Erst gewahrten wir vergnüglich wilden Wesens irren Lauf; Unerwartet, unverzüglich trat ein neuer Kaiser auf. Und auf den vorgeschriebnen Bahnen zieht die Menge durch die Flur; Den entrollten Lügenfahnen folgen alle. - Schafsnatur!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832),
Quelle: Goethe, Faust. Der Tragödie zweiter Teil, 1832. 4. Akt, Auf dem Vorgebirg, Zweiter Kundschafter zum Kaiser
Malt Fascination Smögen 9, 2014-2023, Ex-Four Roses Bourbon Barrel 14, 59.8% – Wu Dram Clan Posted on 24 November 2023 by Sjoerd de Haan-Kramer
Thijs described his review as ‘mustard after the meal’. That is a Dutch saying meaning that you’re late in such a way that there’s no use anymore. Another saying for that is ‘eggs after Easter’.
But here I am reviewing this another four days later than Thijs. Of course, with Serge having reviewed this a couple of days before I got my sample in, there was no way that I was going to be on time for a review before it sold out. A 91 point review from Serge (not listed, somehow), 89 from Ruben and another 91 from Thijs made me quite enthusiastic to get to it, and so I did.
Smögen is a Swedish distillery that is known for making crisp, peaty whiskies (at least they are to me). I don’t have too much experience with their product but I do have a sample lined up somewhere, from Berry Bros. & Rudd second release of The Nordic Casks.
This one selling out instantly is a bit of a bummer, but there should be another sister cask coming my way from Kirsch and Wu Dram together. Not 91 points from Serge, but 90 and that is still quite the score!
Let’s find out whether my palate agrees with the aforementioned dudes.
Sniff: Extremely clean peat. Very fruity with apple, pear and star fruit. Some lemon as well. Fresh tropical fruits, greenish peat with smoldering mosses and plants.
Sip: The palate brings a lot of heat. Dryness, chili pepper, wood shavings. It mellows after a little while, but has lots of coastal notes and lemon. Very, very clean, and not unlike some Port Ellen I’ve had.
Swallow: A very long and gentle finish, with lemon, shammey leather, coastal smoke.
This, in a way, reminds me of some of the cleaner Port Ellens that were distilled in the early eighties. It doesn’t have the age and maturity, but it does have a similar note of lemon and chamois/shammy leather. On top of that, there’s a huge fruitiness and incredibly ‘precise’ smokiness to it. This truly is a tremendous dram and I regret not getting one even more after trying it… Score 90/100
Erst gewahrten wir vergnüglich wilden Wesens irren Lauf; Unerwartet, unverzüglich trat ein neuer Kaiser auf. Und auf den vorgeschriebnen Bahnen zieht die Menge durch die Flur; Den entrollten Lügenfahnen folgen alle. - Schafsnatur!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832),
Quelle: Goethe, Faust. Der Tragödie zweiter Teil, 1832. 4. Akt, Auf dem Vorgebirg, Zweiter Kundschafter zum Kaiser
The next one is also peated, from the Swedish Smögen distillery. This 2014 vintage is heavily peated (around 50 ppm, if I’m not mistaken) and matured in an ex-Four Roses bourbon barrel.
Smögen 9 yo 2014 (59,8%, Wu Dram Clan 2023, first fill bourbon barrel #14, 222 btl.)
Nose: very pure and elegant – much more high-pitched as well. Eucalyptus and varnished (pine) wood. Slightly less maritime this time. Then bright citrus, fresh bread and hints of apple pastry. Later it also develops a chalky and sandy note.
Mouth: more bready cereals but also nice fruits. Pink grapefruit and lemons definitely, but also light peaches, giving a burst of fruitiness. Grassy smoke and a wee plankish note in the background (pine). Tiny hints of juniper, salty brine and seaweed. The smoke seems more subdued now, but also more peppery. A fresh, complex Nordic profile.
Finish: quite long, now becoming slightly more sooty, always with this lemony sharpness and light herbal notes.
Smögen often displays a very precise, tight style and this is a good example. Very to-the-point, very high quality. Sweden is putting the Scottish whisky in the shade. Sold out in no time. Score: 89/100
Erst gewahrten wir vergnüglich wilden Wesens irren Lauf; Unerwartet, unverzüglich trat ein neuer Kaiser auf. Und auf den vorgeschriebnen Bahnen zieht die Menge durch die Flur; Den entrollten Lügenfahnen folgen alle. - Schafsnatur!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832),
Quelle: Goethe, Faust. Der Tragödie zweiter Teil, 1832. 4. Akt, Auf dem Vorgebirg, Zweiter Kundschafter zum Kaiser