Sweden's Smögen, thoroughly


August 2, 2017

Sweden’s Smögen, thoroughly

Sweden’s become a real whisky nation, by doing one thing right (that would be making excellent whiskies), and by not doing several things that others are doing. Such as pretending that you have the best whiskies in the world, being noisy on Facebook, being a little too arrogant, over-packaging your stuff, or systematically over-storying any new ‘limited’ bottling – while launching dozens of them every year. Typical Nordic self-restraint? (picture Allezzoomzoom)

One good example is Smögen, let’s simply have a few of them. Perhaps more than a few, actually, starting with the most ‘natural’ and most recent bourbon barrel…

Smögen 5 yo 2012/2017 (61.3%, OB, Sweden, bourbon barrel, cask #18/2012, 276 bottles)

Colour: white wine (refreshingly pale). Nose: I find it sitting between Ardbeg and Laphroaig (hope Smögen’s owners won’t kill me with surströmming for having written that). And no, that’s not Lagavulin, although... Creosote and ‘new scuba diving suit’, beach bonfire and burning kelp, peppered lemons, rubbed peppermint leaves, and just a touch of soy sauce mixed with sour dough. And then some mezcal and some olive brine, which just cannot be bad news. Impressed so far. With water: hessian, coal smoke, and an intriguing floral side, hard to describe. Hold on, isn’t that myrtle?

Mouth (neat): really, between Ardbeg and Laphroaig, but with grassier/spicier elements, samphire, green cardamom, bags and bags of bitter almonds (very vivid), green liquorice, and a mineral smokiness in the background. Coal? Some tar as well, definitely, the whole remaining dry all along. Ashes. Perfectly un-doped. With water: no I won’t keep mentioning those Islay distilleries, I promise. Notes of very strong coffee (the ristretto-est ristretto), salted fish, a touch of caramel (probably the barrel), and always a lot of smoke. Finish: very long, spicier. Cloves, caraway, liquorice, ashes, salt. Comments: this starts well, this starts very well. They could have called it ‘Almost There’, but… apologies… Loved the dryness. SGP:268 - 88 points.

Smögen 5 yo 2011 (64.2%, OB, Sweden, owner’s private bourbon bloodtub, cask #62/2011, +/-2017) This little baby’s pretty much off-commerce as I understand it, but it was made from Optic malt peated to 96ppm phenols. Swedish sorcery, most probably… Colour: pale gold. Nose: I had feared this would be Ragnar Lodbrok’s very own tipple, but no, it’s even rather mellow, or at least approachable. It seems that the wee bloodtub tamed the fierce spirit, and I even find notes of lemongrass, spearmint, and certainly lip balm. I’m not sure Ragnar ever used lip balm, what do you think? With water: we’re moving towards the barrel before, with some hessian, peaty mud, and a wee bit of speculoos. Do they also make speculoos in Sweden? Mouth (neat): very thick, it almost flows like honey. But it’s relatively gentle, well-coated with custard and barley syrup, with notes of citrons, poached peaches, and the softest caraway seeds. Behind this gentleness, a lot of peat smoke, naturally. With water: menthol cigarettes, cough syrup, grapefruits. Finish: same, for a long time. Comments: this one was a little gentler than the barrel, but I liked it just as much. Precision and attention to detail, this is almost a Swiss watch (what?) SGP:457 - 88 points.

Smögen 4 yo 2013/2017 ‘Sherry Octaves’ (53,6%, OB, Sweden, first fill American oak oloroso sherry octaves, 1382 bottles, 2017)

This was fully matured in those first fill American oak oloroso sherry octaves. It’s heavily peated Optic. Colour: gold (not that dark). Nose: perfect, smoked coffee! Plus one drop of slivovitz, two drops of diesel oil, and one black olive. Totally love this. With water: grassy mud. Love the smell of grassy mud. Mouth (neat): exceptional. Perhaps a tad deviant, but exceptional. A Wedderburn of whisky? Do they use dunder pits over there? Wait, did they add surströmming to the wash? Any other explanations for this fantastic… spirit? Salted caramel everywhere, fudged flavoured with oyster sauce, spiced coffee (I imagine, never tried that)… Fantastic stuff, even if it doesn’t play it quiet and complex. In other words, not all lace. With water: careful with water, don’t add too much of it. Notes of smoked ale (ex-Islay cask). Finish: long, getting bitter, which is great. I’m not for spirits that get sweeter. Comments: puts it on the map of the greatest distillates of the world, nothing less. Oh, and another example of the superiority of (carefully made) small batch vattings over single casks. SGP:368 - 91 points.

