2019

CONTENTS

THE STORY 4

03THIS IS MACKMYRA

12INSIDE THE BOTTLE

22WAREHOUSES

27LAB+DISTILLERY

06THE DISTILLERY

18PERSONAL 30-LITRE CASKS

31EDITIONS

35CELEBRATING 20 YEARS

SWEDISH OAK 13

A SWEDISH SMOKE 14

INNOVATIVE FINISHING 15

SMALL CASKS 16

THE MAIN WAREHOUSE 23

SATELLITE WAREHOUSES 24

LAB+DISTILLERY 28THE GRAVITY DISTILLERY 7

THINKING GREEN FROM THE START 10

THE MACKMYRA DISTILLATE 11

MACKMYRA RESERVE 19

CORE RANGE 32

SEASONAL WHISKY 33

MOMENT 34

20 YEARS OF SWEWDISH WHISKY 36

MILESTONES 38

AWARDS & RECOGNITION 39

CONTACT 40

THE STORYT H E S W E D I S H P I O N E E R

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THE SWEDISHPIONEER

The idea to produce a Swedish whisky was conceived by eight friends in a mountain cabin back in 1998. To ensure they stayed in touch after studying engineering together, the group had a tradition of meeting up in Sälen once a year. This time, purely by chance, everyone had brought along a bottle of whisky. During dinner, one of them wondered why there was no Swedish malt whisky, and, if it was possible, why hadn’t anyone already done it? The question remained unanswered but, before long, the vision to become pioneers and produce the first Swedish malt whisky took shape. One year later, in 1999, Mackmyra Svensk Whisky was established.

From the outset Mackmyra was fully focused on creating a whisky which was quintessentially Swedish. The journey began with local barley, spring water and Swedish oak. Then, thanks to a lucky coincidence, Mackmyra developed the 30-litre cask which, in its smaller format, allows the whisky

to mature more intensively. Even the smoky recipe has a Swedish signature and is malted and smoked by hand using locally cut peat together with juniper twigs. A short distance from the distillery, the whisky is then aged in a unique location; the old Bodås Mine, 50 metres underground.

Today, Mackmyra produces whisky with the same curiosity and experimental zeal as in 1999, but now in the ground-breaking Gravity Distillery, which harnesses the force of gravity to aid production and is designed to substantially reduce the carbon footprint.

Guided by the historical knowledge of whisky production, Mackmyra employs its own methods to create innovative products using Swedish ingredients.

THE STORY

GRAVITYC R A F T A N D I N N OVAT I O N

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CR AF T ANDINNOVATION

MACKMYRA GRAVITY

The eco-friendly Gravity Distillery in Mackmyra Whisky Village was completed in 2011, becoming the company’s second full-scale distillery. At the back of the distillery are two large silos each filled with around 40 tonnes of malt – one holding Mackmyra’s smoked malt and one containing unsmoked malt. The first phase of production sees the malt raised to the top of the 35-metre tall distillery. Harnessing the force of gravity between the different phases of production, the ingredients are then transported downwards, undergoing a new phase on each level. During five stages, malted barley, yeast and water are processed into a finished new make spirit.

Although the distillery simplifies large parts of the production process, separating the heart of the new make spirit – the usable portion – is a craft which requires experience and intuition. With a well-honed sense of smell, the distiller seeks aromas that indicate when the time is right to cut

the head, heart and tail. The first distillate to appear is known as the head and displays an intensely coarse aroma. After around twenty minutes, when the scent becomes purer and loses its aggression, it’s time to cut the heart. This mild, soft fragrance begins to change character – evoking hay or grass – and then it’s time to cut the tail from the heart.

Mackmyra’s wash still holds 10,000 litres, and the spirit still has a capacity of 8,000. Once the distillate has passed through both stills and the heart has been separated, the final product comprises around 800 litres of 70% ABV raw spirit. The new make spirit is then diluted to 63%, at which point it is ready to be matured in casks. The control room receives data about the production of each batch, tracking everything from production times and temperatures to volumes of ingredients. The journey from unmilled malt to finished distillate takes around eight days.

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The Gravity Distillery was designed with the environment in mind right from its conception, with the ambition to become one of the world’s most energy-efficient distilleries. Through a vertically designed production process, the ingredients are transported between phases of production using the force of gravity.

The building’s automation and processes are coordinated in an integrated way from the distillery’s control room to ensure energy consumption remains as low as possible. The stable prevailing temperature in the distillery provides a consistent quality of product and saves energy, by ensuring the distillery does not heat up intermittently prior to production phases. The heat generated during the production process is recovered and stored as hot water in two thermally insulated tanks, and subsequently used to heat up the distillery as well as channelled back into

production. The distillery’s energy consumption is gauged and reported in relation to production, enabling Mackmyra to calculate the volume of energy required for each bottle of whisky.

