Blair Athol 13 Year (SMWS 68.69 "Subtle Trickster")

 

I don't think I've ever had a bad or even average Blair Athol - everything I've sampled from that particular "shadow distillery" (owned by Diageo, funneled into blends) has been great. Then again, I just checked my archives and apparently I've only ever had one bottle from them before, haha. I could have sworn I've had more than one before, but maybe I've just read about them. Oh well - this is a 13 year old single cask Blair Athol from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), released as a lottery pick. 

Glen Garioch 18 Year (SMWS 19.65 "Fifties Nostalgia")

 

The third and final of the 18 year Glen Garioch bottles released by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") as part of their distillery deep dive into this little known gem from the Highlands. Sorted into the "juicy, oak, and vanilla" and featuring easily the most creative nickname of the bunch - "Fifties Nostalgia," eh?? Unsure what that implies, but it gets the imagination going.

Glen Garioch 18 Year (SMWS 19.64 "Sweet Moment")

 

This is the second of three 18 year old bottles released by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") as part of their deep dive into Glen Garioch, a relatively unknown Highland distillery. A lot of the reason I stay involved with the SMWS is access to things exactly like this - very difficult to source otherwise, an older bottling from a little known distiller. This bottle is sorted in to the "sweet, fruity, and mellow" category.

Glen Garioch 18 Year (SMWS 19.63 "Leftovers in the Pantry")

 

A few times a year, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") will do a single cask deep dive into particular distilleries - where several casks are released together, usually complementing each other and presenting various different angles. I've participated in the Macallan and Highland Park deep dives... now I'm trying out a fairly lesser known distillery, Glen Garioch. 

Caol Ila 9 Year (SMWS 53.391 "Dark Secrets")

 The sixth and final sample from the September 2022 outturn of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC. 

I've had my fair fill of Caol Ila from the SMWS, that's for sure - and every damn time I tell myself "this is quite nice stuff, if a bit staid." It really occupies a strange zone of eminently tasty and well-executed yet also distinctly un-thrilling.

Glen Scotia 8 Year (SMWS 93.177 "Crossing the Event Horizon")

 

This was the fifth sample at the September 2022 outturn from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This was a popular one - a lot of peatheads in the audience that night - and fooled most people into thinking it was a straight-up Islay. I heard a lot of guesses like Caol Ila, Bunnahabhain, and even Laphroaig (!). I myself thought it was Caol Ila. 

Dalmore 13 Year (SMWS 13.89 "Amped-Up!")

 

Fourth (and most popular) sample from the September 2022 outturn of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC. The moment this stuff was put in front of people and the scenting began, there was a slight hush over the room and a chorus of "ooooh" and "hmmmm" and "ahhhh" - a lovely nose indeed. 

Linkwood 10 Year (SMWS 39.224 "An Orchard Moment")

 

This is the third sample I had from the September 2022 outturn from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon. This is a 10 year Linkwood, from a second fill ex-bourbon barrel, bottled at a fiery 62.6% ABV. 

Cragganmore 17 Year (SMWS 37.136 "Bar Nibbles")

 

Second sample from the September 2022 outturn of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC. 

This is a rather unsung distillery - Cragganmore - founded in 1869 by John Smith on land that was partly chosen due to its proximity to the local railway in Banffshire. Smith was an old hand in the Scotch whisky trade, having managed Macallan, Glenfarclas, and Glenlivet, at least, prior to founding Cragganmore. 

Currently Cragganmore is owned by Diageo, and forms part of their blends. 

Glenfarclas 8 Year (SMWS 1.257 "Lip-Smacking and Summery")

 

I hate to say this, but this is exactly the kind of bottle I avoid from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") these days: young and off-profile. As many readers will already know, virtually all Glenfarclas is fully matured in sherry casks of one sort of another, and to see an 8 year ex-bourbon cask immediately raises the eyebrows and makes you wonder what strange experiment went awry. And the age itself is curious - why only 8 years, which is quite immature and hints at a brash, underbaked spirit? 

Balvenie 12 Year Single Barrel (Cask 2784, Bottle 42)

 

A brief review of a sample of this Balvenie single barrel 12 year old I had with Rob Martin - quite nice stuff! Ex-bourbon cask, bottled at 47.8% ABV (interesting), let's just dig right in: 

BenRiach 10 Year "Curiositas" (Peated)

 

I've always been curious about this bottle, BenRiach's peated offering, and thanks to Rob Martin I finally was able to try it. It's a peated Speyside bottled at 46% ABV, and labeled "Curiositas" presumably because it's so uncommon to happen across a peated offering from the Speyside region.