Mackmyra Preludium:06 – Frisk svensk rök, NAS, 50,5 %
This is the sixth and final release in the Preludium series from Swedish distillery Mackmyra. The Mackmyra Preludium:06 – Frisk svensk rök (Fresh Swedish smoke) was bottled on 2007-11-06, in a limited run of 30 000 bottles (500 ml). This is, as the name suggests, a peated expression. The spirit was distilled at both their pilot distillery (1999-2002) and their first proper distillery (2002-).
Here is what Mackmyra say about the release:
"The content of Preludium:06 is a blend of our smoky and elegant recipe, stored for four years in old bourbon casks of first-fill quality. The casks have matured in our warehouses on Fjäderholmarna and in the Bodås mine. This base flavour is then augmented with whisky that has been stored in new, 100-litre American oak casks and bourbon casks, as well as some selected casks from our previous pilot production."
You can still find bottles of the Mackmyra Preludium:06 – Frisk svensk rök online at less than € 70. Not quite the collector’s item many thought it would be.
Nose: Vanilla and soft wood smoke. Apples, and soft maritime notes. Not a whole lot going on.
Taste: Rich and a bit oily mouthfeel. Vanilla, sour wood smoke, ashes, ginger, menthol and baked apples. Somewhat raw and young-ish.
Finish: Medium long finish. The sweetness is richer now. The sourness of the smoke is tempered, but not completely gone. Oakiness and again that undermatured character coming through towards the end.
Comments: The best of the Preludium series for me, and an indication of where they would go next. There are still a lot of Mackmyra releases for me to work through, so stay tuned – every Tuesday – for more Nordic whiskies!