SMWS

Whisky #528: SMWS Exotic Cargo 10 Year Old Blended Malt

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SMWS Exotic Cargo 10 Year Old Blended Malt. Scotland. ABV: 50.0%. Tasted at Whisky a Day HQ, $155 (bottle).

When you’ve been busier than a one-legged man at an ass-kicking contest, it’s time for a kick-ass whisky.

Colour: A hearty toffee, mesmerising as the glass rolls around and the whisky catches glimmers of light.

Nose: Jersey caramels and treacle dripping off a spoon onto hot buttered toast. A slight nose prickle tugs your nostrils further into the glass to soak up the blueberries, soft oak and creme brûlée notes.

Palate: A mysterious cocktail; blueberries and tart fruit salad with a hint of oakiness and caramel. A Turkish belly dancer who performs the dance of the seven veils across your tastebuds.

Finish: Rich oak, burnt brown sugar, and the subtle heat of sweet smoked paprika to finish. My trusted whisky tasting lieutenant Kiwi got a touch of liquorice at the end.

Comments: A first for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), who traditionally focus on single cask, cask strength whiskies. This blended malt comprises a number of single malts all distilled in 2006, which were then matured in first fill ex-sherry Spanish oak hogsheads. Cut back slightly to a strength of 50% ABV, it still has an intensity of flavour, complexity and nuances befitting a SMWS whisky.

An exceptional drop and the perfect end of week dram when you just want to slink down into the lounge and let the worries of the week drift away.

Whisky #519: SMWS 96.11 Frisky Fun

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SMWS 96.11 Frisky Fun. 10 year old single cask single malt from Glendronach Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 57.6%. Tasted at home, $160 (bottle).

With a name like “Frisky Fun”, never has the phrase “whisky makes me frisky” been more appropriate. Let’s stumble through the front door and start peeling off the layers as we hurriedly get intimate with this dram…

Colour: Golden glow.

Nose: Fresher than the aroma of an over-zealous Tinder date who applies just a touch too much perfume right before walking into the bar. Fresh pine needles, jersey caramels and red raspberry jellies.

Palate: Hot toasted white bread, melted butter, honey, butter menthols and tangy lemon tarts.

Finish: Buttery with a satisfying salty tingle on the front of the tongue. Like kissing your date after she’s had a couple of margaritas.

Comments: It’s the unexpected excitement of discovering something new, like that kinda cute girl from IT who rocks up to the work Christmas party dressed to the nines and suddenly takes everyone’s breath away. Long finish, warm oily mouthfeel.

Glendronach are well known for their use of ex sherry casks (both Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso) in which to mature the majority of their core range of whiskies. The Glendronach Revival 15 Year Old and Glendronach Allardice 18 Year Old are phenomenal sherry bombs that have deep rich dried fruit characteristics, but this refill ex bourbon barrel release takes you in a different direction and shows you a side of the distillery that you might not have previously thought possible. Much like the excitement of a new frisky encounter. Another outstanding release from the SMWS!

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!

Whiskies #474-477: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society World Whisky Day Showdown

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Whiskies #474-477: The Scotch Malt Whisky Society World Whisky Day Showdown.

Happy World Whisky Day to you all! It’s certainly one of my favourite days on the whisky calendar…along with any Delivery Day when the whisky gods deliver their sweet nectar in the post. To celebrate this holiest of whisky days, I thought it best to crack out something fairly unique and a bit special. And what more aptly fits that description than a few bottlings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society.

Single cask, cask strength independent bottlings…for those of you who haven’t sampled a SMWS whisky before, get on it! They really are brilliant. I’m not paid by them and don’t get any kickbacks to write nice things, I’m just a very happy paid-up member who thinks they’re doing some amazing stuff.

Anyway, I’m thirsty – let’s get into the booze!

Whisky #474: SMWS 54.34 Monkey’s Lunch. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Aberlour distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.8%. Tasted at home, $165 (bottle).

Colour: Pale straw.

Nose: Fruit salad, soft lemon, passionfruit, strawberries and cream.

Palate: It’s a wave of creamy, lemony flavours…like biting into a lemon cheesecake.

Finish: Dried pineapple chunks that fade to a drying mouthfeel with white pepper and woody notes.

Comments: The finish is quite a contrast to the nose and palate, it’s a bit Jekyll and Hyde this one. Aberlour are one of my favourite distilleries so it’s great to try a whisky that’s quite different to their usual house style full of dried fruits and Christmas cake flavours. Cracking drop this one.

