GREAT review of Mackmyra whisky. It pretty much sums up their major problem: They have a really good product which in time eventually might prove to be a great one, but they package and market it in such a BAD way; the "is-that-a-condom-or-are-you-just-happy-to-see-me?"-bottle logo, the color-blind aesthetics of the packaging (hey, you can be bold/different: Bruichladdich is a great example of this!) and as mentioned here; the ad/Mad Men-type advert-lingo they tend to use to describe it! It's such a shame, because I think it has a Highland/Islay type smokey/peaty flavor, depending of which type you buy, and it has a surprisingly rich/long lasting aftertaste when you sample it. The yearly releases have now FINALLY aged enough to have some complexity and width/depth (my current favorite is the new "Svensk Rök/Swedish Smoke"). I think of it as a nice link between the harsh, windswept and salt-stained shores of the Inner Hebrides (Islay anyone?) and the long, dark, cold crispy winter nights of (especially northern) Sweden (which oddly enough in some way resembles the northern parts of Japan, a country that produces some outstanding Single Malts...) Sorry about the rambling, just my two cents! :)
I love this writeup. I'm going to peg it to the top. I really do love their whisky. And I'm certain if I was able to get my hands on the other expressions, I would love it even more. I just wish their marketing department didn't fall prey to the lowest common denominator approach. I think we agree completely on this one.
Americans... not even trying to understand foreign languages... Even if you couldn't have figured this out yourself, throw it in Google Translate and you have your answer.
Even though it's of Danish origin, look up the Law of Jante, and it explains much of Scandinavia's approach, which I think can be applied to how they describe/promote much of their stuff... I learned of this after moving to Sweden, and it has been an eye-opening experience. Still keen to try more Swedish Whisky... sifting through your reviews now :)
It's funny as you've just persuaded me to order this after I tried it (versus the Bruks) in a whisky shop in Yorkshire (England) a few years back. I loved it but my mate preferred the Bruks. I found it unique and that's what I like, to taste something different. I've been reviewing Nespresso coffee on my own channel and your vid has genuinely given me the confidence to keep giving my genuine opinion, even if it's not a popular one.
Bit late to the party Mackmyra swedish Oak is having roughly 10% swedish oak (original batch had 100% oak which is in their 10y version) Rest is ACTULLY oak from bourbon casks. Swedish is similier to french Tessu oak. Tannin heavy and fewer angel shares per year. Love to get in contact with you guys for anything sweden related. I work with Whiskey here in sweden :)
This is really unique Nordic whiskey, you should always review if from the perspective of the country itself, which is a difficult task obviously. I'm still waiting for Finland to become a leading country in whiskey making, I think we have a lot to contribute when it comes to "earthy" notes from pine trees for example.
Teerenpeli is my top favorite whiskey in the world 🤘 I don't know which market they are supplying, but it's not easy to find anything beyond 10, Kaski, Portti and Savu.
Svensk ek simply means Swedish oak and the whisky is kind of pronounced "Muck-mira svensk eyk". The "i" in "mira" is pronounced like the i in a word like "mig".
Also: "myr" is where English gets its word "mire" (yay Vikings), and "mack" is a type of gnat that lived in the area where the town was founded. So this whiskey is named: Gnatswamp Swedish Oak (sounds tasty doesnt it?)
First of all, yes this is an old video. Second of all, Wtf is that scarf, Daniel Bond. Third of all, let me know if you want help with swedish pronunciation. Even though i don't think there will be more swedish whiskeys. I can also do Norwegian and Danish. Possible finnish too
They apparently do not agree with you, or have not seen your review, as they still make the same claim almost four years later. "We are constantly developing our ancient craft to make it even better. One example of our many innovations is to age a great deal of our whisky in smaller barrels thereby extracting more flavour." - Mackmyra
At the very beginning they sold small casks, to found and because they couldn't get more new make distilled in their small pans. Mackmyra is the biggest distillery of single malt in Sweden and were first to introduce customers to buy small casks, which almost every other distilleries in Sweden now are offering. I don't think it neccessarily is a flaw using small casks.
I don’t know if you read comments in older posts, but you should try to get your hands on mackmyras latest whiskey, it’s called mackmyra AI, and as the name explains it is made by a artificial intelligence. I don’t really know how I feel about it. Leaving it to computers, but it’s a cool idea nonetheless. Also I love your vids!
Mackmyra means swedish oak (which I'm sure has been said endlessly in the comments already). I'm sure mackmyra suffers from the same advertising problem that many foreign companies trying to explore the international market does in that it actually becomes really hard to communicate with your customers in a meaningful way. The company started using barrels made from swedish oak rather than imported barrels with the svensk ek whiskey, which is difficult to do due to it being a much harder material. Also, being a small company that has grow tremendously in a business where decisions taken 10 years ago matters so much as it does in the whiskey industry I believe the demand for their whiskey far exceeds their supply.
No it doesn't. Mackmyra means 'midge swamp' - it's the name of the village where the original distillery was built. I'm their brand ambassador in Scotland :)
A woman is on trial for beating her husband to death with his guitar collection. Judge says, 'First offender?' She says, 'No, first a Gibson! Then a Fender!
I hear you on the bad writing. Every time I read "caramel and vanilla" in the tasting notes, I want to smash the bottle on the ground. Damn near every whiskey on the planet has caramel and vanilla! I never understood why they use basic, and rather generic, flavors like that too. Is it vanilla bean or french vanilla? Burnt caramel or butterscotch? Why not say, "caramel apple pie with vanilla ice cream"? Now that makes me wanna drink some whiskey!
