After the ‘Shai samples’ I went through the ‘Anki range’ which also consisted of four samples. Yesterday’s Glen Scotia was the first of the batch, and today I’ll be reviewing two samples of Mackmyra.
Mackmyra in itself is quite rare outside of Sweden. You can get the regular releases with a bit of trying, but in the country there’s a lot more to be gotten. The problem here would not only be availability but also price. The stunners of previous tastings have been offered to me (by Anki) at retail prices but usually I get a bit scared when a young whisky (albeit great) will set you back almost € 150.
Anyway, the whisky:
Mackmyra Special 08 Handpicked, distilled in 2008, 46%
On the nose this Mackmyra has a lot of spiciness. Strangely enough it’s a lot like the Glen Scotia in that regard. Also a little bit of glue, vanilla and lemon. Maybe a tiny touch of smoke? Leather, old wood and furniture also come to mind. The palate is full and heavy, but sweet with lemon curd, white oak and something plant-like. The finish is leathery again with a flavour of overly used casks with some allspice and lemon.
This whisky consists of ex sauternes (250l), ex bourbon (100l), ex sherry (100l), Swedish oak (100l), American oak (100l) and ex bourbon (200l).
Mackmyra Reserve. Anki’s private cask, 3yo, 49.3%
This whisky is Anki’s private reserve which was released as 55 bottles (50cl) last year. It is matured in a regular cask before being recasked in a bourbon barrel for another 8 months.
Again, there is that heavy spiciness on the nose that was there in the last two samples. I am starting to suspect the plastic wasn’t entirely okay to store strong booze in for almost a year. It’s very sweet though, and a bit spirity. There is some wood but it hasn’t got much scents, or those have been dominated by the spiciness. It tastes rather sharp, with wood and barley. Also some crisp fruitiness like fresh apples and green grapes. The finish is spirity and grist-like, sweet and the spices are still present.
I am quite worried about the similarity in the samples that shouldn’t be there. I think the samples were tainted, but at least not in a way that dominates everything. The Glen Scotia is properly assessed I think, since all the flavours present are consistent with the tasting notes I got in from Anki, and those notes are to be expected from Glen Scotia.
These Mackmyra’s however, are a bit weird compared with what I know from the distillery. Due to a couple of Twitter Tastings, that luckily is quite a bit. A bummer, but I’m not trusting these notes entirely.
Why do I publish them, you say? Can’t really say. Maybe just a reminder to all readers out there that not all flavours you get might be intended, especially from samples and miniatures. I don’t think my samples have gone off when bottle-sharing, but if you think otherwise, please let me know.
Malt Fascination 
