Whisky Review - Rosebank 1990

This is a whisky review of Rosebank 1990, 18 years, 50,0% (Lowland)

This 18 year old Rosebank was bottled by the Independent bottler Douglas Laing (Old Malt Cask). It has matured in a bourbon cask. 1 of 672 bottles. The whisky is triple distilled. The distillery was closed in 1993 and there is now a restaurant in one of the buildings.

Colour:
Pale Yellow

Nose, without water:
Fresh

Nose, with water:
Fruit, sweets, citrus

Body:
Medium

Mouth feel:
Oily, creamy

Primary taste:
Bitter, salt

Overall flavour:
Wood, spicy

Finish:
Medium - long

Conclusion:

Unfortunately, this whisky did not meet my high expectations, although it is still a very good whisky.

Pure malt is now banned

RIGHT BLEND FOR SCOTCH AS NEW WHISKY LAW COMES INTO FORCE

On Nov 23rd 2009 Scotch Whisky Regulations covering every aspect of the making, bottling, and labelling of Scotch Whisky come into force.

The key provisions of the new law include:

Five categories of Scotch Whisky are defined for the first time; Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.

These compulsory category sales terms will be required to appear clearly and
prominently on all labels.

A requirement to only bottle Single Malt Scotch Whisky in Scotland.
New rules to prevent the misleading labelling and marketing of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.

A ban on the use of the term ‘Pure Malt’.

A ban on the use of a distillery name as a brand name on any Scotch Whisky which has not been wholly distilled in the named distillery.

Protection of five traditional whisky regions of production; Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay, and Campbeltown.

A requirement that Scotch Whisky must be wholly matured in Scotland.
Clear rules on the use of age statements on packaging.
Designation of HM Revenue & Customs as the verification authority for Scotch Whisky.

Read the News release:

http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/swa/files/ScotchRegulationsNov2009.pdf

Swedish Christmas Goat Made From Whisky Straw

The Christmas goat in the City of Gävle in Sweden is made by straw from the barley that Mackmyra is producing its whisky from.
Mackmyra Distillery is placed just outside Gävle.

There is tradition to try to burn down goat every year. Sometimes someone succeeds and sometimes they don't.

Click the link to see a live cam of the goat.

Christmas goat

Whisky Review - Ardbeg Renaissance 1998

This is a whisky review of Ardbeg Renaissance 1998, 10 years, 55,9% (Islay)

This is a distillery bottling.

Colour:
Yellow

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Sweet, vanilla, tar

Body:
Medium

Mouth feel:
Oily, creamy

Primary taste:
Salt

Overall flavour:
Salt liquorice, smoke, tar pastilles

Finish:
Long - big

Conclusion:

This is a perfect dram for the winter season to enjoy after a nice outdoor walk.
If you are an Islay fan, this one will certainly not disappoint you.

Cooley Named European Distiller of the Year

Cooley Named European Distiller of the Year - Again

Cooley Distillery named European Distiller of the Year for 2nd Consecutive Year



Cooley Distillery, Ireland’s only independent Whiskey distiller, has been named European Distiller of the Year for the second year running at the 2009 International Wine and Spirit Competition Awards banquet in London last night.



In 2008, Cooley Distillery won the World and European Distillery of the Year awards becoming the first Irish distiller to do so. This year, Cooley Distillery eclipsed its 2008 IWSC medal haul with a record 10 gold medals and nine Best in Class awards securing the European Distiller of the Year award in the process.



To top the night off for the Louth based distillery, its Kilbeggan 15-year-old collected the prestigious Brown Forman Trophy for Worldwide Whiskey of the Year. The Brown Forman Trophy is awarded to the best Whiskey in the world produced outside of Scotland.



The Kilbeggan 15-year-old, which was launched in March 2007, has now won back to back IWSC gold medals and has been recognised as the best in its class for two years running. The Brown-Forman Award cements Kilbeggan as one of the world’s best Whiskeys.



The awards were accepted on the night by Noel Sweeney, Master Blender and Jack Teeling, Sales & Marketing Director of Cooley Distillery, at the 40th IWSC Awards ceremony at the Guildhall in London.


