liqueur (22%)

info : Contains local forest honey, dandelion and lime-tree honey from Gästrikland. Made with honey, Mackmyra elegant whisky, Vit Hund, demerarara sugar, spices and fruit.

Nose: Ok, this is not whisky, and very evident from first sniff. much lower ABV, much sweeter with all that honey and spices.Honey, yes, and then very sugary, vanilla, and maybe a hint of orange.

Palate: Honey big time, very sweet, and buttery, with orange rind.

Finish: Sweet honey, sugar and spice. butterscotch.

What a lovely and sweet way to finish a tasting. I am not a big fan of whisky liquors but i am sure the Mrs would love a wee dram of this once in a while.

Summing it all up:

A lovely tasting all in all. If you ask me about my Favourites, then #3 wins big time, with that smoky edge, and BBQ. quite excellent. If you recall the last tasting, my favourite was also the peat/sherry [Mackmyra #5 (Smoky 30-lit Ex-sherry 3yo)]. So, I guess this Mackmyra profile does it for me, not that the others were not lovely too. #1 was very nice and so was #2 and the rest, but #3, oh mama. I need me a bottle of this stuff! Really hoping i would be able to get hold of a bottle.