Month: October 2017

Whisky #506: SMWS 39.114 So Many Colours in the Rainbow

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SMWS 39.114 So Many Colours in the Rainbow. 11 year old single cask single malt from Linkwood Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.0%. Tasted at home, $184 (bottle).

What a week…this is the 7th and final Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) whisky of the week. What a way to celebrate reaching the milestone of 500 whiskies here on Whisky a Day…7 days, 7 SMWS whiskies!

Colour: Pinkish gold.

Nose: Freshly peeled mandarine skins and blueberry muffins so fresh out of the oven they’re still warm.

Palate: Tangy raspberries, a fizzy sherbet sensation as the whisky dances around your mouth. Salty and slightly sour blueberry notes. An intriguing balance of sweet, salty and sour.

Finish: A rich, warm honey and lemon tea tingle all around the mouth. An exceptionally long and satisfying finish; some saltiness with oak and soft fruit jubes in the fade.

Comments: A whisky of contrasts. An intriguing nose. Flavours and aromas that make your mind explode with food analogies. A finish that goes on for days. All the things that epitomise a typical SMWS whisky and make them so unique.

I’ve been a very happy member of the SMWS for a few years now – I’m not a brand ambassador for them or get paid to spruik their wares. I’m simply a huge fan of their whiskies and ethos that I am happy to tell the world about it. Stunning whisky that is unique and always surprising.

If you like the sound of this one, be sure to check out the other SMWS single cask single malt from Linkwood Distillery we looked at earlier in the week – SMWS 39.118 Sweet Memories.

Whisky #505: SMWS 73.83 Anzac Biscuits & Cricket Bats

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SMWS 73.83 Anzac Biscuits & Cricket Bats. 15 year old single cask single malt from Aultmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.9%.

Chosen by the Australian Cellarmaster of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), Andrew Derbidge, this 15 year old single cask single malt was selected to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the SMWS Australian branch.

Colour: A glorious molten toffee.

Nose: Chocolate mouse, raspberry coulis, hardwood…imagine walking into a furniture store with lots of lacquered timber furniture.

Palate: Spicy; both in terms of a peppery heat and almost fragrant garam masala type flavours. Balanced out nicely with some rich, creamy caramel-like flavours. It’s almost like someone has cracked some black pepper over your creme brûlée, but to your surprise it actually works!

Finish: Long…with a drying, powdery mouthfeel. Tobacco, black pepper, red wine and tart berries.

Comments: Matured in a sherry cask, this is certainly a unique whisky, like all the SMWS whiskies to be fair. Much like that old saying…it’s unique, just like all the others. A whisky of contrasts, it see-saws across your tastebuds but seems to always come to rest and find balance.

Whisky #504: SMWS 66.86 Dancing Round the Campfire

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SMWS 66.86 Dancing Round the Campfire. Speyside, Scotland. 10 year old single cask single malt from Ardmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 60.7%. Tasted at home, $159 (bottle).

Let’s continue the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) week to celebrate Whisky a Day reaching whisky #500 by exploring another cask strength single cask whisky from Ardmore Distillery. We had a look at another SMWS Ardmore yesterday – the SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath – so let’s see how this one compares.

Colour: Pale rose gold.

Nose: A real nose prickle. Like someone has given your nose hairs a decent tug. Pine needles, nori sheets and heavy smoke, a freshly opened packet of liquorice. But dominated by peat.

Palate: Explosive. Leather and woody notes melded together. Mouth coating smokiness, a slight buttery hint…which is only overpowered by the love in the room as I share this whisky with my two very good mates who I’ve just moved into a new apartment with & whom enjoy a good whisky.

Finish: Extremely long, salty sea and some faint salted caramel notes as the sweet smokiness subsides.

Comments: Not a whisky for the faint hearted, this is definitely more up-front and in your face than the SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath Ardmore reviewed yesterday. If you’re introducing friends to the SMWS or to peaty whiskies, this is probably not the one, it could be a bit full on. But if you’re confident they can handle a full-throttle peat monster with a difference…let them loose on this beauty.

Whisky #503: SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath

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SMWS 66.75 David Faces Up to Goliath. 11 year old single cask single malt from Ardmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.3%. Tasted at home, $185 (bottle).

Colour: Faded gold.

Nose: Hessian sacks, fresh hay. Like walking into a horse stable. Sticks of liquorice too.

Palate: Like gnawing on BBQ lamb cutlets…meaty, smokey and with a hint of charcoal.

Finish: Smoked paprika and salty beef jerky, with a long fade.

Comments: One of the things I love about Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) whiskies is their quirky names and tasting notes on the bottle. The SMWS tasting committee absolutely nail it sometimes, and other times you’re left wondering if this might have been the tenth whisky they’d tasted that night as the descriptions get a little wilder.

Regardless of whether you pick up some, all or none of the official descriptors that appear on the label, it’s always an intriguing prelude to the inevitably amazing (and undoubtedly unique) whisky you’re about to taste.