A modern biomass plant is located beside the distillery and provides carbon-neutral heat from the residual products of Swedish forestry. Moreover, the electricity used comes from a power station located around one kilometre away.

In addition to these energy-saving measures, the distillery is fully emission-free. Known as stillage, the residue from the distillation process is collected and transferred to a biogas plant, where it is microbially digested and used to make biogas and biofertiliser.

THINKING GREENFROM THE OUTSE T

MACKMYRA GRAVITY

THE MACKMYRA DISTILLATEThe Mackmyra Distillate is characterised by these recurring flavours: fruit with notes of citrus and pear. Spiciness with notes of aniseed,

ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. Herbs, with notes of tobacco leaves, grass and pepper. Nuttiness, with notes of almond.

IN THE BOTTLEM A LT, P E AT, J U N I P E R , Y E A S T, WAT E R , OA K & T I M E

A key component in Mackmyra’s mission to create whisky with a Swedish identity is the use of Swedish oak. During the 1800s, the Swedish government planted large numbers of oak trees for the supply of wood to the naval dockyards of the future. When, in 1975, the trees had finished growing and were ready to be used ship building had advanced considerably, and the oak was no longer a viable material for this purpose. As a result, some of these oaks can now be found in Mackmyra’s whisky casks.

When compared to its American counterpart, Swedish oak contains less xylose and lignin, substances which are also known as wood sugar. These elements imbue the whisky with less of the sweet vanilla notes that are found in American oak. Instead Swedish oak is revered for its spicy notes of black pepper, cardamon and nutmeg, as well as its toffee-like sweetness and almond notes.

The unique attributes of the Swedish oak combined with those of American oak have become widely appreciated when featured in Mackmyra’s whiskies over the years.

SPICE, TOFFEEAND ALMONDS

SWEDISH OAK

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Mackmyra is one of the few distilleries in the world which malts its own smoky barley. Both malting and smoking take place in a facility situated next to the distillery using Swedish-grown barley and peat cut from the nearby Karinmossen (Karin bog). And to add a further Swedish dimension to the smoky flavour, the glowing peat is seasoned with freshly cut juniper twigs.

The smoking process takes place over 36 hours. The smouldering peat and juniper slowly release their flavours and infuse the bed of malt. Every four hours, the stove is refilled with fresh peat and juniper twigs. The process of malting and smoking barley takes around 12 days and requires constant maintenance and supervision. When smoking is completed, the concentration of phenols in the malt reaches around 60 PPM.

New-make spirit from Mackmyra’s smoky recipe uses 23% smoked malt, with the remainder unsmoked. An extra smoky recipe is available for maturation in personal 30-litre casks, using 53% smoked malt.

SWEDISH BARLEY, PEAT AND JUNIPER T WIGS

SMOKE

A way of making whisky with uncommon characteristics is to use casks which originally carried something other than whisky. Harnessing creative cask-finishing, Mackmyra creates whisky which often charts unexplored territory.

The ‘Special’ series of ten unique limited editions marked Mackmyra’s first venture into the world of innovative finishing, featuring whiskies matured in casks originally carrying lingonberry wine, cloudberry wine, raspberry wine and freshly roasted coffee beans, among others. The current series of Seasonal whisky continues this creative experiment with finishes featuring mulled wine, birch sap wine, beer, cherry wine, rum and Amarone.

THE SEARCH FOR NEW WHISKY E XPRESSIONS

INNOVATIVE FINISHING

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AN ACE UP THE SLEEVEThere’s a logical explanation as to why Mackmyra’s much loved 30-litre casks are the size they are. During the distillation process, the distiller carefully separates the heart of the distillate, the portion that will become whisky, from the heads and the tails, which will be discarded. Mackmyra’s first, self-produced copper pot-stills could hold 100 litres of low wines, which produced a heart of pretty much exactly 30 litres following distillation.

As a result of the volume of spirit produced, the first 30-litre cask was created in the year 2000. This enabled a distillation run to be matured straight away, with no additional batches needed, unlike a larger cask. It was just as well, because Mackmyra evaluated no fewer than 170 distillation runs before arriving at its two key recipes.

Another major benefit associated with the small casks is that the contact area of the oak in relation to volume of spirit is greater than is traditionally the case which allows the whisky to mature more quickly and intensively. Mackmyra has since made regular use of this insight, with small casks in sizes ranging from 30 to 128 litres featuring regularly in limited editions.

SMALL CASKS

RESERVEA P E R S O N A L 3 0 - L I T R E C A S K

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Released in 2002, Mackmyra Reserve has attracted tens of thousands of dedicated cask-owners and ambassadors over the years. The concept is based on the individual cask-owner determining the elements of whisky production, including the type of cask, recipe, location and period of maturation. This involvement in the process helps form a close bond with the finished whisky, adding to the enjoyment of sharing it with friends and family.

