Swedish whisky remains one of the more curious corners of the global market, and Spirit of Hven's Old Hare Blended Whisky is a bottle that demands you pay attention to what's happening beyond Scotland's borders. Based on the island of Hven in the Öresund strait between Sweden and Denmark, this is a distillery that has quietly built a reputation for doing things with genuine craft — small-batch production in a part of the world where whisky-making carries no inherited playbook. Old Hare is their blended expression, bottled at 40.4% ABV, and at £36.50 it sits in that interesting middle ground where you're paying more than supermarket blends but considerably less than most single malts.
What strikes me about Old Hare is the confidence of the proposition. This isn't a whisky trying to pretend it's Scotch. It's a Swedish blend that owns its identity — NAS, unpretentious in its labelling, and priced to be drunk rather than collected. Spirit of Hven has earned enough credibility in craft whisky circles that the lack of an age statement doesn't feel like an evasion. It feels like a deliberate choice to let the liquid speak for itself.
The 40.4% bottling strength is a small but telling detail. Not the bare legal minimum of 40%, but just a fraction above — enough to suggest the distillery found a sweet spot rather than simply hitting a regulatory floor. It's a minor thing, but it's the kind of decision that separates producers who care from those running spreadsheets.
Tasting Notes
I'll be honest — rather than fabricate specifics, I'd encourage you to approach this one with fresh expectations. Swedish distilleries work with different climate conditions, different water sources, and often different wood programmes than their Scottish counterparts. What you can reasonably expect from a well-made Scandinavian blend at this strength is something approachable, likely with a gentle sweetness and enough structure to hold your interest without overwhelming. Spirit of Hven's house style leans towards considered, balanced whisky-making rather than fireworks.
The Verdict
At £36.50, Old Hare occupies smart territory. You're getting a genuine craft product from a respected independent distillery at a price point where most of the competition is mass-produced. For anyone bored of reaching for the same Johnnie Walker or Famous Grouse — and I say that with no disrespect to either — this is exactly the kind of bottle that reminds you blended whisky can be a creative category rather than a commercial afterthought. A 7.5 out of 10 feels right. It's a well-made, honest blend from a producer doing interesting work, and it's priced fairly for what it is. The half-point it misses is simply the reality that NAS blends, however well-crafted, have to work harder to justify themselves against age-stated competition. Old Hare does enough to earn its place on the shelf.
Best Served
Pour it neat in a Glencairn at room temperature and give it ten minutes to open up. If you find it a touch tight, a few drops of water will do more good than ice. This is also a blend that would work beautifully in a simple highball with quality soda water and a strip of lemon peel — the Scandinavian character pairs well with that kind of clean, bright serve. Good for a Tuesday evening when you want something interesting but not demanding.