 

Whisky #475: SMWS 64.80 Fruit Punch Explosion. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Mannochmore distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 58.2%. Tasted at home, $150 (bottle).

Colour: Sparkling honey.

Nose: Fruit covered pavlova. Now this is going to sound a bit odd – there’s some aromas like opening up a velvet lined wooden chess set. The kind where the board is hinged and folds in half so you can keep the pieces inside. My dad had one from when he was a young fella, I still remember the smell of it as I opened it to set up the pieces and have a few games with the old man when I was younger. The old bugger always beat me!

Palate: Fresh raw honey straight from the hive, served on a wooden stick…sweet and oaky.

Finish: Almost a few candied bacon flavours in the fade, like you’ve poured maple syrup over pancakes with crispy bacon on the side.

Comments: I love a whisky that triggers memories from long ago, whether they be from the aromas or the flavours. Stunning.

 

Whisky #476: SMWS 63.33 Rich,Treacly, and Sumptuous. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Glentauchers distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: . Tasted at home, $185 (bottle).

Colour: Bright toffee.

Nose: Golden syrup, treacle and freshly baked blueberry muffins. A slight nose prickle.

Palate: Buttery and lots more golden syrup. If I had to do a blind tasting and pick the distillery I would have said Glendronach. The SMWS title really has summed it up perfectly – it is incredibly rich, treacly and sumptuous.

Finish: Front of the palate gets all the fun – plenty of salted caramel. A long tingly finish, like crushing some brown sugar crystals against the roof of your mouth with your tongue.

Comments: As I sip this one I’m listening to Nina Simone singing “I Put a Spell On You”. Kind of like tasting cask strength whiskies when you’re doing healthy pours – by the time you get to the third whisky it’s starting to put a spell on you. But without a doubt, this is the standout whisky of the night. Amazing stuff.

 

Whisky #477: SMWS 42.25 A Beach Barnacle Banquet. 9 year old Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottling from Tobermory distillery. Isle of Mull, Scotland. ABV: 60.4%. Tasted at home, $165 (bottle).

Colour: Pale apple juice.

Nose: Salty; hessian sacks soaked in sea water.

Palate: Surprisingly smooth and sweet. Reminds me of grilled salmon nigiri, the one with some kind of glaze on it that they’ve smashed with a blow torch to give those amazing caramelised salmon flavours.

Finish: A long salty tang at the front of the palate, especially when you press your tongue up into the roof of your mouth.

Comments: A perfect conclusion to the Speyside sweetness we’ve had before. Great balance between salty, sweet and savoury.

 

There’s just something about the SMWS whiskies that makes me think of all kinds of foods and flavours. They’re always so vivid and take your mind and your tastebuds on a wild gastronomic journey. I’m not known for doing things by half measures (some of my friends would say I do things by double measure), but with whisky this good it’s probably not my penchant for smashed avocado and coffee that’s preventing me getting into this insane Sydney property market. Bugger it, I might just pour another dram of each of these…happy World Whisky Day!

 

Whisky #450: SMWS 44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive

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SMWS 44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive. 11 year old single cask single malt from Craigellachie Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.3%. Tasted at home, $179 (bottle).

Watching the cricket on a summer’s afternoon, what more appropriately named whisky could there be other than “44.66 Summer-Fresh and Sweetly Attractive” from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society!

Colour: Australian gold.

Nose: Floral; freshly snapped branches. Some faint, sweet lemony notes too.

Palate: So light and easy to drink. Lemon meringue, lemon sherbet sweets – the kind that give you a burst of sherbet when you’ve sucked through the hard lemon sweet outside. Spiced honey, water crackers and freshly cracked black pepper.

Finish: A zesty tang, becoming a little saltier as the flavours fade.

Comments: This whisky was going down quicker than an Australian batting collapse. Fresh, flavoursome and bucket-loads of flavour – absolutely drinkable on a hot summer’s day. I find Craigellachie whiskies generally to have lots of fresh floral and forest scents and flavours, while being extremely smooth and easy to drink (almost a cool sensation on the palate). This one certainly continues in that vein, recommended.

Whiskies #420 & #421: The Strathisla Showdown – Strathisla 12 Year Old Single Malt & SMWS 58.16 Margarita Cocktail

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img_7846.jpgBack when I was choosing whiskies I’d never tried before as part of my “Rebuilding a Whisky Collection – The $1000 Challenge”, I chose the Strathisla 12 Year Old Single Malt for a couple of reasons.  It seemed cracking value for money and fit the bill as the quaffable, go-to whisky for the collection. Strathisla is also the distillery that comprises the base of Chivas Regal, which makes for an interesting anecdote when serving a whisky to friends who visit or those who are starting their whisky journey – everybody has heard of Chivas!  I’m also not going to serve a whisky novice some really pricey whisky as they may not appreciate it.  That’s why we all need a quaffable whisky in our collection which is also great drinking in its own right to share with anyone who visits.

There’s not many Strathisla bottlings around, yet most whisky drinkers would have consumed some as part of a Chivas. So having recently ordered another Strathisla bottling, this time from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, I thought why not compare both side by side.

Whisky #420: Strathisla 12 Year Old Single Malt. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 40%. Tasted at home, $80 (bottle).

Colour: Light caramel.

Nose: A very light nose. Carrot cake, maybe a hint of orange marmalade. Maybe I’m clutching at straws.

Palate: Very smooth entry, oily mouthfeel. Some cooked vegetable and tasted cereal notes balanced by a toffee sweetness.

Finish: Malty notes dominate in the finish, some salty tanginess and warmth on the front of the tongue as the other flavours subside.

Comments: Such an easy drinking dram, though possibly let down a little by such a light nose.

 

Whisky #421: SMWS 58.16 – Margarita Cocktail. 9 year old single cask whisky from Strathisla Distillery, Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 59.4%. Tasted at home, $169 (bottle).

Colour: Very pale straw.

Nose: Very malty; like walking into a bakery and copping a hit of both freshly baked bread and half baked loaves.

Palate: A sharp, crisp entry that darts down the middle of your palate. Dominated by malty, cereal notes. Plenty of warmth that gradually builds.

Finish: A long, salty and tangy finish – much like the 12 year old but with more punch. Grassy notes and heat too.

Comments: This is a whisky that gets straight to the point. Almost a bit raw, some real malty, new make-y kind of flavours in here. It really feels like this is one where the cask influence has taken a back seat and let the pure house style shine through. This is Strathisla stripped back, exposed, and ready to be enjoyed.

 

Overall Comments: Such different whiskies, amazing considering they’ve come from the same distillery. The 12 year old drinks a lot fuller than its 40% ABV, it really seems to have a much bigger flavour profile and mouthfeel than most 40% whiskies. The biggest difference is probably the toffee sweetness in the 12 year old too. At $80 a bottle, it really is cracking value too.

For me, the 12 year old is a much more balanced whisky, whereas the SMWS bottling is quite raw. Whereas a lot of the Society’s bottlings shine due to both the cask and influence of all the many variables from barley through to distillation phases, this one seems to allow the distillery character to bare all to the world. It’s far from my favourite SMWS bottling, but I love it for the fact that it’s quite unique…even from the other Society bottlings which are all obviously quite unique but in different ways. I think that’s almost a triple tautology, but you (hopefully) get what I’m trying to say! Recommend both, but for very different reasons.

Striking colour difference between the Strathisla 12 Year Old (left) and the 9 year old SMWS 58.16

A striking colour difference between the Strathisla 12 Year Old (left) and the 9 year old SMWS 58.16.

Whisky #419: SMWS B3.3 – Treacle Buns in a Sawmill

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img_7827.jpgWhisky #419: SMWS B3.3 – Treacle Buns in a Sawmill. 2 year old single cask bourbon from Rock Town Distillery, Arkansas, USA. ABV: 54.3%. Tasted at home, $155 (bottle).

It’s Friday, it’s been a long week. A cask strength dram is required to kick start the weekend. I’ve just received my latest order from the SMWS so timing is perfect to sit back at home, put on some tunes and relax with an intriguing whisk(e)y…

Colour: Deep amber.

Nose: Maybe primed a little by the name, but definitely treacle buns in a sawmill. The SMWS  tasting committee have absolutely nailed this one – the name describes the nose more so than all other parts of this dram combined! Some sweet prickly ash or Chinese five spice in there too.

Palate: Char siu (Chinese BBQ pork), tangy golden syrup and some Cajun spices. Like a fiery yet sticky bbq sauce slathered over some pork ribs.