I’ve yet to have a SMWS whisky I didn’t enjoy – some have been incredible, others have been merely fantastic. This one is no exception.

Whisky #502: SMWS 35.165 Variety, the Spice of Life

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SMWS 35.165 Variety, the Spice of Life. 13 year old single cask single malt from Glen Moray Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 52.9%.

Colour: Deep toffee.

Nose: Almost a bourbonish hint. Some sticky BBQ sauce, floral rose water, freshly hewn hardwood timber sawdust.

Palate: Such a soft, elegant mouthfeel. Oily, mouth-coating and full flavoured. Toffee apples, burnt butter, brown sugar, golden syrup, hot buttered toast…

Finish: Almost a touch of spiced rum in the finish, light peppery fade as the caramel flavours subside. A long, satisfying finish.

Comments: This drop has a bit of everything, it really is the spice of life. I’ve not previously had anything outstanding from Glen Moray, the drams I’ve had have always been a little too light. This drop however…I could sip this one all night. Amazing stuff.

Whisky #501: SMWS 39.118 Sweet Memories

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SMWS 39.118 Sweet Memories. 8 year old single cask single malt from Linkwood Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.5%. Tasted at home, $140 (bottle).

Let’s continue the celebrations for reaching 500 whiskies and delve into our second Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) bottling of the week…7 days, 7 SMWS whiskies!

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Tart lemon curd and freshly baked biscuits…so it’s basically a lemon tart. Pine cones and snapped lantana branches. A slight nose prickle right at the end as you really take it all in.

Palate: A richness that tingles on the front of the palate. Lemon Fruit Tingle lollies that you’ve left just fizzing on the tip of your tongue. Some creamy lemon meringue, spicy white pepper and a hint of vanilla.

Finish: A drying sensation, the whisky seems to evaporate off the front of your tongue. Fizzy creaming soda, lemon sherbet and a touch of liquorice, yet quite salty in the fade.

Comments: Fresh and zesty, this one really dances on the tongue and has a party all on its own. Bugger anything you’ve had to eat or drink before, for me the name Sweet Memories is a bit misleading – it’s not a dessert whisky, it’s the kind of whisky that interrupts the whole damn dinner party and starts dancing on the table to grab your attention.

Whisky #500: SMWS 76.126 Racy Lady Wearing Leather

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SMWS 76.126 Racy Lady Wearing Leather. 28 year old single cask single malt from Mortlach Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57%.

A special whisky for a special milestone. 500 whiskies, damn! This dram was kindly provided courtesy of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s (SMWS) Australian Brand Ambassador, Matt Bailey, to celebrate reaching Whisky #500. Long time readers will know that I’ve been an active member and great fan of SMWS bottlings for a number of years now, so I thought why not stretch this Whisky #500 party out and have a whole week of SMWS whiskies!

So strap yourself in for the Racy Lady Wearing Leather, because she’s the first of 7 SMWS whiskies in 7 days…

Colour: Lustrous gold.

Nose: Earthy notes, dusty bookshelves and freshly baked chocolate brownies.

Palate: Imagine you’re eating a creme brûlée with a wooden spoon…sweet, creamy, a touch of burnt caramel, and some soft oaky notes. Savoury notes too when you have a few more sips; quince paste, caramelised balsamic onions cooked on the BBQ. Definitely a lot more subtle than you might expect from a 57% ABV whisky, both in terms of flavour and mouthfeel.

Finish: It’s quite a delicate and textual finish…the whisky almost caresses your tongue as it escapes down the back of your mouth. Almost like the racy lady is teasing you with a silk scarf that she draws gently across your face as she slinks off to a dark room, enticing you for more.

Comments: There’s a certain delicious irony in a seductive title like “Racy Lady Wearing Leather” coming from the Society’s “Old and Dignified” flavour profile! Though old and dignified she is. I enjoyed this one with Miles Davis’ classic “Kind of Blue” in the background, a fitting soundtrack for such a glorious whisky.

An outstanding whisky and certainly one worthy of the #500 milestone. Here’s to the next 500 whiskies, cheers!

Whisky #499: Tullibardine The Murray 2004 Cask Strength Single Malt

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Tullibardine The Murray 2004 Cask Strength Single Malt. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 56.1%. Tasted at home, $130 (bottle).

Colour: A dull yellow gold.

Nose: Fresh hay, malty cereal notes and lemon zest.

Palate: The flavours envelope your palate, they consume your thoughts for a moment as the whisky drowns out the empty space in your mouth. Toasted malt, honey and woody notes (like when the doctor puts the wooden stick on your tongue and asks you to say “ahhhh”).

Finish: Fresh oak, washed rind cheese, wafer biscuits and raw honey…the kind that still has lumps of honeycomb. Quite dry, medium length.

Comments: A dram of reflection; at times direct and quite simple, yet it has this come hither aspect to it. Like flames of a fire licking warmth towards you, drawing you closer.