Mackmyra Gruvguld

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit this is half the reason I made a stop in Sweden while recently traveling through Europe. I saw this whisky pop up on Instagram about a month ago and it sounded unique, amazing, and not something I’ll ever come across back in the States. I messaged the distillery and they were kind enough to tell me exactly where to find it while I was in Malmö.

The story behind Mackmyra Gruvguld is pretty interesting. The name, Gruvguld, roughly translates to “Gold of the Mine.” The name is very appropriate given the whisky was aged in the Bodås mine, 50 meters underground in a variety of casks including Oloroso, Bourbon, American and Swedish oak ranging from 30 to 128 liters. The list of casks used in creating this whisky is extensive – from the Mackmyra website:

BOURBON: 30 L — 100 L
1st fill / 2nd fill
SWEDISH OAK: 30 L — 100 L
Virgin / 1st fill / 2nd fill
OLOROSO 30 L
Virgin / 1st fill
SWEDISH OAK + BOURBON: 30 L
Virgin / 2nd fill / saturated w. PX
NEW AMERICAN OAK: 128 L
Virgin / 1st fill / saturated w. Oloroso

That marriage of different casks creates a very unique profile, moving off the beaten path of American, Scotch, and Japanese whiskies.

BOTTLE INFO

Distiller: Mackmyra
Region: Sweden
ABV: 46.1%
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley (?)
Cask Type: Bourbon, Swedish Oak, Oloroso, New American Oak
Age: NAS
Chill Filtered: No (?)
Color Added: No (?)
Color: Burnished

TASTING NOTES

Glass for Review: Glencairn
Nose: The nose reminds me of a summer festival, vanilla, caramel covered apples, and some powdered sugar. Malt and custard notes linger. The nose is intriguingly unique, different than any other whisky.
Palate: The nose transitions to the palate quite smoothly, starting with vanilla and a slight hint of caramel syrup before transitioning to more fruit notes. The sherry influence becomes more apparent with the appearance of apricots, plums, and currants on the palate. As it sits on the palate, spicy oak comes through and I detect just the slightest hint of campfire smoke – almost unnoticeable, but a pleasant surprise.
Finish: The finish is fleeting, full of spice and slightly tannic. The different oaks tussle in the finish making it a fun challenge to identify the influence from each cask. Allspice, and cinnamon linger with a touch of clove.
Overall: The nose and flavor or this whisky is unique – different than American, scotch, and Japanese – making it an intriguing whisky to sip. Perhaps this unique profile is Mackmyra’s signature? I need to try some of their other whisky to tell. It’s a light whisky great on a summer day, but it’s missing intensity. I would have expected more pronounced notes on the palate, especially from an influence of Oloroso and PX.

Average Price: $70USD