LeeEvolved
Mackmyra Svensk Rök
Single Malt — Sweden
Reviewed
September 17, 2019 (edited March 9, 2020)
Svensk Rok translates to “Swedish smoke”, so Mackmyra distillery isn’t trying to be creative with the name of this single malt- at all. This is a peated whisky and they experimented by adding juniper to the end of the smoking process in an effort to add serious spice and florals to the already smoky malt. It’s natural color and non-chill filtered, while bottled at 46.1% ABV and a 500ml bottle cost me $28. Not a bad price, even though it’s a small bottle. It’s pale yellow and makes medium, oily legs and drops while still appearing watery overall.
The nose starts out quite medicinal on the smoky aspect. There’s a light, Laphroaig-y band aid note that needs to dissipate before you can pick up other subtle nuances like vanilla, Juniper flower, honey and a very faint brine scent. The palate was surprisingly heavy on the charcoal and cigarettes. The peat stayed strictly mineral and dry. Any florals and sweetness were over washed by the cigarette note, which really made this one a tough for me as I despise that smell. The mouthfeel was rough and abrasive, as well, so the whisky must be quite young. The finish came across as wet cigarettes that linger on and on (which I did not let last very long- I had to chase it with water after 15-20 seconds). Medicinal notes and minerals left everything dry and I couldn’t wait to chase this with another sweet, sherried malt.
Overall, this did not suit my palate one bit. I’ve tasted tobacco on many malts before- and while I wouldn’t describe that as an overly enjoyable flavor IMHO, I have learned to appreciate what it adds to most richer tasting whiskies. This cigarette note, however, is an entirely different matter. I just do not like it. Thankfully, this was a small bottle and after I poured a long term sample (that I’ll never knowingly drink lol) and a few more for possible trades- there wasn’t much left so I dispatched the rest of the bottle very quickly. I know I won’t replace this one, but I’d still like to try a few more things from Mackmyra- but I think I’ll stick to unpeated malts going forward. This one gets 1.5-2 stars from me. Cheers.
28.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@LeeEvolved so I spoke with the guy from that site. Apparently, it’s always been a “ can’t ship to the US”. But it wasn’t enforced . More like “ shouldn’t ship to the US”. That’s because they had no way of enforcing it. Now, the Dutch customs have upgraded the scanners, which allows them to enforce it.
@Slainte-Mhath - man, I haven’t had a pour of Laphroaig 10 in ages. I wonder if it would treat me the same way?
@Soba45 - whiskysite.nl was a little hidden gem for finding quality malts. The exchange rate dollar to euro allowed an even better price that most U.K. stores couldn’t touch. Remove that pesky VAT along with some of the cheapest shipping I’ve ever seen ($7-8 per bottle. That even beats our stores shipping across the continental United States!). Sadly, they just stopped shipping to the entire USA over the last week or two. It’ll ultimately save me money, but it took a lot of deals away from me.
@LeeEvolved Yeah, I know what you mean. I had the same experience with Laphroaig 10, that cold ashtray note was really putting me off.
@LeeEvolved you might like the Smogen line from Sweden. It’s a smaller producer, and pricier.
@PBMichiganWolverine - I bought this one as a throw in to an international order- I think I got it from whiskysite.nl before they stopped US shipping.
@Slainte-Mhath - sadly, after the first sip it just stuck with me and I couldn’t shake the association to cigarettes. It may have not been that bad if I had given it another try later on, but I was over it immediately lol.
Was this purchased in the US? I find the Swedish ones in the US as really basic entry level that might appease masses. The good ones, which are pricier, are in TWE.
@LeeEvolved Sorry to hear that you didn't like this malt. I didn't pick up any cigarette smoke, but that might just be a personal impression.
Good review. Wow that's cheap. A lot more than that here.