Jack Teeling, commented,


“To win European Distiller of the Year award in back to back years is a unique achievement. This award is testament to the innovation and dedication of the entire Cooley staff. Their continued hard work and our focus on quality has allowed us to produce an extensive portfolio of world class Whiskeys as evidenced by winning Worldwide Whiskey of the Year for our Kilbeggan 15-year-old.



Irish whiskey is traditionally renowned for its quality. We are playing a key role in the renaissance of the category.”

Whisky Review - Dalmore Gran Reserva

This is a whisky review of Dalmore Gran Reserva, 40% (Highland)

There is no age stated on the bottle, but this whisky has matured 10 - 15 years. The casks used are 60% Oloroso Sherry casks and 40% white oak (bourbon) casks.

Colour:
Redgold

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Dried fruit

Body:
Light

Mouth feel:
Smooth

Primary taste:
Sweet-bitter

Overall flavour:
Dried fruit, tobacco, raisins

Finish:
Short

Conclusion:

The dark colour comes from the sherry cask. I’m a bit disappointed as I had expected more body and a longer finish.

Whisky Review - Springbank Wood Expression

This is a whisky review of Springbank Wood Expression 1996, 9 years 58% (Campbeltown)

This has matured 7 years in a first fill bourbon cask and 2 years in a Marsala cask.
(Marsala wine is fortified wine from Sicily)

Colour:
Gold

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Citrus, malt, rubber

Body:
Mediuml

Mouth feel:
Oily, creamy

Primary taste:
Salt-sweet-bitter

Overall flavour:
Almond, vanilla, wood

Finish:
Long - big

Conclusion:

Although this whisky is only 9 years old it is a very enjoyable dram.

Whisky Review - S:t Magdalene 1982

This is a whisky review of S:t Magdalene 1982, 25 years 61,8% (Lowland)

This 25 year old S:t Magdalene was bottled by the Independent Black Adder

Colour:
Pale straw

Nose, without water:
Fresh

Nose, with water:
Citrus, pears, chemicals

Body:
Medium - Full

Mouth feel:
Oily, creamy

Primary taste:
Bitter

Overall flavour:
Vanilla, spicy

Finish:
Long - big

Conclusion:

It is hard to get hold of a bottle of S:t Magdalene as the distillery is closed and apartments have been built instead. But if you can it is well worth the price.

Whisky Review - Port Ellen 1983

This is a whisky review of Port Ellen 1983, 21 years 50% (Islay)

This 21 year old Port Ellen was bottled by the Independent Bottler Douglas Laing in the series “Old malt Cask)

Colour:
Amber

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Sweet, tar, rubber

Body:
Full

Mouth feel:
Oily, creamy

Primary taste:
Salt

Overall flavour:
Vanilla, almonds, smoke, spicy

Finish:
Long

Conclusion:

It is a very complex whisky. Port Ellen has always been one of my favourites and this one is no exception. A very, very good dram.

Whisky Review - Tomatin 1984

This is a whisky review of Tomatin 1984, 22 years 48.1% (Speyside)

This 22 year old Tomatin was bottled by the Independent Bottler “The Whisky Fair”. It has matured in a bourbon cask for 22 years.

Colour:
Amber

Nose, without water:
Pungent

Nose, with water:
Fruity, sweet, pineapples, mint

Body:
Medium

Mouth feel:
Oily, creamy

Primary taste:
Sweet

Overall flavour:
Tutti-frutti

Finish:
Long

Conclusion:

Although the first nose was pungent the taste was sweet and fruity with medium body, creamy mouth feel and a long finish. This is a very nice whisky.

Whisky-Review - Glenfarclas

I recently attended a Glenfarclas whisky tasting in Malmö, Sweden.
It was hosted by the Swedish importer and was carried out by Robert Ransom, who is the Director of Sales & Marketing at the Glenfarclas Distillery.

We tasted 5 different whiskies:
12 years, 43%
15 years, 46%
25 years, 43%
30 years, 43%
105, 60% (no age on the label but at least 10 years old)

Glenfarclas uses 2/3 of the whisky from sherry casks and 1/3 from bourbon casks, except for the 30 year old where all of the whisky matures in sherry casks.

Here is a summary of the tasting notes:

Colour: They are all dark from gold to mahogany.

Nose, without water: They are all warming except the 105, which is fresh.

