Thursday, January 31, 2008

Malt Mission 2008 #239


Mackmyra Preludium 05
Svensk Whisky
48.4% abv
£40


Launched at Royal Mile Whiskies' excellent Whisky Fringe 2007 and sold out in just two days at Systembolaget in Sweden, this Mackmyra Preludium series has many whisky nerds rubbing their hands in anticipation of what's next from the young Mackmyra distillery. See Johan's first hand report of trying to get a bottle in Sweden at WhiskyGrotto HERE.

Each release in the series has a style theme. This one is "flavoursome small casks" meaning the spirit has been matured in specially made smaller volume oak barrels increasing wood contact.

The 06 was launched in Sweden in December and will be released in the UK in February. Dr. Whisky will get to taste it tomorrow. It will be the final entry in the Preludium series and after experiencing what the distillers have called a "foretaste" of the different styles of spirit produced at Mackmyra, we will soon see a mature, standard bottling. When? I have no idea.

For more info and all Mackmyra had on the mission click HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Outdoorsy, like a forest. Pinecones. Prickly, sappy. Sweetened with cookie dough and humid like musty towels. Slight sour notes too, like pickles.

Clean and oaky sweet, but only initially. Explodes with alcohol with youth apparent. Spicy with some vanilla, but very immature-tasting. Spirit impressions stick around.

SUMMARY:

Cannot be judged quickly. Changes immensely both with time in the glass and with water. Fiery, yes, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Water, however, does not help much as the core spirit remains youthful. This is best at full strength. I really enjoyed the nose, unique and interesting in its combinations of aromas. And they changed and developed as the whisky sat in the glass becoming more creamy, like skin lotion not dairy, cheap waxy chocolate, and more organic smells of green peas, celeriac, and oak. Look forward to the 06 tomorrow.

Malt Mission #236
Malt Mission #237
Malt Mission #238
Malt Mission #240

Malt Mission HOME

No comments: