01/02/2021 Smögen

Smögen 6yo 2011/2018 (64%, OB Single Cask, American White Oak + Sherry Hogshead, Edition No. 5, C#51/2011, 422b): nose: an enticing aroma of grilled cutlets, ribs and bacon, straight from the barbecue grille, though there is also a drop of ink, maybe even paint -- and not watercolour: we are talking old-school tins of paint that probably contains lead. A dollop of modelling wax, make-up pencils, then new binoculars in their nylon-and-rubber purse. Later, it is smoked hay, dried seaweed, norii, still punctuated by the wax. Come to think of it, this nose may well hold some Chinotto or Gingerino too. Something that would be an acquired taste, in any case... Something at once earthy, root-y, smoky and herbal. Mouth: feisty and peaty, it is somewhat let down by an obvious youth that the peat smoke cannot fully conceal. Burnt rubber, burnt wood (some kind of fruit tree), smoked kelp, and a high-voltage alcohol bite. The second sip feels more approachable, in terms of alcohol, but it also brings rusty water to the fore -- picture a glass of water in which nails have been rusting for months or years. It could also just be the rusty metal pin at the end of a decades-old dry sausage, hanging in too damp a cellar. Finish: strangely enough, it feels a lot mellower in the finish; the integration at this point is excellent, with just the right strength. We have eucalyptus, ground ginger and cinnamon, smoked chocolate, charred bacon (covered in chocolate or served with a cup of hot cocoa). It has a certain bitterness to it, reminiscent of Chinotto again, unless it is metal here too -- in which case, it is not rusty, this time. The gums end up feeling gingery heat, and there are herbal touches arising in the back of the throat. It is not quite there yet, but considering the age, it is remarkable. It will be interesting to try Smögen when it is older. This one is certainly promising! 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, CC)