Mackmyra Vinterdrom

This is a first for me, a Swedish single malt. From what I know, Mackmyra is a big name in the Swedish whisky game and they have many offerings. Vinderdröm is one of their NAS limited edition seasonal releases. It is aged in American ex bourbon casks and finished in Caribbean rum casks. Bottled at 46.1% ABV and there is no information regarding colorant or chill filtration, but given the ABV I would suspect it is not chill filtered. The golden color might suggest a bit of colorant may have been added. The nose opens with fresh oak and musty cardboard. Dry grass and barley malt are strong as well. Prominent anise and black licorice with some allspice. Nutty - pecans and Brazil nuts, earthy. Fairly fruity, but not really sweet. Lemons, oranges and apricots. A bit of menthol or eucalyptus and light molasses and rum notes. This is very similar to a Highland or Speyside style scotch, a very favorable comparison. After time more sweetness develops in the form of butterscotch, vanilla cream and brown sugar. The palate has a peppery wood spice arrival that is immediately followed by juicy tropical fruits. Kiwi, apricots, oranges, coconut, pineapple and cantaloupe. Earthy with something akin to a light Highland peat even though I don’t think this is a peated malt. Again, very much a scotch-like profile. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is both dry and mouthwatering at the same time. The finish is medium long, very fruity with brown sugar. I initially tasted this blind and was convinced it was a scotch. I have to say that if other Swedish single malts can produce this same quality and overall profile then we may have to consider them serious participants in the whisky game. I’d like to see what can be done with a wine finish or with a heavy peating. Vinterdröm isn’t exceptional but it is solid. 3.75 and a thanks to @PBMichiganWolverine for the sample. Cheers

This was an interesting find. A Nordic whiskey that taste like American rye probably finished in some sherry cask, but made with Nordic barley, pristine clean water from those glacial fields ( maybe climate change might mean more of that pristine clean Nordic water?😒), and finished in Caribbean rum casks? Haven’t seen a better North South marriage since the Civil War. Not sure of the age, but I’m guessing young ( less than 6-8), but really well integrated with the rum cask. Green grassy notes mixed with a touch of burnt sugar. “Vinterdrom” means winter’s dram...I went in expecting Christmas cake and mulling spices...but, I guess a Caribbean winter can be more like grassy clean notes with rum aromas. Either way...pretty damn good. First IKEA. Then meatballs. Then safety oriented snow loving Volvos. Now...whiskey. Good job in horizontal expansion Sweden.

This is a wonderfully unique whisky with a bready nose that, tasted blind, I first pegged as a Bruichladdich and then as a cask-finished rye. It’s malty and lemony, with a long grassy finish that turns slightly sweet. That finish comes from some time spent in Plantation Rum casks that previously held Barbados and Jamaican spirit. A great introduction to Swedish malt, courtesy of a @PBMichiganWolverine mystery sample.