High Coast 9yo 2014/2025

High Coast 9yo 2014/2025

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Ångermanland
Amber copper
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, sandalwood, black pepper, honey, figs, fresh cut grass. With water, honey, leather, hints of figs. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, volatile, hot. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Black pepper, figs, sandalwood, honey, blackcurrant cordial, hints of caraway seed. With water, honey, leather, figs. 
Finish: Long. Black pepper, blackcurrant cordial, milk chocolate, figs. 

Comments: 

A delicate and floral High Coast, with lots of fig and blackcurrant notes. Good whisky, surprisingly refreshing, and tastes excellent in a highball.

Verdict:

I like this.

High Coast Quercus IV

High Coast Quercus IV

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ångermanland 
Orange gold
50.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pear drops, magic marker, gooseberries, apple juice, sandalwood, honey, hints of malted grains. With water, honey, sandalwood, vanilla, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Magic marker, gooseberries, sandalwood, apple juice, cardamom, black pepper, honey, hints of sandalwood. With water, honey, sandalwood. 
Finish: Medium. Honey, sandalwood, black pepper, cardamom. 

Comments: 

Swedish whisky aged in Mizunara oak, but grown in Mongolia, not Japan. Fruity and sweet, more of that cardamom note, but there’s a herbal, incense note that pervades the whisky. Rather fascinating.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

High Coast Hav

High Coast Hav

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ångermanland
Golden
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, honey, sea salt, malted grains, smoke, cloves, cardamom. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Malted grains, peat, raisins, leather, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, honey. 
Finish: Short. Malted grains, vanilla, leather, peat, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Honeyed, but with a savoury herbal edge. It’s mostly cardamom that is the spice note, which I think is fairly unusual. It builds to a short intense finish that’s malty and slightly smoky. 

Verdict:

I like this.

High Coast Älv

High Coast Älv

Official bottling

Single malt - Ångermanland
Pale silver
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Limes, malted grains, white grapes, lemon zest, walnuts, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sour. Malted grains, limes, lemon zest, sea salt, vanilla, lavender, honey, hints of nutmeg. 
Finish: Short. Limes, lavender, honey, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Swedish whisky made in the style of Japanese whisky. Very well defined flavours - limes, white grapes and malt - and very gentle and fruity. Rather good, although personally I think Japanese whisky is more robust.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Smögen 12yo 2011/2024

Smögen 12yo 2011/2024

Coasts and Shores, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Bohuslän
Pale gold
55% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, vitamin C tablets, wet stones, honey, peat, driftwood smoke, hints of kippers. With water, lemon zest, wet stones, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, warm, tingly. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Honey, vitamin C tablets, fish sauce, peat, driftwood smoke, malted grains, hints of kippers. With water, leather, honey, lemon zest. 
Finish: Long. Wet stones, kippers, vitamin C tablets, driftwood smoke, leather. 

Comments: 

Cask 402011. Quite saline and peaty, with whiffs of kippers and fish sauce. There’s also something tart, maybe even slightly chalky, and overlaid with salty smoke. Water brings out sweeter, more citrusy notes.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Smögen 10yo 2014/2024

Smögen 10yo 2014/2024

Decadent Drams, Decadent Drinks
Single malt - Bohuslän
Amber
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, pears, raisins, cloves, fresh cut grass, smoke, hints of fresh baked bread. With water, peat, smoke, pears. 

Mouthfeel: Heavy body, volatile, loosens, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Peat, smoke, tarry rope, raisins, cloves, pears, malted grains, hints of vanilla, hints of fresh cut grass. With water, peat, smoke, lemon zest, fresh cut grass. 
Finish: Medium. Peat, smoke, malted grains, pears, hints of tarry rope. 

Comments: 

Quite fruity, but of course it’s laden with huge layers of pear and smoke. But the fruit still comes through alongside some cereal. Water brings out more citrus and grassiness.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Agitator Swedish Four Grain Whisky Ex White Port Cask

Agitator Swedish Four Grain Whisky Ex White Port Cask

Collector Series, Caskshare 
Single grain - Västmanland
Amber
58.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon juice, white pepper, rye bread, peppermint malted grains, roast chicken, hints of rosemary. With water, rye bread, petrol exhaust, roast chicken, sultanas. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, tingly, cool. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. Peppermint, rosemary, rye bread, caraway seed, petrol exhaust, white pepper, hints of roast chicken. With water, rye bread, caraway seed, peppermint, hints of chocolate. 
Finish: Medium. Farmyard, lemon juice, petrol exhaust, caraway seed. 

Comments: 

Cask 4067. There’s quite a lot of different grains in this whisky, making for a jumble of odd notes that don’t normally go together. But it’s pretty interesting, and I’d like to drink more from this distiller.  

Verdict:

I like this.

