A whisky composed by artificial intelligence, how does that sound? It is the result of a collaboration between Mackmyra and the consultancy group Fourkind, based on Microsoft’s Azure platform.
A series of 75 whisky recipes was fed to a machine learning model, including sales data, customer scores and awards. The dataset is now supposed to predict popularity and a high rating. The first result is Intelligens AI:01, a NAS expression composed from a selection of 30-, 100- and 200-liter casks (ex-bourbon, Swedish and American oak).
Apart from a futuristic recipe, this Mackmyra also has an NFC tag in the label, which allows you to scan it with your smartphone and get additional data.
Mackmyra Intelligens AI:01
(46,1%, OB 2019, 5000 btl.)
Nose: spare your skepticism, this is quite nice. It starts on green oak shavings (quite common for Swedish oak in my opinion), as well as some cinnamon and vanilla, but there’s also a nice fruitiness (pears, lemon candy) and some creamy notes. Some waxy hints. A subtle whiff of sherry in the background.
Mouth: a fairly sharp onset, with sharp aniseed and a hint of alcohol. Then it mellows into peaches, yellow apples and vanilla. Salted caramel. Some leafy notes, grapefruit peels and oak spice, mainly ginger.
Finish: medium, quite herbal now, with white pepper, salt and oak.
It’s too focused on (newish) wood, but it’s an interesting composition. I’m curious to try more recipes from the Mackmyra computer. Still available from The Whisky Exchange or Master of Malt.