Having selected the type of cask, the customer is invited to fill it using their preferred spirit style. Owners can choose between an elegant recipe that is newly distilled, an elegant recipe which has been matured for four years, a smoky recipe and an extra smoky recipe. The cask is then given a name and a brass plaque is affixed bearing an engraving. If the whisky is to be matured in the warehouse next to the distillery, owners can carry it there themselves, otherwise Mackmyra can arrange transportation to the selected warehouse.

The first thing that happens during maturation is that the whisky changes colour, with the golden-yellow hue discernible as early as the first year. Although the whisky remains tempestuous and spirituous at this stage, it is gradually achieves a more balanced and harmonious flavour. In casks filled with the pre-matured elegant recipe fascinating flavours can emerge even at this early stage. Mackmyra advises owners to sample their casks on an annual basis to gain an insight into the whisky’s development and determine when the time is right to bottle it.

After three years of cask maturation the distillate has finally reached the stage when it can be legally called whisky. It’s from this point onwards that things really start to get interesting. However, whisky can be over-matured, so it’s important to ensure the oaky flavour doesn’t become too dominant. A 30-litre cask produces around 48 50 cl bottles and is bottled with the whisky’s information hanging on a tag around the bottleneck.

A PERSONAL30-LITRE CASK

MACKMYRA RESERVE

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WAREHOUSESVA U LT S O F L I Q U I D G O L D

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Located 45 minutes from the distillery, Bodås Mine was used for iron-ore extraction from 1857 to 1973. It has been Mackmyra’s main warehouse since 2004. Beginning at the surface, a road leads 50 metres down to 10 vast chambers filled from floor to ceiling with casks of maturing whisky. There are thousands of casks maturing here, large and small, containing both smoky and elegant whisky.

The temperature in the mine remains within a range of 7 ºC to 9 ºC ensuring a consistent maturation and a low volume of whisky evaporation – the mythical angels' share. The site is also home to a facility where privately owned Mackmyra Reserve casks are bottled by hand – including those not stored in the mine. Mackmyra’s larger editions are bottled in Rommehed.

50 ME TRES UNDER THE GROUND

THE MAIN WAREHOUSE: THE BODÅS MINE

In addition to the main warehouse in the Bodås Mine, Mackmyra has five warehouses across Sweden and one in Germany which are dedicated exclusively to the storage of private casks. The idea is that it should be straightforward for owners to visit their casks so that they can sample their whisky to find out how it is maturing and gauge when it should be bottled. The majority of Mackmyra’s satellite warehouses are open to the public for guided tours during their respective seasons and are located at sites which are well worth a visit.

Mackmyra has satellite warehouses in the following places: Lofsdalen, Gävle, Fjäderholmarna, Hällsnäs near Gothenburg, Häckeberga in Skåne and Gut Basthorst near Hamburg.

FROM NORTH TO SOUTH

SATELLITE WAREHOUSES

EDITIONSC L A S S I C S , C H A L L E N G E R S A N D R A R I T I E S

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The Mackmyra Core Range features four recurring editions which unite to deliver a clear representation of the house style. The range showcases Swedish oak, the Swedish smoky flavour and illustrates the history of Mackmyra through the Brukswhisky edition. With its lower price, MACK by Mackmyra is aimed towards a larger audience and the perfect choice for mixing in whisky cocktails.

The Core Range is widely available. Besides the Nordic market it can also be found in Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.

A CLASSICQUARTE T

MACKMYRA CORE RANGE

MACK BY MACKMYRA BRUKSWHISKY SVENSK RÖKSVENSK EK

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Mackmyra’s Seasonal whisky series includes editions featuring innovative seasonal characteristics. Beginning in the winter of 2013, two limited editions have been released every year, usually focusing on unusual finishes which reflect the prevailing season.

This series include editions which have previously been finished in casks that have held mulled wine, Amarone, cloudberry wine, rum, cherry wine and birch sap wine. The series also features close collaborations with beverage producers such as Masi, Plantation Rum and Christian Drouin.

SEASONAL FLAVOURS

MACKMYRA SEASONAL WHISKY

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Stored deep in Bodås Mine are thousands of casks which are regularly appraised by Angela D’Orazio, Mackmyra’s Master Blender. Whilst monitoring their progress she occasionally hits upon exceptional casks which demand to be bottled either as they are or in an edition with a particularly clear vision. The exclusive Moment series was created for just these occasions. Showcasing Mackmyra’s most exclusive casks, only very limited editions of the series have been produced.

Created in 2011, the series has resulted in around 30 unique editions since then.

E XCEPTIONAL AND UNIQUE WHISKY

MACKMYRA MOMENT

LAB DISTILLERYF R O M W H I S K Y TO G I N

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Opened in 2002, Mackmyra Bruk was Mackmyra’s first full-scale distillery. The second distillery, Mackmyra Gravity, opened in 2011, taking over production in the process. Mackmyra Bruk now operates under the name Lab+Distillery, and is dedicated to developing new, creative ranges of spirits and collaborations.