Mackmyra 8yo Green Tea and Amontillado Cask

Mackmyra 8yo Green Tea and Amontillado Cask

Permutations Series 2, Fib Whisky
Single malt - Gastrikland
Copper gold
45.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, gooseberries, cinder toffee, dates, hibiscus, pine needles, hints of cloudberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, mouth coating, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Cloudberries, gooseberries, peaches, mulberries, vanilla, cream, barley sugar, strawberry jam, hints of pine needles. 
Finish: Short. Cinder toffee, hibiscus, vanilla, cream, hints of mulberries. 

Comments: 

Tastes like a dry, complex, alcoholic fruit tea. There’s barley here too, and some of that pine needle flavour, that accentuates the herbal tea aspect. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Mackmyra Destination

Mackmyra Destination

Official bottling 
Single malt - Gastrikland
Amber
48.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Strawberry jam, juniper, pine needles, white pepper, cinnamon, orange peel. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, loosens, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Blackcurrant cordial, wet stones, pine needles, strawberry jam, fresh baked bread. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, strawberry jam, cinnamon, hints of juniper. 

Comments: 

Sweet and luscious, but with that Swedish herbal forest tang. Turns malty and cereally on the tongue. Very classic and stripped back whisky.

Verdict:

I like this.

Smögen 10yo 2013/2023

Smögen 10yo 2013/2023

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Bohuslän

Amber pink 
58.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pine needles, grapefruit, lemon zest, wet stones, malted grains, leather, smoked bacon, hints of smoke, hints of red grapes. With water, farmyard, fresh cut grass, wet stones, grapefruit. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, volatile, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Germolene, caraway seed, lemon zest, pine needles, wet stones, hints of smoke. With water, grapefruit, lemon zest, wet stones, pine needles. 
Finish: Medium. Pine needles, caraway seed, lemon zest, red grapes, hints of rhubarb and custard sweets.  

Comments: 

Cask 58. Very nice and complex Smögen, loads of pine and caraway over a good layer of smoke. It’s also the oldest Smögen I’ve ever had. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

High Coast Timmer Peat Smoke

High Coast Timmer Peat Smoke

Official bottling 
Single malt - Ångermanland
Pale green gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, green tea, leather, orange peel, sultanas, peat, hints of smoky bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, slippery, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Green tea, sultanas, bitter gourd, leather, orange peel, peat, hints of smoky bacon. 
Finish: Long. Bitter gourd, orange peel, green tea, peat, sultanas. 

Comments: 

Fruity yet bitter, lots of complexity alongside some gentle smoke and peat. I like this, it’s unusual and definitely not scotch. Nice long finish as well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

High Coast 8yo 2012/2021

High Coast 8yo 2012/2021

Selection, Adelphi
Single malt - Ångermanland
Pale gold
62.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, lemon juice, shortbread, leather, cinnamon, green apples, hints of white chocolate. With water, shortbread, toast, lemon juice, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, expands, airy, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour bitter. Peat, leather, smoke, green apples, mint, peanuts, shortbread, hints of germolene. With water, malted grains, green apples, toast, smoke, hints of germolene. 
Finish: Long. Lemon juice, cinnamon, white chocolate, germolene, hints of smoke. 

Comments: 

Earthy, chemical but fruity whisky from High Coast. Lots of malt and smoky toast, with a good tart fruity spine. Harsh but opens up with water.

Verdict:

I like this.

Milroy’s Exclusive Mackmyra Grand Cuvée Champagne Finish

Milroy’s Exclusive Mackmyra Grand Cuvée Champagne Finish

Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Gastrikland
Amber bronze 
44.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, sultanas, peach preserves, musk, pine, lemon zest, hints of hay. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, mouth coating, cool. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Sultanas, peach preserves, pine, fresh cut grass, marmalade, jasmine, hay. 
Finish: Medium. Green tea, fresh cut grass, pine, marmalade, hay. 

Comments: 

Completed the set - have had a dram of the PX, cloudberry wine and now champagne finished Mackmyras from Milroy’s! This one is good, floral and peachy, lots of grassy notes in the background.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Milroy’s Exclusive Mackmyra Cloudberry Wine Cask Finish

Milroy’s Exclusive Mackmyra Cloudberry Wine Cask Finish

Milroy’s of Soho
Single malt - Gästrikland
Bright gold
52.6% ABV
Bottle

Nose: Raspberries, cloudberries, vanilla ice cream, roses, sarsaparilla, juniper berries, malted grains. With water, lemon zest, vanilla ice cream, roses, pine. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, turns oily, sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Vanilla ice cream, malted grains, wheat beer, juniper berries, roses, cloudberries. With water, malted grains, vanilla ice cream, pine, sarsaparilla. 
Finish: Long. Sarsaparilla, wheat beer, malted grains, raspberries. 

