Mackmyra Grönt Te (2020)

It’s been way overdue, but in recent months I’ve been trying a few of Mackmyra’s seasonal whiskies. They’re wonderfully creative concoctions dreamed up by master distiller Angela D’Orazio. However, the latest addition to the seasonal range tops all others.

The most basic explanation would be that Mackmyra Grönt Te has matured in green tea casks. There is a little bit more to it though. To quote my own article on Distiller:

‘To create the Mackmyra Grönt Te, D’Orazio took some clean spirit and macerated it with a selection of green teas. The resulting maceration was diluted with oloroso sherry, which then was used to season casks. These casks were used to finish seven year old whisky for an additional 19 months.’

Four different green teas were used:

• Kaoribo Hojicha: Nutty, round and delicate, with roasted leaves from the first Spring harvest. Originated from Shizuoka.
• Yame Sencha: A rich, soft and sophisticated green tea with a deep flavour, from the first harvest of the year in Hoshino, Fukuoka.
• Yame Gyokuro: An elegant and sophisticated tea, with a round sweetness umami, and deep aromas. Shade-grown harvest from Fukuoka.
• Yame Matcha: A stone milled green tea made of high-quality Tencha leaves that have been shade-grown for 25 days. Shade-grown Spring harvest, from Hoshino, Fukuoka.

I’m not a green tea drinker, so I can’t approach it from that perspective. It’s nevertheless a mighty interesting concept.

Mackmyra Grönt Te (46.1%, OB, 2020)

Nose: Sweet fruits, the sherry influence very noticeable but not dominant. A touch of lychees, but also lightly floral and a tinge of honey and sultanas. Some distant oak spices in the background. Very subtle notes of tea leaves.
Taste: Some spicy oak, juicy fruits, herbs and vanilla, but also a good amount of floral honey. Some nutmeg, but then pears, green apples and a pleasant bitterness.
Finish: Lingering spices and a feint sweetness.

Score: 87

It’s such an easy drinker and a very more-ish whisky, yet challenging and with plenty to discover. Really a successful experiment.

Whisky provided by Mackmyra

Thijs Klaverstijn

Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.