The first product made at Lab+Distillery – an organic gin created from predominantly Swedish ingredients – was released in 2017. The future of Lab+Distillery is filled with exciting challenges, and the sky really is the limit.

A NEW, CREATIVE DIRECTION

LAB+DISTILLERY

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ANNIVERSARY2 0 Y E A R S O F S W E D I S H W H I S K Y

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For two decades our copper pot-stills have worked diligently to fill tens of thousands of casks that have been aged, bottled and enjoyed by people all over the world. It’s hard to believe that 20 years have passed since that evening in a Sälen mountain cabin when the idea to produce the first Swedish malt whisky was born. The business idea was simple: people in Sweden, Europe and the rest of the world who enjoy the finer things in life would be offered an attractive range of whisky and related products, produced in Sweden using Swedish ingredients and matured to a large extent in Swedish oak casks. The scale of commitment required to achieve these goals was unknown at the time, yet with no guidance from anyone who’d done it previously, the first small copper pot-still was built, and the adventure was underway. Twenty years-ago this year the first drops of Swedish whisky history trickled down from a handmade pot-still. 2019 is the year Mackmyra celebrates 20 years of Swedish whisky!

Over the years, Mackmyra has released no fewer than 76 exciting editions, winning 117 accolades – 43 gold medals included. Thanks to the popularity of Swedish whisky there now 18,000 cask owners affiliated to the company, forming an important part of the vibrant spirit of innovation which Mackmyra embraces.

“We started the Swedish whisky expedition back in 1999. Our vision to be at the cutting edge and produce world-class, innovative climate-smart malt whisky is the same as it was 20 years ago. We produce our whisky today with the same curiosity and experimental zeal as in the beginning. Inside the 35-metre tall eco-friendly Gravity distillery, Swedish ingredients are transformed in a fine balance of modern technology and craft tradition.

We’d like to thank all our loyal ambassadors, shareholders, partners, cask owners and customers for all the unforgettable memories and the years in which we’ve together turned Sweden into a whisky nation. We’re now taking the next step and looking forward to the forthcoming 20 years!”

Magnus Dandanell, VDMackmyra Svensk Whisky

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1998The idea that would result in the first Swedish single malt whisky was concieved on a skiing trip to Sälen.

1999 Mackmyra had all the permits in order, and the first drops were distilled.

2000 The first 30-litre casks was made and offered to investors.

2001Mackmyra decides on two key recipes. One that is fruity and elegant, and one smoky seasoned with juniper twigs.

2002

Mackmyra Reserve, the personal 30-litre casks, is offered to customers.

2003Opening of a new warehouse on the island Fjäderholmarna in the Stockholm archipelago.

2004The Bodås mine becomes Mackmyra's main warehouse.

2006A new warehouse is opened at Häckeberga's Castle in Skåne.

2007 A new warehouse is opened in Smögen at the south west coast of Sweden.

2008The first non-limited whisky, "The First Edition" was launched.

2009The concept of the Mackmyra Whisky Village and the new distillery begins to take shape.

2010 Launching of “Mackmyra Brukswhisky”, the second non-limited edition.

2011Mackmyra's second full scale distillery, Gravity, is opened in Gävle.

2012Mackmyra is awarded Europeean Spirits Producer of the Year by IWSC.

2013The first smoky edition, Svensk Rök is launched on the Swedish market.

2013Opening of a new warehouse at Gut Basthorst in the north of Germany

2015Mack by Mackmyra is launched on the Swedish market.

2015Mackmyra is awarded World Distiller of The Year by Wizards of Whisky

2015Opening of a new warehouse & Skybar in Lofsdalen - the highest whisky warehouse in Europe.

2017Kreatör Gin, the first product from Lab+Distillery, is launched

2018The second product from Lab+Distillery, Organic Gin, is launched

2019Mackmyra celebrates 20 years of Swedish Whisky!

MILESTONES

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EUROPEAN DISTILLER OF THE YEAR, 2012 INTERNATIONAL WINE AND SPIRITS COMPETITION

WORLD DISTILLER OF THE YEAR, 2015WIZARDS OF WHISKY

PR AISED ALL OVER THE WORLDAWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

CONTACT

PRESS CONTACT

Lisa CollinsHead of Marketing

Lisa.collins@mackmyra.seTel: +46 702 915 557

Eric BräckHead of Casks Sales

Eric.brack@mackmyra.seTel: +46 703 834 500

Mackmyra Svensk Whisky ABKolonnvägen 2802 67 GävleSweden

info@mackmyra.seTel: +46 265 418 80

BUY A CASK VISITING ADRESS

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