Comments: 

Cask 19-1053. One of the best cask finishes I’ve ever tasted, it’s floral and fruity, well integrated into the typical woody Mackmyra flavours. The flavour notes are clean and distinctive, and meld together very well.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Smögen 10yo 2012/2022

Smögen 10yo 2012/2022

Nordic Casks #2, Berry Bros & Rudd 
Single malt - Bohuslän
Green gold
59.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Driftwood smoke, peanuts, leather, pine, dried apricots, apple juice, hints of smoked bacon. With water, honey, apple juice, golden syrup, smoked bacon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, volatile, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Bitter salty. Pine, leather, driftwood smoke, coffee, smoked bacon, apple juice, lemon zest, walnut skins, hints of dark chocolate. With water, lemon zest, walnut skins, peanuts, apple juice. 
Finish: Medium. Dark chocolate, coffee, smoked bacon, apricots, driftwood smoke. 

Comments: 

Cask 34. Herbal and smoky, with a meaty backbone. It’s a bit unbalanced for my liking though, despite the rather interesting fruity notes underlying that smoke. Too much bacon perhaps (probably the first time I’ve ever thought that).

Verdict:

I like this.

Smögen 8yo 2012/2020

Smögen 8yo 2012/2020

Official bottling 
Single malt - Bohuslän
Pale copper 
59.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, white grapes, smoke, peat, orange peel, toast, hints of cinnamon. With water, fresh baked bread, white pepper, hints of cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, astringent. 
Tasting:  Salty sour. White grapes, dried apricots, peaches, sea salt, peat, ginseng, white pepper, toast, hints of lemon sweets. With water, lemon sweets, white pepper, sea salt. 
Finish: Medium. Oats, vanilla, white grapes, toast. 

Comments: 

I think this is one of the few occasions where a whisky is perhaps bottled at too high a strength. It’s got promise, rich stone fruit underneath bitter smoke, but it’s rather harsh neat. Water smooths out the rough edges, also bringing a cereally bite to the surface. 

Verdict:

I like this.

High Coast 8yo 2013/2021

High Coast 8yo 2013/2021

Nordic Casks #1, Berry Bros & Rudd
Single malt - Ångermanland
Amber
60.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black tea, red grapes, malted grains, cocoa nibs, prunes, hints of sea salt. With water, fresh baked bread, dark chocolate, raisins, sea salt. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, expands, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Prunes, butterscotch, tobacco leaf, date molasses, red grapes, cocoa nibs, hints of honey. With water, black tea, fresh baked bread, raisins, prunes. 
Finish: Short. Red grapes, black tea, prunes, honey. 

Comments: 

Cask 1384. Highly sherried, and very high ABV for the age. Lots of underlying cereal notes but these are overlaid by chocolate, cocoa and dried fruit. It’s not that characteristic of the distillery, but it’s a decent sherried dram. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Milroy's Exclusive Mackmyra Pedro Ximenez Finish

Milroy's Exclusive Mackmyra Pedro Ximenez Finish

Milroy's of Soho
Single malt - Gastrikland
Amber red
50.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, red grapes, honey, fresh cut grass, hints of cedar, hints of strawberries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium, cool, static, slightly, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Blackcurrant cordial, fresh cut grass, cedar, raisins, fresh baked bread, hints of thyme. 
Finish: Medium. Butterscotch, blackcurrant cordial, thyme, fresh baked bread, hints of pine. 

Comments: 

Not your usual Mackmyra. The whisky normally takes its wood finishing quite well (at least, the official bottlings do), retaining quite a lot of distillery character. With this one, it's still woody and herbal, but it's not your usual pine and juniper notes, it's cedar, and perhaps some thyme. The sweet sherry is very evident, with the blackcurrant note making it taste almost medicinal.

Verdict:

I like this.

Mackmyra Gront Te

Mackmyra Gront Te

Official bottling
Single malt - Gastrikland
Pale amber
46.1% ABV
Tiny taste

Nose: Peppermint, honey, cocoa powder, vanilla, green tea, hints of raisins. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, warming, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Honey, green tea, apple juice, vanilla, cinnamon, hints of pine. 
Finish: Medium. Fresh baked bread, pine, apple juice green tea. 

Comments: 

This is an interesting cask finished Mackmyra. The sherry cask that aged this was seasoned with an infusion of green tea leaves in sherry. I cadged this off a little sample bottle (thanks Eddie) and I was blown away. Very nice, highly complex, and it's picked up the green tea flavour that the cask seasoning was meant to achieve.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Mackmyra 12yo

Mackmyra 12yo

Chorlton Whisky
Single malt - Gastrikland
Golden
50.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Pine, lemon zest, green apples, honey, lemon curd, barley sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, astringent, warm, slippery. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Pine, lemon zest, barley sweets, juniper berry, black tea, hints of orange blossom. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, juniper berry, green apples, pine. 

Comments: 

Mackmyra, finished in a bourbon cask, rather than those fancy wine cask finishes that the distillery is fond of. It's a pure expression of the spirit's character, and I taste those clean pine notes very clearly. It's floral and herbal as well, with a nice astringently bitter edge. Lovely.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.