Virtual tasting: Fib Whisky with NEWAS

The North East Whisky Appreciate Society @eastwhisky is a great little group based in the north east of England who organise regular virtual tastings, this one featured @fibwhisky

The tasting was hosted by @Iain_Mundy and @Fib_Aedan from Fib.

#BTC28 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

 These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 28th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Brian @MaltMusings

Mackmyra Destination

Having finished their  Säsongswhisky 'seasonal' releases Swedish distillery @Mackmyra have come up with something along the same lines with Destination.

It's an invitation to whisky lovers all around the world to come and visit them at one of their many destinations. Let's see what it's like...

All change at Mackmyra - Virvelvind - their last Moment?

Swedish distillery @Mackmyra have released 36 exclusive small batch expressions featuring numbered bottles from unique casks. The latest, Virvelvind, is the last in the series.

I've tried a number of them and they are often unusual, let's see what it's like...

Mackmyra Seasonal Releases - Limousin

Swedish distillery @Mackmyra release two annual Säsongswhisky 'seasonal' whiskies usually featuring innovative seasonal characteristics focusing on unusual finishes often reflecting the prevailing season.

I've tried a number of them and they are often unusual. This season's release is Limousin, let's see what it's like...

Core Range : Mackmyra

Continuing the series of posts showing a distillery's core range of bottlings.

This time looking at Mackmyra

Mackmyra Seasonal Releases - Stjärnrök

Swedish distillery @Mackmyra release two annual Säsongswhisky 'seasonal' whiskies usually featuring innovative seasonal characteristics focusing on unusual finishes often reflecting the prevailing season.

I've tried a number of them and they are often unusual. This season's release, linked with Wintertime, is Stjärnrök, let's see what it's like...

#BTC13 #BlindDrams Tasting Notes

These are my tasting notes from the Blind Tasting Consortium's 13th #BlindDrams evening.

These drams were picked by Paul @derekcuster

Mackmyra Seasonal Releases - Björksav

Well known Swedish distillery @Mackmyra release two annual 'seasonal' whiskies usually featuring innovative seasonal characteristics focusing on unusual finishes often reflecting the prevailing season.

I've tried a number of them including Jaktlycka, Gront Te, Äppelblom, Blomstertid and Vintersol, this season's release linked with Springtime - Björksav, let's see what it's like...

Mackmyra Seasonal Releases - Jaktlycka

Well known Swedish distillery @Mackmyra release two annual 'seasonal' whiskies usually featuring innovative seasonal characteristics focusing on unusual finishes often reflecting the prevailing season.

I've tried a number of them including Gront Te, Äppelblom, Blomstertid and Vintersol, this season's release is the completely unpronounceable Jaktlycka, let's see what it's like...

Side by side : #BoutiqueyWorldSeries

Following the success of the World Whisk(e)y Summit hosted by TBWC back in May, the independent bottler announced they’ll be releasing a special batch of world whiskies, featuring many of the participating distilleries.

The bottles have now been released - let's see what some of them are like!

Swedish liquid gold with a little Spanish and Japanese influence.....

It's pretty much 'by the book' when it comes to whisky in Scotland or the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) will jump on you from a great height if you try to stray from the rule book as Glen Moray's Cider Casks and Compass Box's Spice Tree found to their cost. In Sweden, on the other hand, they have a rule book but no one's seen it for a quite a few years....

Swedish Distillery workers

Mackmyra Reserve @TweetTastings

The first @TweetTastings of 2020 was advertised by Steve as something a little different and it was!

First of all it was a much larger than usual box and as well as a lovely glass contained eight 50ml bottles - 400ml of Swedish Spirit!

Whisky from...? Sweden

This year Sweden is celebrating 20 years of modern whisky distilling, it was 1998 when eight friends, on a skiing trip to the mountains, decided that Sweden needed its own distillery, the rest as they say is history!

The first spirit came off Mackmyra's stills in 1999, they've experimented with different ingredients, techniques and maturation types and today they produce a number of different styles of whisky.

Mackmyra @TweetTastings

I was really excited to be invited to take part in @Mackmyra @TweetTastings sampling a number of the Swedish distillery's standard range alongside the latest release in their 'Season's' range.