Nose, with water: Sweet, fruity

Body: They are all medium to full-bodied

Mouth feel: Mostly dry and some rough

Overall flavour: 12y, 15y, 18y - sweet, fruity, dried fruit, spicy.
30y sweet, fruity, chocolate, sherry, raisins, a little spicy.
105, spicy, chilli.

Finish: Is for all medium to long, where the 30y is longest.

Conclusion: The 12y, 15y, 25y and 30y are all similar in nose and taste, where the age and sherry cask of the 30y made it my favourite. The 15y was close. The 25y improved after a while and the 12y is a good price-worthy dram.
The 105 is a "tough" one which you should enjoy on a pick-nick on a windy autumn or winters day, or after the pick.nick.

After the tasting we could keep the very nice tasting mats.

Whisky Review - Highland Park 1979

This is a whisky review of Highland Park 1979, 27 years 46.2% (Orkney)

This 27 year old Highland Park was bottled by the Independent Bottler Murray McDavid at Bruichladdich. It has matured in a bourbon cask but ended up in a Syrah cask for a couple of months.

Colour:
Mahogany

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Fruity, sweet, phenols, smoke

Body:
Medium

Mouth feel:
Rough

Primary taste:
Salt - bitter

Overall flavour:
Sour wine

Finish:
Medium long - medium

Conclusion:

I had high expectations about this one but was a bit suspicious to the Syrah cask. Unfortunately I was right. This was a total disappointment. You wonder why you put a 27 year old Highland Park in a wine cask. This is normally a very good whisky. I suspect that something has happened during the maturation with the cask and destroyed the whisky and they have tried to save it by “enhancing” it in another cask.

How to Arrange a Whisky Review or Tasting

If you are going to host a whisky review for many people, review all the samples a few days before and make notes. Then you are well prepared for the review and have decided in which order you should review the different whiskies. Those with the most flavour and / or smoke should be reviewed as the last sample.

It's always nice to get some information about each distillery and present it to the participants. There is a lot of information available on the Internet, just search for the name of the distillery in e.g. Google. If you use PowerPoint for your presentation, use only one page per distillery. It is after all the reviews that are most important.

If you have an open review then present the information about the distilleries before the review, but if it is a hidden review then present it after the review. A hidden review is arranged so that the participants should not have a preconceived opinion about the different samples when they see the bottles. Always let the participants give their opinion before you do it, otherwise they will be affected by your comments.

If the test is open, then start by pouring 2 to 2.5 cl whisky in each glass. If the test is hidden then ask the participants to leave the room after the presentation, and then pour the whisky.

First, we are going to use our eyes. The colour of whisky can often give us a clue as to what kind of cask has been used, unless caramel colouring is used. If you turn your glass I bit and swirl it, small drops are formed, so-called "tears” and the they can give us some clues as to what is in the glass. Very small drops tell us that the whisky is strong, above 50% alcohol strength. If the tears flow slowly, it could mean that it is an older whisky, because it becomes smoother by age.

1. Color
(There are many nuances, but these are sufficient to cover most of the variants)

Pale yellow
Pale straw
Yellow
Gold
Amber
Deep gold
Bronze
Mahogany
Dark brown


Now we are going to use our nose. It is time to smell (nose) the whisky. Let's remember that there is at least 40% alcohol in the glass, so don’t stick your nose too deep into the glass. Take a slight sniff a few inches above the opening of the glass to find the volatile aromas. Then you can slowly move closer to the glass edge to find the heavier aromas. It can be difficult to put names on scents but after a series of reviews, it will be easier. Remember, we are all different and don’t be disappointed if you don’t find the same scents as the other participants do.

2. Nose, first impression, without water

Light
Fresh
Pungent
Sharp (spirit)
Warming

3. Nose, second impression, with water
(There are many more scents, but these suggestions cover a big range)

Phenols - Medicinal, peat, smoke
Feint - leather, tobacco, sweat
Cereal - vegetables, malt, yeast, porridge
Floral - flowers, grass, leaves, hey
Esters - fruit, solvents, citric
Sweets - sherry, nuts, honey, chocolate
Wood - vanilla, resin, fat. pepper
Rancid - butter, fatty, rancid
Acid - acid, cheese, vinegar
Sulphur - rubber, gas, stagnant water
Musty - earth, mould

Now we are going use both the mouth and nose. It's time to taste the whisky. Take a zip of whisky in your mouth and swirl around the whisky to make contact with the whole mouth. Do not drink all of the whisky, leave some to compare after you have tasted the last sample. Then you can go back and compare again. You will notice that the smell has has changed quite a lot as your nose now had several different fragrance impressions of the other samples. The Whisky also changes the longer it is “open” to the air.

