Up to now, this “Global” intermission has been more of an Asian, with stops in India and Japan (once and twice). And while there are other Asian whisky destinations I would love to take time to visit, virtually through their liquid (Taiwan immediately comes to mind), it is time to move on. Move on to old Europe outside of the British Isles. I am doing so with this review of the Mackmyra Svensk Ek.
The number of European distilleries overall seems to be more difficult to determine with certainty than getting us Italians to agree on a pasta recipe. Still, France and Germany certainly make up a large share. I have been more intrigued by the whisky-making of the Nordic countries. In particular, by those distilleries that are not trying to replicate the Scottish style in a different location, but rather are trying to define their individual identity. And Mackmyra very much fits that bill.
TL:DR: A solid, if slightly over-oaked, entry level whisky.
Score*: 5.5, Average, in a good way and close to being good.
Mackmyra in a snapshot
Mackmyra was founded in 1999, and started commercial distillation in 2002 after trying 170 different recipes. That experimentation produced two base spirits, one fruity and one smoky, which serve as the base for all their bottlings. The ingredients used for the whisky (except for the yeast and barrels) are all locally sourced, including the peat.
Some of Mackmyra’s production methods are quite unique. The casks are mostly aged in a former mine, 50 metres below ground. But what is more remarkable is the second Mackmyra distillery built in 2011 (today producing most of the spirit sold): this is a seven-storey distillery that uses gravity to drive most of its processes and thus reduce production costs. The innovative side of Mackmyra also expanded to the use of unusual casks, like green tea casks and birch wine casks, unavailable to Scottish producers due to the SWA’s regulations. Or using AI to create a whisky.
Financial troubles and restart
But all was not well. Mackmyra generated a lot of buzz in the early 2020s. Look at online Mackmyra reviews dates and you will see a long string of 2020 and 2021. But things started to change when a new CEO took the rains to drive the ambitious goal of expanding Mackmyra’s presence outside of Sweden. In 2021 the sdistillery’s master blender, Angela D’Orazio, left, which, according to some, impacted the brand’s identity.
Things precipitated so much that in August 2024, Mackmyra declared bankruptcy. Lemmart Hero, who was the main shareholder and main lender of the distillery, acquired Mackmyra together with a Swedish capital investment firm, saving it from bankruptcy. The new ownership has stated they intend to refocus Mackmyra’s efforts into becoming more relevant on the global stage, and I wish them the best of luck. It is a tall order for sure: with decreasing alcohol consumption and the well-documented signs of crisis in whisky sales, expanding will not be easy.
But enough background, let’s dive into the review of the Mackmyra Svensk Ek
Macmyra Svensk Ek
Specs
Price paid: 519 SEK (about 47.30€)
Lot: N/A
ABV: 46.1%
Natural colour: Yes (not on the bottle but confirmed by many different sources)
Non-chill filtered: Yes (not on the bottle but confirmed by many different sources)
Casks Used: 68% Ex-Bourbon, 12% first fill Oloroso 10% Swedish virgin oak 10% American virgin oak
Tasting Notes
Colour: Pale amber
Nose: The nose is quite woody and fruity. There are notes of ripe white fruit, vanilla, some baking spice, a touch of citrus (lime or maybe even grapefruit), a little malt and milk chocolate. But the most prominent note is oak, persistent in the background. I noticed as time went on, the intensity of the aromas loses potency over time.
Taste: The texture is medium, with some richness initially but not terribly persistent. The aromas are initially malty, then a more sherry presence is noticeable. Toffee and raisins, some slight spice, and again an oaky note, both as a taste and texture: a bit drying and tannic.
The finish is medium to short, fruity, with an unusual note of fermented apricots, vanilla and raisins.
Score*: 5.5, Average, in a good way – and getting close to good.
I bought this bottle while on a short stopover in Sweden. I was, truth be told, trying to find some of the more experimental stuff Mackmyra produces. But the Systembolaget (Sweden’s state alcohol monopoly) shop near my hotel had a limited selection, and this was the only Swedish whisky on offer. No harm done, I was still curious to try what Mackmyra could produce.
Approaching this review of the Mackmyra Svensk Ek, (Swedish Oak, for one of the casks used), I was happy to have picked an expression probably closer to the identity of the fruity distillery spirit than what I could have tasted in one of the more innovative cask finishes.
But I am not sure it is what I got. Sure, the spirit’s fruit is there, with some personality. But the cask influence is noticeable, and the 20% virgin oak impacts the aromas quite a bit. If you like oaky notes, you will probably like this one more than I. It made me think of those overaged California Chardonnays (and I am doing my best not to make any Ikea furniture jokes here)
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of Makmyra Svensk Ek I enjoyed:
If you have enjoyed this content, please share a comment below and consider supporting the cost of this blog via the button below