A lovely parcel arrived although I still can't understand how they kept the snow from melting!

Mini-review: Sweden 3 : England 0

Blind sample from @WessexWhisky

In the glass: Lovely pale gold number, swirls leave slow thin legs, initial nose is smoke!

Nose: Lovely bonfire smoke, not medicinal, some orchard fruit hints too.

Palate: Wow, high ABV gets you on this one and loads of spice. The blanket of smoke covers everything. A few sips reveals some tropical fruit and loads of spice, could be cask strength or close to. Getting some menthol and the finish delivers some too...

It turned out to be a Mackmyra Preludium:03 from Sweden!

Where's the flat pack instructions?

When we think of Sweden then first things that comes into our minds in flat pack furniture - we all love Ikea, walking around the store, grabbing some delicious Meatballs then the fun starts! An hour in the car park trying to work out how to get all the packages into the car is just the start, wait until you eventually get home and open them up! I'm sure the little cartoon diagrams mean something to someone?

Anyway this is a whisky blog not a furniture one, so swap Ikea for Mackmyra, the first distillery to open in Sweden, it started to distil in 1999.

Drinks by the Dram Advent Calendar Sneak Peek @TwitterTasting

#TweetTastings are coming thick and fast at the moment for @TheWhiskyWire and I was lucky enough to be selected for the latest one from @DrinksByTheDram, this one giving a sneak peak at one of their many Advent Calendars.

Each Advent Calendar is filled with 24 x 30ml of the most thrilling whiskies known to humankind, from a 50 year old Scotch to superb Irish and American whiskeys, and expressions from some of them most exciting world whisky distilleries. Everything from superb single grains to rare single malts, award-winning whiskies from famous distilleries from rich Speyside whiskies to smoky Island malts.

You've still got time to order one in time for 1st December - they are available from here.

For this #TweetTasting we received 5 samples in one of their standard boxes:

By 7pm many of us were in Festive Spirits and all ready to start!

First up was the Macallan 12yo Sherry Oak

My Thoughts:

Nose: Cereal, chocolate, spice, hint of porridge and fudge
Palate: Lots of spice on the tongue, quite drying but sweet with it, getting some chocolate, some wood and a little dried fruit. Not the full on Christmas Cake thought...

Other peoples opinions:

Second was the Bain's Cape Mountain Single Grain

My Thoughts:

Nose: Vanilla, love heart sweets, (Dried Banana Chips : From @RumDiariesBlog)
Palate: Oily buttery sweetness (this feels better than 40%), a little spice then a huge kick of them banana sweets at the end!

Other peoples opinions:

Third was The Blended Whisky Company's The Lost Distilleries Company Blend - Batch 10

My Thoughts:

Nose: The 51% hits you straight away, some apples and pears, wood, and a hint of spice in the background.
Palate: Lovely rich dried fruits - must have been soaked overnight in whisky! This is what the @The_Macallan should have been - Christmas Cake in a glass! Slightly drying and getting ginger and cinnamon spices too.

Other peoples opinions:

Fourth was Mackmyra's Brukswhisky

My Thoughts:

Nose: Limes, coconut, wet dog and a little spicy mint, nose is developing as it sits in the glass - porridge notes coming though and just a hint of smoke.
Palate: Very light, slightly oily, sweet and spicy, some orchard fruits and the porridge from the nose.

Other peoples opinions:

The final dram of the night was Kilchoman's Sanaig

My Thoughts:

Nose: Peat smoke hits you straight away but there is also the sweetness from the sherry, some saltiness and smoked fish?
Palate: Wow - slow down now - not sure about this at all - there is an awful lot of peanuts..... very spicy but can't get that peanut taste to go, very strange. Quite drying too. What an unusual dram!

Other peoples opinions:

Conclusion: I thought the Blended Whisky Co Blend was superb - Christmas in a glass, the Banes came a close second, Single Grains are really impressing me this year! The Kilchoman and  Mackmyra are great every day drams, perhaps a little young? I was actually disappointed with the Macallan - it just seemed ordinary.

Many thanks to Drinks by the Dram for supplying the #dramples, @WhiskyWire for organising and all my fellow #TweetTasters for making it a great evening and for kicking off Christmas!

Other reviews:

Peak Whisky