Drink water between the samples to neutralise your scences.

4. Body

Light
Medium
Full


5. Mouth feel

Smooth
Oily
Rough
Dry

6. Primary taste

Sweet (front of the tongue)
Salty (front side)
Sour (sides of the tongue and the upper lip)
Bitter (tongue root)

7. Overall flavour
(There are many more flavours, but these suggestions cover a big range)

Phenols - Medicinal, peat, smoke
Feint - leather, tobacco, sweat
Cereal - vegetables, malt, yeast, porridge
Floral - flowers, grass, leaves, hey
Esters - fruit, solvents, citric
Sweets - sherry, nuts, honey, chocolate
Wood - vanilla, resin, fat. pepper
Rancid - butter, fatty, rancid
Acid - acid, cheese, vinegar
Sulphur - rubber, gas, stagnant water
Musty - earth, mould

8. Finish
(This tells how long and how big the finish is)

Short - medium - long
Small - medium – large


9. Grading

First, ranks the samples. Give the best a 1, the second best a 2, etc. Then you give your marks. Normally a scale of 1 to 10 is sufficient, but if you want to be more specific you can use a scale of 1 - 100.

A scale from 1 to 10 can look like this:

1. Defective
2. Undrinkable
3. Very bad
4. Bad
5. Approved
6. Good
7. Very good
8. Delicious
9. Exceptional
10. World-class

The grade 6 corresponds to an average whisky and this represents about 40% of all whiskies.

Write down the review results in notes and save as a reference for later reviews.

NOTE! Don’t be to scientific in the reviews, the experience of a whisky is very individual and can vary a lot between different people. Do not take too much impression of what others say before the review, it is your own opinion that matters.

A whisky tasting should be instructive, funny and a pleasure.

Slàinte

Whisky Review - Laphroaig Quarter Cask

This is a whisky review of Laphroaig Quarter Cask 48% (Islay)

The “Quarter Casks” were originally used in the beginning of the 19th century when whisky often was transported with mule or packhorse. The whisky also matures much faster in these smaller casks, 25-30% faster. The age is not stated but is about 7-8 years.

Colour:
Gold

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Tar, peat, citrus

Body:
Medium - full

Mouth feel:
Smooth

Primary taste:
Salt - sweet

Overall flavour:
Vanilla, malt, leather, dry smoke

Finish:
Long - big

Conclusion:

This is a typical Islay whisky with smooth, sweet, peaty flavour with a long finish.
It surprised me how mature this whisky is regarding its age. It is a very enjoyable dram.

To get one just click below

Whisky Review - Glendronach Allardice 18 Years

This is a whisky review of Glendronach Allardice 18 years 46% (Speyside)

This whisky has matured in a Spanish Oloroso Sherry cask


Colour:
Mahogany

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Sherry, malt, raisins

Body:
Medium

Mouth feel:
Smooth

Primary taste:
Sweet, a bit salty

Overall flavour:
Dry sherry, spicy

Finish:
Small - Medium

Conclusion:
Where the first nosing was very promising, the taste was a bit of a disappointment.
The finish wasn’t very long and the sweetness from the nosing did not appear in the taste although it has matured for 18 years in an Oloroso cask.

Whisky Review - Mackmyra Special:03

This is a whisky review of Mackmyra Special:03 Single Malt 48.2% (Sweden)

Mackmyra has taken the best thirty-litre casks of our two recipes and three different kinds of cask from all four of their warehouses. Casks of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and new Swedish oak have come together in this tribute to the small cask with the big flavour.


Colour:
Straw

Nose, without water:
Warming

Nose, with water:
Vanilla, malt, fudge

Body:
Medium to full-bodied

Mouth feel:
Rough

Primary taste:
Bitter

Overall flavour:
Woody, spicy, dried fruit

Finish:
Medium - long

Conclusion:
You have here a fully matured whisky with vanilla from the bourbon cask, some sweetness from the sherry cask and wood and spices from the Swedish oak.
A pleasant single malt.

