Tasting

Tasting the four Swedish houses side by side quickly reveals how differently they distill, malt, and mature their whisky. A good starting point is Mackmyra's Svensk Rök. It carries juniper smoke rather than pure peat smoke, along with a bright, almost resinous sweetness from the untreated portion of the malt.

Smögen's own line tastes more uncompromising: with its extremely high peat level, it sits closer to smoky Islay whiskies than any other Swedish whisky. There's also a salty, almost iodine-like undertone that recalls its closeness to the open sea.

Those seeking milder, wood-forward notes will find them in Mackmyra's Svensk Ek. The small oak casks from Visingsö give the whisky vanilla and light spice notes, even though they make up only a small part of the total cask volume. High Coast shows a different side with its Quercus I Robur series. This whisky matures deliberately in Swedish oak. It demonstrates how powerful native wood can be compared to American or Spanish oak, often spicier and drier.

From Hven, finally, Tycho's Star is well worth trying. The name honors the astronomer Tycho Brahe, who once built his observatory, Uraniborg, on the island. The whisky carries salty, slightly maritime notes that come from its location right on the Öresund.

Given the pronounced cask influence, it's almost always worth taking a bit of patience when tasting. Swedish whisky often benefits from a splash of water to open up the aromas, rather than staying neat. It's best to nose it first with the mouth slightly open, before taking the first sip. This is especially true for the peaty, juniper-forward bottlings, whose smoke can otherwise overpower everything else.