Finish: Sweet, tangy, peppery and salty – all at the same time yet in beautiful balance. Some dry dusty oak flavours in the fade.

Comments: Absolute bucketloads of flavour, especially for such a young whisk(e)y. You could be forgiven for thinking I’ve described this one with lots of food analogies because I’m hungry, but I’m not all that peckish – it’s just that it really is packed with lots of juicy, meaty, savoury flavours.

A 2 year old single cask bourbon released by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society? Who cares…the SMWS have always been keen to push the envelope, and dammit am I glad they pushed this one. Great value, highly recommended.

Whisky #397: SMWS 39.108 Baked Alaska

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img_6450.jpgSMWS 39.108 Baked Alaska.  10 year old single cask from Linkwood Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 61.7%. Tasted at The Clock Hotel’s Whisky Room, $0 – a welcome dram to celebrate Dram Full Sydney’s 2nd birthday.

Colour: Pale golden straw.

Nose: An amorphous nose, it seems to change in waves with different flavours each taking turns at coming to the fore. Light and fruity on the nose, yet quite sweet.  Chunks of dried pineapple. My Dram Full compatriot Garry described it as like orange brûlée. On top of the fruity notes, other aromas include ginger nut biscuits and caramelised condensed milk.

Palate: Sharp thin grassy notes on the front of the palate, as the waves of sweetness break like a bow wave around the outside of the mouth, leaving a syrupy coating. Creamy sweet mouthfeel.

Finish: Medium length yet a warming mouthfeel. Tingles on the front gums as the flavours linger on the mid palate.

Comments: The nose really reminded me of a Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or, yet more intense and focused. A Nectar reduction perhaps? This Linkwood certainly didn’t drink like a whisky at around 61% ABV, it was much smoother yet packed a big punch in terms of flavour, aroma and length. Which is what you want from a whisky.

A gathering of whisky fiends from Dram Full Sydney to celebrate Dram Full’s 2nd birthday. We are very fortunate in Sydney to have Andrew Derbridge, Cellarmaster & Director of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Australia (not to mention author of a fantastic whisky blog Whisky & Wisdom), as one of the main driving forces behind Dram Full in Sydney. Andrew very generously brought along this SMWS bottling for us Drammies to have a welcome drink before we got stuck into the Clock Hotel’s extensive range of whiskies. A cracking night was had, fantastic to catch up for an informal drink and meet other whisky fiends and talk bullshit about all things whisky.

Whiskies #382-387: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Winter Tasting

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IMG_5554.JPGWhiskies #382-387: Scotch Malt Whisky Society Winter Tasting. Royal Automobile Club, Sydney. $85.

Since Whisky a Day only recently located from Perth to Sydney a month ago, the first SMWS tasting event was locked into the calendar. Excellently hosted by the SMWS Australian Cellar Master Andrew Derbidge, last night’s tasting was an overview of six of the Society’s latest releases.

Whisky #382: 64.54 Sweet and Tart, Subtle and Delicate. 10 year old bottling from Mannochmore Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 56.3%.

Colour: Pale straw.
Nose: Pine needles, wood chips, and sherbet.
Palate: Tangy lemon, peppery spice, with some cheesecake flavours to round off.
Finish: White pepper with a long, salty tingle and generous warmth around the mouth. Like the sensation of sucking the lemon after you’ve just downed a shot of good tequila. The oily warmth lingers longer than the flavours, but in a comforting way.

Whisky #383: 35.133 Mediterranean Maharaja goes Americana. 20 year old bottling from Glen Moray Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 55.8%.

Colour: Rich honey.
Nose: It’s a very bourbon-ish nose which hits you immediately. Fennel and spiced mead; sweet oaky notes with some time in the glass.
Palate: Spiced honey, cocoa, sultanas and spiced fruit toast.
Finish: Quite a short, drying finish with some savoury biscuit notes.

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Whisky #384: 46.25 Soft, Elegant and Intensely Creamy. 21 year old bottling from Glenlossie Distillery. Speyside, Scotland. ABV: 46.4%.