Mackmyra mingle

Yesterday I visited a Mackmyra mingle in Malmö, Sweden. The Mackmyra Special:03, which was released on the 2nd of November, was presented by 3 persons from Mackmyra management.



They also presented their plans for the future of Mackmyra. They have started a project where the are going to build a complete “whisky village” not far from the present distillery.
It will contain a new designed distillery as well as underground warehouses. This village will be surrounded by a forest. There will be lodges for visitors and guests.
The surroundings are peaceful and quiet and are perfect for anyone looking for a good whisky and tranquillity.



Of course we tasted the Mackmyra Special:03 as well as Mackmyra Privus:01 and Privus:03. The Privus were only available in Mackmyra’s “Whisky library”, which were sold in a limited edition of 1000pcs and are sold out.




A whisky review of the Mackmyra Special:03 will be posted soon.

Dalwhinnie 15 years - Review

This is a whisky review of Dalwhinnie 15 year Single Malt 43% (Highland)

Colour:
Gold

Nose, without water:
Fresh

Nose, with water:
Fruity, oranges, vanilla

Body:
Full-bodied

Mouth feel:
Dry

Primary taste:
Salty

Overall flavour:
Fruity, malt, some bitterness, almond

Finish:
Medium - long

Conclusion:
This is a very pleasant whisky

Ben Nevis 10 years - Review

I visited a friend yesterday and he invited me for a dram.
We did a tasting and below are the tasting notes

This is a whisky review of a Ben Nevis 10 years Single Malt 1997 46% from Douglas Laing (Provenance).

Colour:
Pale straw

Nose, without water:
Light

Nose, with water:
Sweets, dried fruit, apricot

Body:
Medium

Mouth feel:
Smooth

Primary taste:
Sweet

Overall flavour:
Woody, nutty, spicy with some honey

Finish:
Short

Although the finish is short it is a pleasant whisky

How to prepare for a whisky review or whisky tasting

Whisky
Four to five types of whisky is a good number to discover the difference in taste and smell. Before you begin, it is important to decide which type of test you want to do. If it is a test for beginners, you can choose whiskies from different countries or regions to learn how to distinguish between the different kinds. For those who know a bit more, rather than engaging a test of five varieties of whisky, use five kinds of e.g. blended whisky or single malt whisky or from the same region. When you get even more experienced you can have a theme for the whisky review, like bottling from one distillery but by different independent distillers or from “silent” distilleries. There are many variations. Pour app. 2 – 2.5 centilitres (~0.7 – 0.8oz US) in each glass.


Glasses
What we call a daily glass of whisky, or "tumblers" are not suitable for whisky tasting, because much of the aroma disappears through the wide opening. Real whisky tasting glasses are sometimes called "tasting glasses" or "sniffers" and are tulip shaped glass that is slightly dished bottom with a narrow opening at the top, as you can see on the images to left and the right. With such a glass, you can spin around whisky properly so that the aroma is released and concentrated in the tapered opening. If you don’t have such glasses, you can use regular brandy cups or small wine glasses.




Food
It is best to avoid snacks and wait to eat until after a whisky review. The reason is that one is more aware of smells and tastes when you're a bit hungry and the food does not interfere with the whisky taste. On the other hand you can have a bit of white bread on the table. The bread is to neutralise the taste in your mouth after each whisky.

Water
Water should be included in a tasting. One reason to add water is to reduce the alcohol strength. The other is to release more flavours from the whisky. Usually it’s sufficient to add a few drops of water, depending on the alcohol strength. Only use tap water or still water. Never use ice as ice kills both taste and smell. Both the whisky and water should be at room temperature.

Accessories
Use a tasting mat and have a pen ready so you can write your notes on the mat. Keep the notes of the whisky review as a reference to use later on. Try not to spill too much whisky on the mat! I have created some simple tasting mats in both PDF and Word format, so you can change them. You can download them from the link to the right.

I will continue later with new posts with information on how to perform a tasting.

Back From Vacation

I’ve returned from a week of vacation in Portugal on the Algarve coast.
That’s why there is a gap in the posting.

We had a lovely week with blue skies and temperatures between 25°C and 30°C (77°F – 86°F).