We will not stop now…

Smögen 4 yo 2012/2016 ‘French Quarter’ (61.1%, OB, Sweden, French quarter virgin Cognac casks)

French quarter virgin Cognac casks? Pardon Monsieur excusez-moi ? There are at least two words that don’t quite match, but I’m joking, and no I won’t tell you, that would be rude. Colour: deep gold. Nose: this one’s more extractive, more mentholy/terpenic, and that’s probably that French oak, but it does get gentler and more citrusy, also with whiffs of cigars and smoked tea. No, a lot of smoked tea, one of the most tarry lapsangs. With water: farmy, that’s the word, and that’s an understatement. Cow stable. Mouth (neat): yes indeed, menthol and oily herbs. Cherry stems, grapefruit marmalade, peach leaf tea, allspices, a little green oak… No beef so far. With water: salted fish coming out, especially anchovies. This baby tends to lose you, if I may. Finish: long, the French oak battling the smoke. Comments: a little less a fan this time, but we’re still flying quite high for sure. SGP:466 - 83 points.

Let’s quickly have a few older bottlings, all probably unavailable today. For sport…

Smögen 3 yo ‘Sherry 1:1’ (51.8%, OB, Sweden, casks #32-35, 932 bottles, 2014)

A younger sherried one, let’s see… Colour: deep gold. Nose: nice sherry, with a lot of coffee and marmalade, ‘dry’ raisins, and dried dates filled with marzipan. In the background, some iodine. With water: new wellies, old kelp. Mouth (neat): a tad rough(ish) but that’s the young age. Marmalade and cranberry juice over smoked meats and allspice. With water: oranges and pink grapefruits, plus some leather and tobacco. Plus the obligatory walnuts. Finish: long, rather spicy. European oak. Comments: reading an author’s first novel after having read his/her latest Pulitzer. SGP:456 - 84 points.

Smögen 4 yo 2011/2015 ‘Sherry 1:3’ (53.7%, OB, Sweden, casks #36-38, 666 bottles)

Our talented friend Ralfy would say this is a devilish bottling. Colour: deep gold. Nose: wow, it’s impressive that these sister casks would have become so much better polished after just one more year. Figs, raisins, dates, dried pears, and hints of Jamaican rum. Really. With water: earth and smoke. A box of rusty old nails. Mouth (neat): very good, bold, action-packed, spicy, with bitter herbs and liqueurs. Less ‘smooth’ than the nose suggested. Big backbone. With water: more herbs and liqueurs, and even a little mustard. Finish: long, on spice cake. Not space cake. Comments: a big fellow. SGP:456 - 85 points.

Sure we’ll have other Swedish whiskies soon (Box, Mackmyra…)

Smögen 2011/2016 (60.5%, OB, Sweden, for Tommy Andersen, Sauternes, cask #55/2011, 85 bottles)

Sauternes! This is a privatbuteljerad, mind you (of course, a private bottling). Colour: gold. Nose: all on vanilla fudge, praline, milk chocolate, and mild pipe tobacco. Then the expected apricots and mirabelles. No stuffy Sauternes so far. With water: I’ll only say one thing, this is clever. Fermenting plums, hay, and drops of cough medicine. The sort that will cure everything. Mouth (neat): I won’t deny that this worked. Lemongrass over coconut cream and mirabelle jam, with a smoky/citric background. With water: loves water. Perhaps a wee hint of banana? Finish: long, rather smooth (love that word) and fruitier than expected. Coconut again in the aftertaste. Smoked coconut, that is. Comments: Sauternes and whisky is a tricky combination, but when that works, that works. Ask Glann ar Mor. Or Glenmo. SGP:555 - 87 points.

