Bottlings

While still focusing on the quality and strength of character of any particular bottling, the age stated bottlings are batched bottlings of a number of casks that result in a character which is very representative of Smögen in its bottled guise. There have been a number of 8 year old bottlings made and as time goes by, this will be supplemented by older age stated bottlings as particular types of casks mature on and find their right balance and character. As with all bottlings of Smögen, the focus is not on repeating the exact style and character of the previous bottling of the same stated age, but rather to find vattings – combinations – of casks that maximise strength of character in aroma and flavour. With a new bottling of Smögen, you will always find the same high quality, while also seeing a new take on the style. Variation as an asset in itself?

The batched bottling is what makes the whisky industry turn over – as a single cask of whisky can’t really produce more than around 600-700 bottles at cask strength and volume is necessary in order to create repeatable bottlings and also to widen the market for one’s product. While giants like Glenfiddich produce million of bottles of their flagship 12 yo bottling, where batches are made up of hundreds of casks, Smögen is however still at a very small scale with at the most around a dozen casks combined in a vatting (bottling), which means that we can tailor the quality, strength of character and balance as we desire, to a very high standard indeed, while still also avoiding blurring out the character as every cask will still have an impact that can make itself felt. Thus, from just the vatting together of two single casks to make a bottling, you can find vattings of small casks show a higher number at more than a dozen casks. Strength of character, in a larger volume

The Single Cask, presented at cask strength and without chill filtration or colouring, is as close as anyone can get to actually drawing a cask sample straight out of the cask in the warehouse. Nothing added, nothing taken away, no balancing of multiple casks together. Just whisky straight from the source. Characterwise, a Single Cask can divert slightly from the typical Smögen character, which means that not every cask is well suited for bottling on its own, but it also means that the extra special casks that always turn up, can be bottled as is, displaying extra good or extra interesting characters, or just extra special ones. Dive down into the wonderful world of uniqueness and enjoy the ride!