We played golf every day and went to the pool or the sea afterwords. The temperature in the sea was 25°C (77°F). Very nice.

On Tuesday we had a competition where my team ended second and the price was amongst other things a bottle of whisky. It was a blended Scotch by the name of “Clan Mac Gregor”, which was new to me. Please see the image above. It wasn’t any special whisky, but ok.
We used it as a “Birdie whisky” and as a nightcap. I will not do a whisky review on this one.

On the airport I bought a real whisky, a 12-year old Caol Ila single malt from the island of Islay. It's a peaty one. I will review it later on.

See ya!

Laphroaig mugs

I have just received my Laphroaig mugs. They look really nice.

If you are a “Friend of Laphroaig” (FoL), you will get birthday greetings from Laphroaig when it's your birthday.
You will also get a discount in their online shop. As a Friend of Laphroaig you already have a 10% discount in the shop.
I recently celebrated my birthday and then ordered 2 Laphroaig mugs with the special discount.

To become a Friend of Laphroaig you will have to purchase a bottle of Laphroaig
(10 Year Old, 15 Year Old, 30 Year Old, Quarter Cask or Cask Strength Laphroaig) and register the bar-code from the backside of the bottle or tube on their homepage.

You will then become a happy owner of a plot (square foot) of land on the island of Islay.
If you visit Laphroaig distillery, which you should, you will get a pair of Wellington boots and your country flag and then you can walk to your plot and stick the flag in the ground.
When you’re there you should also collect your rent – a dram of the finest!

Sláinte

Mackmyra Whisky - Review Of The Whisky

The idea was to create a Swedish whisky and not to copy a Scottish one.
After testing and testing and many whisky reviews they finally found the recipe for a Swedish whisky with Swedish ingredients under Swedish conditions.

In 2002 they installed new equipment and started the full-scale production,
although it is a small production compared with the big dragons.

The recipe is two kinds of whisky, one fruity and elegant and the other smoky.
Juniper twigs and bog moss peat from the local area is used for the smoky version.

Three types of casks are used, bourbon, sherry or virgin Swedish oak.
When you order a cask you can combine one of the whiskies with any of the casks.

Normally a single malt whisky has to mature at least 10 years to be good and enjoyable,but in the 30-litre casks it takes only about 3 years to mature and be enjoyable.

After 3 years you can do a whisky review of your own cask whenever you like,
so you can decide when it is time to bottle it.
You can bottle it twice if you like. The minimum amount of bottles (0.5 litre) are 12 pcs.

A whisky review of the different kinds shows that a smoky whisky in a Swedish oak cask matures quickest. It is ready for bottling after 3 years and it is a very good one, dark in colour, full body and smooth.

The other combinations can mature longer but not more than 6 years, otherwise the whisky will take to much taste from the cask (wood).

Mackmyra Whisky - Review Of The Distillery

Mackmyra Distillery opened in 1999 and was then the only whisky distillery in Sweden.
It is also the world's most northern distillery.
They store their ordinary whisky mostly in 100 litre (~26.4 US gallons) casks.
This whisky is sold to the public through ordinary channels.
The unique thing about Macmyra is that they also store whisky in
30 litre (~7.9 US gallons) casks and you can order one or more casks directly from the distillery.

It is very common for people to join and share one or more casks.
The bottles from these 30 litre casks are private and not sold in public.
Although a lot of people are swapping bottles with each other to compare the brew.

The casks are stored in four different places in Sweden. One is an old mine close to the distillery, the second one is on an island in Stockholm archipelago in an old military bunker, the third one is in a castle in the south of Sweden and the fourth is on the west coast near Gothenborg also in an old military bunker.

If you take 4 similar casks with the same kind of whisky and store one in each of the four places and then do a whisky review, you'll end up with four different whiskies.

Introduction

Here is a picture of my and my wife's (yes, she is also a Single Malt Whisky fan) own cask. It's a 30 litre (~7.9 US gallons) cask from the Swedish MackMyra distillery.

These 30 liter casks from Mackmyra are unique because you cannot buy any whisky from these casks on the open market. They are ordered individually from the distillery and you can choose from different kinds of whisky, different casks, when you want to bottle it and where you want it stored.

We have bottled ours and I will tell you more about the cask and also give you a whisky review on the different bottlings in later posts.