Miltonduff 12 Year (Blackadder Raw Cask)

 

I have become somewhat addicted to these incredible Raw Cask releases by independent bottler Blackadder. This is a 12 year single cask offering from little heard-of Miltonduff, which is one of the core spirits in Chivas Regal. Being from the Raw Cask series, there is absolutely no filtering done whatsoever: 

Ardmore 23 Year (SMWS 66.197 "Let The World Fall Down")

 

This is the first of a two-part series: a pair of "sister casks" from Ardmore, each aged 21 years and then finished an additional two years in a different cask - in this case, a refill Oloroso hogshead. 

Ardmore, an Eastern Highland distillery, is known for having a particularly unique profile - fruit and smoke, with a uniquely industrial/metallic aspect. My first bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") was an Ardmore, and it's what made me fall in love with the distillery: it was like drinking oyster vinegar combined with hints of smoke and fruit, and was just an extremely unusual and lovely bottle. 

Blackadder Sherry Snake (NAS, Batch SS01)

 

I have become a huge fan of Blackadder, the independent bottler of scotch whisky. I had a Ben Nevis Raw Cask from them that was one of the best drams I've had all year. I decided to take a risk on this "Sherry Snake" bottle - no age statement, no distillery identity, no color added, no filtration, cask strength (61.9% ABV), from "first fill sherry butts." Very curious. 

Mannochmore 12 Year (SMWS 64.127 "Going Luxe")

 

At last! The final sample I had at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") October outturn. It's a Mannochmore, aged 12 years in a first fill custom-toasted American and European oak hogshead (!). Bottled at 58.4% ABV. I have only had one other Mannochmore, which was a Signatory bottling, I think provided by Rob Martin. So, this should be interesting.

Allt-a-Bhainne 10 Years (SMWS 108.47 "I Dream of Genie...")

 

Almost done with these belated reviews from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") October outturn. Sorry to all, it's been a busy month. This is a 10 year Allt-a-Bhainne, whose single cask offerings are always wacky as hell. Peated, botted at 62.1% ABV after a decade in a second-fill barrel, I am willing to bet it will be quite crazy. 

Inchmoan 21 Year (SMWS 135.42 "Fun in the Sun")

 

Another in my series of "one month overdue" reviews from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") October outturn. The November outturn is already out (!), but I missed the tasting because I lost hearing in my ear for a while, which discouraged me from socializing, even with alcohol involved. 

This is a 21 year old Inchmoan (the peated Loch Lomond imprint), bottled at 54.9% ABV after 21 years in a first fill barrel. What is most curious about this is that although the spirit was originally peated, this bears NO trace of peat any longer. After 21 years, there is no smoke, no earth, no nothing that would betray any peat - which is pretty remarkable. Even 20+ year old Highland Park - a pretty lightly peated whisky - show the peat with age. Unsure what happened here.