Review 269. Smögen 8 year old. Swedish puncheons, 56% ABV

The ‘hottest’ whisky in town?!

Scotch is what makes us tick, right? The 130-ish currently operating malt distilleries in Scotland alone provide us with plenty of expressions through an abundance of choices to keep us both  entertained and fussing for a long, long time. Add to that the “obvious” digressions and side steps offered to us through Irish and/or Japanese whiskey, bourbon and the plethora of options only grows. And when you think that about covers it, you’re clearly overlooking the fact that for the past two decades a whole smörgåsbord of new whisky producers from all over the world who are, anno 2026,  more than capable of giving some of the best and most established producers a run for their money!

Quite a few  of those new interesting producers can be found in Scandinavia. Last year I did a mini series on Scandinavian whisky, covering a few under the radar gems and a plea on why we should get Mackmyra back.

A whisky/distillery I have been very keen and eager to try mor from, however, was a bit harder to get hold of. I’m talking of course about Smögen. The distillery is located in the small namesake village (some 1400 inhabitants) on the west coast of Sweden, roughly 150 km (90 miles) north of Gotenburg. What may have started in 2009 as Pär Caldenby’s ‘pet project’, something to distract him from his dayjob as a lawyer, has since grown to become a respected and much sought-after distillery. And, if I’m not mistaken, has indeed become a full-time job over the years. Being essentially a one-man project with Pär running the whole show, the consequence obviously is that everything is quite small scale, producing some 35.000 LPA.  To put that into perspective,  that’s – on average 140 casks of 250 liters per year, or two casks a week. Not exactly Glenfiddich in terms of outturn. But as we all know: quality>quantity. While it might have been (and still is) a tad difficult to get hold of their whisky, in recent times we do seem to see a bit more of it becoming available. I remember trying an indie release from them (from SMWS) last year and of course recently Roy, another self-declared  Smögen fan, released an Aqvavitae bottling available through Edinburgh based Royal Mile Whiskies.

Smögen 8 year old (2013 – 2021). Swedish puncheons (350 liter medium toasted virgin oak barrels), 56% ABV. 50 cl, 2478 bottles app. €90 - €110

I’m still to get my hands on said Aqvavitae bottling. I’ve picked up a few from his earlier releases, but post Brexit the costs of shipping (or rather extra customs fees and tariffs) from the UK over here to Belgium, has significantly increased (up to a point where it’s a case of buy 2, pay 3). So while I’ll always be on the lookout, ready to strike should opportunity present itself, I’m very happy to share my thoughts on another release, a sample of this 8 year old, kindly offered me by Nic (whisky 101).

Nose

Mild peat, but what really stands out is the fruit. A lot of grapes and raisins, pears and apples… but with a bit of a funky twist to it, giving it a cider like farmy-fermented vibe. Hints of vanilla and sweet ginger, pear drops and honey and a floral/lavender like touch. Vibrant and (very) lively. Adding water dials up the fruit and the funky notes!

Palate

Immediately the viscosity hits me as soon as I take my first sip. So dense and oily! Then that 56% ABV comes marching in, kicking down the front door. Feisty! A bit of water helps! Wood and wood char notes, peat, and again that funky touch. Interesting how this is much ‘darker’ and more dense than the nose suggested it would be.

Finish

Wood char, spices, peat, clinging and drying

Final thoughts

This is seriously good whisky. I’ve known about Smögen’s reputation for years, but getting hold of their whisky has always proven to be a bit of a challenge. Recently however, we’re starting to see it finding its way into more markets. If your palate leans towards the stuff coming out of say, Glenglyle and Springbank or Ardnamurchan, you’ll likely love this too. But keep in mind these are only ‘general directions’, possibly generalizations even, as Pär has managed to create something quite in a league of its own with his whisky.

There are more and more distilleries outside of Scotland who are able and capable of putting their feet next to what the best of Scotch whisky has to offer when it comes to single malts – Wire Works, Cotswolds, Glann ar Mor (Kornog), Armorik, Zuidam, High Coast…, and of course those in the southern hemisphere. The likes of  Amrut, Rampur, Indri, Kavalan…

There’s no denying that Smögen has earned its place in the ever growing list of those (by lack of a better word) world whiskies that are well worth seeking out. Of course the scarcity of their releases will likely add to any potential  ‘hype’ or ‘buzz’  that might be created, but that’s hardly their fault. And where often this kind of exposure and attention can be a bit artificial, the result of clever and often expensive marketing campaigns and therefore often overhyped and generally not really worth the money or effort, in the case of Smögen, I’m happy to report, it’s all down to one thing and one thing only: they make excellent whisky.