Nordic Whisky #184 - Myken Arctic Single Malt

Myken Arctic Single Malt, 3 YO, 47 %

Nordic Whisky #184 - Myken Arctic Single Malt

Finally the time has come. The world is a little richer now, with the added existence of Arctic single malt whisky. Way out in the Atlantic ocean, just north of he Arctic circle, is the tiny island group Myken. In this unlikely location we find the unique whisky distillery Myken Destilleri. About two and a half years ago I attended the official opening. That was a truly magical experience.

On December 28, 2017, another magical milestone was reached, when cask #1 turned 3 years old. This cask is a 200 litre American oak Maker's Mark 1st fill bourbon cask.

A few bottles (possibly 10) have been bottled, and will (possibly) be made available to buy at a later point in time (possibly). Until then you will have to attend a Norwegian whisky festival to have a taste. So far this first ever Arctic single malt whisky has been served at the Arctic whisky festival in Tromsø and the Bergen Whisky & Beer Festival.

I have been lucky enough to get my hands on a small sample, and below you can see my verdict of this unique dram.

Nose: Medium sweet on the nose. Fairly malty, with fine barley notes - rich and fresh. Notes of freshly baked bread, a touch of whole grain cereal. Hardly any detectable oak. Vanilla and hay in the back. Opens up with time, and I detect sweet licorice with an earthy touch.

Taste: Rich and full-bodied mouthfeel. Malty and creamy. White pepper and a pinch of dried herbs. The sweet and dark licorice is here as well.

Finish: Medium long finish. Creamy vanilla ice cream with cool caramel sauce. A sprinkling of fresh mint leaves and white pepper.

Comments: A very promising start of what I hope will be a long and prosperous future for this unique, remote, arctic, Norwegian whisky distillery!

Score (84/100)

Sláinte! - Thomas