Colour: Pale apple juice.
Nose: Fresh apples in a wet hessian sack. Ok, so I got fresh apples and I separately got some wet hessian notes, but seeing as the tasting was being conducted in the Royal Automobile Club where anoraks abound, I thought I’d better combine the two descriptors and really turn the wankiness up to 11. My eminent whisky tasting neighbour Dave picked up notes like walking past a makeup counter through a department store.
Palate: Baked pears, some sweet caramelised flavours too. A cool, creamy mouthfeel; reminds me of fruit salad atop a freshly baked pavlova.
Finish: Passionfruit syrup and vanilla ice-cream. Very light and delicate.
Comments: This was my favourite whisky if the night. Quite a low ABV for a cask strength bottling, but it’s just so easy to drink and keeps begging you back for more. So much so that I ordered a bottle so I could do precisely that.

Whisky #385: 119.14 Raspberry Imperial Stout. 11 year old bottling from Yamazaki Distillery. Japan. ABV: 53.9%.

Colour: Wow. Deep rich toffee. I started enjoying this one long before I picked up the glass.
Nose: It’s a huge sherry bomb, simply divine. It reminds me a lot of the nose you get from some Glendronach malts, particularly the Glendronach Allardice 18 year old and Glendronach 21 year old. Though it’s more intense and syrupy than you’ll find say on the Glendronach 15 year old.
Palate: Syrupy Christmas cake spice, oily mouthfeel. Yes that sounds quite stereotypical for a malt matured in ex sherry casks, but boy is this a fine example of the style. An amazing drop. Some dark chocolate and cherry notes come through too.
Finish: Paradoxically for a syrupy whisky, the finish is quite drying. Huge legs on the glass.
Comments: In a blind tasting, I would have picked this to be a Speyside malt as it is a fine example of the sherried malts so often produced from that region. Yamazaki have done brilliant work with this one.

Whisky #386: 66.66 Ginger Makes Fred Smile. 10 year old bottling from Ardmore Distillery. Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 61.9%.

Colour: Pale translucent copper; almost a rosey tinge.
Nose: Flame grilled steak, salted caramel and smoked salmon.
Palate: Smoked ham hock and beef jerky. It’s smokey with a hint of fruity sweetness; reminds me of a slice of juicy pineapple on the BBQ.
Finish: Super long and sumptuous.
Comments: Matured in a first fill white wine hogshead, which is both quite unusual but also an amazing choice for this malt. I enjoyed it so much I ordered a bottle on the spot.

Whisky #387: 3.234 Scallops Cooked on a Puffer Shovel. 16 year old bottling from Bowmore Distillery. Islay, Scotland. ABV: 57.5%.

Colour: Pure gold.
Nose: Caramel popcorn is the first thing that hits. Orange chocolate and soft straw notes too – like a handful of straw thrown on a campfire.
Palate: Salty blackcurrant pastilles and caramelised bacon. Hmmm, bacon… *drool*.
Finish: A building meaty saltiness with a very long, mouthwatering finish.
Comments: An Islay malt from Bowmore that has been perfectly matched to a refill sherry butt to produce those delicious caramelised meaty flavours. Though I think the nose is the winner here, simply divine. Some would say that there’s lots of smoke here both on the nose and on the palate, and they’d be 100% right…for me the smoke is there in droves, but it somehow takes a back seat to the amazing array of other flavours and aromas that are layered here.

Whisky #376 – SMWS 123.9 The Big Fat Tipsy Wedding

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IMG_5219.JPGSMWS 123.9 The Big Fat Tipsy Wedding. 16 year old single cask from Glengoyne distillery, Highlands, Scotland. ABV: 56.6%. Tasted at home, $258 (bottle).

Colour: Rich caramel.

Nose: Golden syrup, honeycomb, dusty bookshelves. My mate Pete had a nose and got blackcurrants, sultanas and muscat.

Palate: Tangy, spicy, orange syrup flavours – think Duck a l’Orange, but with an Asian twist – star anise, cinnamon and cloves. It actually reminds me of Kylie Kwong’s crispy skin duck from her Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong. Fantastic stuff.

Finish: Drying tobacco notes, like the aftertaste of a good cigar.

Comments: Like attending any wedding, your mind drifts to loves you’ve had and lost, those you’ve missed because of unfortunate timing, or those in the wedding party that you wouldn’t mind, ahem, getting to know a little better. Drinking this dram caused my mind to wander, contemplating not just these aforementioned things but also musing at the amazing complexity of this whisky. I also wonder what whisky I will serve at my own wedding some day…surely a top shelf cask strength one at the wedding party’s table, as I’m sure I’ll only marry a woman who is a massive whisky fan!