Smögen 3 yo 2011/2014 (60.9%, OB, Sweden, bourbon barrel, cask #20/2011

Smögen 3 yo 2011/2014 (60.9%, OB, Sweden, bourbon barrel, cask #20/2011, 378 bottles)

Another very young single cask and no wine to cover it up, let’s see… To think that our Swedish friends cannot even argue that whisky matures faster because of the climate! Colour: white wine. Nose: a rounder nose after the first (and older) bourbons that we tried. This is a little gentler, and perhaps more, say crystalline. No, wait, it just needs oxygen, and would then take off. Can you smoke mud? With water: menthol, not mental (yeah like, you shouldn’t be too proud of that one, S.) Mouth (neat): a young brute that’s got quite a lot to say. Bitter artichoke liqueur mixed with Cointreau and Jägermeister. No, Jägermeister doesn’t obligatorily kill. With water: sweeter, rounder easier. Finish: long and roughish. Liquorice in the aftertaste. Comments: an apprentice Smögen. SGP:456 - 81 points.

Ah yes we had forgotten this one… (doing 1, 2, 3 and 4 would have been smarter and, above all, more Cartesian, S.)

Smögen 3 yo ‘Sherry 1:2’ (55.7%, OB, Sweden, casks #28, 30, 31, 39, 959 bottles, 2015)

More good coffee? Colour: amber. Nose: more good coffee indeed, and also brine, cigars, new calf leather, and earthy Pu-erh pea. No complains so far. With water: doesn’t change much this time. Perhaps notes of old iron and mentholy mushrooms (but of course those exist, just check rhodopaxillus nudus). Mouth (neat): this one’s quite brutal, and quite salty. It’s the most ‘fino-ish’ of them all so far, I’m even finding mustard and walnuts, beyond the dry coffee and beyond the salty side. With water: good salty sherry. Salty fig sauce, good on ham. Finish: long, perhaps somewhat incoherent? Not unlike a blend of Glenfarclas with Caol Ila. Oh whatever, it’s still extremely good. Starting to split hairs, we’ll have to stop this madness soon. Comments: SGP:466 - 83 points.

Smögen 4 yo 2011/2015 ‘Sherry 1:4’ (57.2%, OB, Sweden, casks #25, 26, 27, 29, 909 bottles)

Ex-sherry quarter casks. I find it amazing that they manage to follow all these cask variations, it must be computerised and run on Linux… Colour: pale amber. Nose: wait wait wait wait, sherried Ardbeg? Oops, I usually keep my promises! With water: who the hell did pour some old Uigeadail and labelled it as Smögen? Who? Mouth (neat): my this is good! Smoked dates and prunes, that’s pretty unstoppable. With water: the beauty of flawless simplicity. Love everything in this whisky, especially its simplicity. Doing Zen, you know… Finish: I enjoy the wee bits of cloves. We’ve know some very young peated/sherried Isle of Jura for Japan that… Oh forget. Comments: yeah. SGP:467 - 90 points.

I want you to witness what I'm about to do, let’s solemnly declare that the next one will be the last one. Today.

Smögen 4 yo 2011/2015 (57.3%, OB, Sweden, fresh Sauternes barrique, cask #7/2011, 429 bottles)

Sauternes again, so hit or miss, although I would suspect that… Colour: dark amber (oh skip this)… Nose: it’s a hit. I’d even swear I’m finding a little botrytis, some mint for sure, some eucalyptus certainly, and a good bottle of old-style cough syrup for sure. No cavalcade-y apricots and mirabelles this time, rather this intriguing medicinal side instead. Burnt bread. With water: perfect nose, the plums being back. Mouth (neat): not so fast, it’s not as ‘mingled together’ as I had hoped, and I’m finding quite a lot of coconut, as balls or as macaroons. There’s also a grassy spiciness that gets in the way, the wonders of active French oak I suppose. With water: sure it’s very good, but I’m not sure this baby’s settled down yet. Perhaps thirty more years of bottle ageing will do? Finish: long, with tangerines. Tangerines? Comments: very good, but like pieces of a larger puzzle. Oh well, I know what I’m trying to say… SGP:556 - 80 points.

You don’t say we’ve tried eleven of them, do you? What’s absolutely obvious is that Smögen has become one of the most interesting, and one of the best whisky distilleries out there. Swiss watchmakers, he said…

Check the index of all whiskies of the world I've tasted so far