ENTER THE MULTICOLOURED WORLD OF WHISKY – Okay, since you’re the expert, where does whisky really get its colour from? – There are actually lots of explanations. It comes mainly from the cask in which it is matured, although in many cases, caramel colouring (!) is added. Caramel colouring in this case does not impart flavour, […]
On a day in November I met Angela, my fantastic colleague and Mackmyra’s Master Blender, in her lab in the Whisky Village. Among bottles, test tubes, papers, medals, even more test tubes and squeaky dog toys, I asked her to unpack the question she gets at least once a week: what does a Master Blender […]
We’ll maybe never have the answer to the question of when alcohol was first produced and drunk. If you’re interested in whisky, you’ve doubtless heard the stories about aqua vitae, which can go right back to the Romans and the departed monks who hid their whisky from the tax inspectors – if you really stretch […]
“Hi! “I want to produce my own whisky. What will I need?” “Well, good question. Time, patience and a large empty room. Oh, and lots of barley and water. And a little yeast.” Making whisky is basically very similar to making beer. But instead of mixing malt, hops, yeast and water, you drop the hops […]
Hi everyone! What many of our readers have in common is a desire for more, crystal clear tips on how to combine culinary flavours with whisky. Here is some simple, basic advice, whereby I’ve divided whiskies roughly into two categories: non-smoky and smoky. ELEGANT, NON-SMOKY WHISKY AND CHEESE Hard cheeses with a distinctly salty flavour go […]
Maturing is the result of a complicated chemical interaction between the material in the cask, the oxygen in the air, and the fusel oils chosen to be kept in the new distillate during the distillation process. The whisky gets its colour and many flavours from the casks. The sweetness comes from the sugar, which comes […]
There are many distilleries around the world – so many I didn’t even find an exact number. Not even the worlds most dedicated whisky nerd would try and squeeze in a visit to all of them, that would take precious time from the way more important tasting… So do all distilleries look alike? Definitely not […]
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SINGLE MALT AND BLENDED WHISKY – Hey, bar tender! I’d like to try something new, give a whisky please! – Sure. Blended or single malt? – Umm, what’s the difference? – The price, to start with! But above all, the taste … When entering the world of whisky, the first thing you’ll […]
THE HUNT FOR THE PERFECT SITE At first sight, the mill in Mackmyra outside of Gävle, was already of great interest to us. The site was well maintained, surrounded by beautiful environment. Mill production had moved during the industrial revolution, which was why it hadn’t grown too big. The size was just about right for us. […]
“Why are there no whisky distilleries Sweden?” one of the friends, and later Mackmyra founders, asked. None of the others could answer the question, leaving it floating in the air. Sweden has no tradition of making whisky. We thought that was weird when we began to explore whether it was possible to create a Swedish […]
