Smogen Triple

It's been a while since my last tasting; finding the time seems increasingly difficult. However, an opportunity has arisen tonight. I'm trying a spirit from a fairly new distillery in Sweden, founded by a whiskey aficionado who appears to be exploring creative boundaries. The color is a deep rust with a faint purple tint. There's a gentle, sweet, maritime scent intertwined with a slight synthetic vinyl note. After airing, the aromas become more distinct. I detect clam shells, a rubber inner tube, a chocolate milkshake, Mexican vanilla, and licorice. The palate has a soft, silky, medium-bodied texture that stays consistent from the initial taste. The flavors include apple-smoked cured meat, apricots, brown sugar, soy sauce (hot and sour variety), bitter dark chocolate, figs, roasted plums, and cracked black pepper. The finish is long-lasting, with notes of cigar ash, burnt toast, lemon zest, black pepper, and black licorice, complemented by a pleasant touch of vanilla sweetness. To me, this bears some resemblance to Bunnahabhain. Overall, the balance of scents and flavors is exceptional. It possesses the character of an older spirit despite its youth. Sweet yet savory, soft yet firm. This is a delightful, excellent slow sipper from beginning to end. If you encounter this, acquire a bottle and savor it. My thanks to a friend for the sample. [92/100] [Tasted: 7/24/20]

A friend and I had a tasting last night where we shared a few drams. This was one of mine that I brought for the tasting. If the Macallan 10 from the 80s was the star of the show, this was the unexpected beautiful newcomer. I ranked this 4th out of the 12 for the night, only surpassed by the 80s Macallan, Ardbeg Drum CE, and Stranger & Stranger. It is a triple distilled Swedish spirit, highly peated, fully matured in French Sauternes casks. Peaty, with a substantial meaty character. Heather and sweetness. Very well-balanced with smoke and sweetness. Completely surprising.

Although I first sampled this four months ago with a friend, as he noted in his review, I waited to revisit the extra sample I saved from his bottle before writing my review. It met expectations. In addition to the wonderful balance of sweet and savory notes, I appreciated the oily, mouth-coating texture of this whisky. Smogen, I'm captivated.