Auchroisk 15 Year (SMWS 95.58 "Sunny Beach With Hot Sand")

The fourth of six samples offered at the June 2023 outturn event of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This was a 15 year port-finished Auchroisk (a favorite of mine), bottled at 59.1% ABV. 

Teaninich 13 Year (SMWS 59.69 "Exotic Tantalization")

The third of six samples offered at the June 2023 outturn event of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This was a 13 year ex-bourbon/red wine cask finish Teaninich, bottled at 54.5% ABV. 

Tomintoul 9 Year (SMWS 89.17 "Keep Nosing")

The second of six samples offered at the June 2023 outturn event of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This was a 9 year ex-bourbon Tomintoul, bottled at a rousing 67.5% ABV (!). The SMWS doesn't get a lot of Tomintoul, which is too bad, because this distillery does particularly well in independent bottlings.  

Glenfarclas 9 Year (SMWS 1.265 "Oma at the Cinema")

 

The first of six samples offered at the June 2023 outturn event of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This was a 9 year ex-bourbon Glenfarclas, bottled at 58.3% ABV. 

Bunnahabhain 9 Year (SMWS 10.240 "No Naked Flames")

 

It's been a while since the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") released any heavily peated Bunnahabhain. This 9 year old features a rather unusual four year finish in a second fill oloroso sherry hogshead, which made it more enticing than usual. 

Mannochmore 15 Year (SMWS Rare Release, Spirit of Speyside Festival 2023, "Luscious Velvet")

 

Mannochmore is a very recent distillery - it only opened in 1971 - and was closed from '85 to '89. In the 1990s it became "known" for the jet-black Loch Dhu ("Black Lake") bottling, which was, frankly, a curiosity or novelty. It's owned by Diageo, which means it's usually consigned to blend fodder except through independent bottlers. 

Allt-a-Bhainne 14 Year (SMWS Spirit of Speyside Festival 2023, "Frolics in the Rose Garden")

 

For some reason, I had a strong intimation - a sixth sense - I would like this one - and I was right. Released by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") as part of their Spirit of Speyside festival in 2023, from the hardly-known distillery of Allt-a-Bhainne, it's a 14 year first-fill ex-bourbon, bottled at 58.3% ABV. 

Bunnahabhain 14 Year (SMWS 10.249, 30th Anniversary Bottling, "Spectacular Horse's Mane Waves")

 

This throwback label celebrates 30 years of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in America - and the whisky behind the label is a 14 year unpeated Bunnahabhain. I really like Bunnahabhain and was delighted when I won this lottery-only release. 

Craigellachie 10 Year (Douglas Laing's Old Particular)

 

I picked this up on a lark, to fulfill a minimum purchase requirement to get free in-city shipping on a Mother's Day gift. I do love Craigellachie quite a bit, and I'm always impressed by Douglas Laing bottlings, which are often characterful... so why not?

Highland Park 10 Year (SMWS 4.319 "From Coast to Kiln")

 

The sixth and final of six samples provided at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society May 2023 outturn event at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This is a 10 year Highland Park, revatted after 6 years, bottled at a rousing 63.3% ABV. 

Glen Spey 13 Year (SMWS 80.39 "Achingly Beautiful")

 

The fifth out of six samples at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society May 2023 outturn tasting at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This won a gold medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and is already long sold out on the SMWS website. It's a 13 year Glen Spey, finished in a Marsala barrique (!), bottled at 57.8% ABV.

Royal Brackla 14 Year (SMWS 55.71 "New Shoes")

 

The fourth of six samples at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society May 2023 outturn at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. This is a 14 year Royal Brackla, finished in a #3 char hogshead, and bottled at 55.1% ABV. I will admit that the six drams of the night were had in short succession, and this one is where I noticed my abilities to taste and smell might not have been 100% accurate. That said, I think I did an OK job tracking the main flavors here. 

Inchmurrin 21 Year (SMWS 135.49 "Jack-in-the-Box")

 

Third of six samples at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society May 2023 outturn event at the Jack Rose Saloon. This is a 21 year Inchmurrin (one of the Loch Lomond imprints), bottled at 53.6% ABV. 

Glentauchers 19 Year (SMWS 63.91 "Oh, Behave!")

 

Second sample of the six offered by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at their May 2023 outturn tasting event at Jack Rose Saloon. This one is a 19 year Glentauchers at 52.3% ABV, all maturation in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel. 

Dalmore 8 Year (SMWS 13.97 "A Wee, Sweet-Toothed, Scottish Picnic")

 

Normally I try to stagger my reviews, when I have more than one ready at a time, to every other day... but I've decided with these Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") outturn tastings to just dump them all at once, to better help people who are still trying to decide while the outturn is fresh. So the other five samples will be posted as soon as I can write them up tonight or tomorrow. 

Benrinnes 11 Year (Single Cask Nation)

 

This is the first time in quite some time I'm reviewing a bottle from a distillery I've never covered! I could have sworn I've had Benrinnes (alternately, Ben Rinnes) before, but my archives say I haven't. 

Benrinnes is a Speyside distillery owned by Dewars, and dates all the way to 1826. It's very close to Mortlach, Cardhu, Dufftown, and many others in the heart of Speyside. Until 2007 they did an unusual partial triple distillation (like Mortlach), but this bottle dates to after they renovated and reverted to a simpler process.

Linkwood 16 Year (39.235 "Got Off on the Right Foot")

 

Linkwood is a distillery whose marquee is little known to most of the public - being another quasi-anonymous Diageo holding, whose output mostly goes to the various Johnnie Walker blends (as far as I can tell). But to single malt fanatics, it's pretty well known for having a high-quality spirit when you run across independently bottled versions of it. This 16 year from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") is one of those.

Clynelish 9 Year (SMWS 26.197 "Fisherman’s Friends on the Beach")

 

It's very rare to see an oily/coastal/briny Clynelish these days. The official 14 year bottling has touched of coastal salinity, but only a bit - it's been deliberately rounded, I'm sure, just the way that the famous waxy note has been tamped down pretty dramatically over the years.

So when I spotted this independently bottled oily/coastal 9 year Clynelish from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), I was quite curious. Clynelish operates in Brora, Scotland, right on the water, so you'd expect a bit more oceanic influence than you usually get. 

Glen Grant 14 Year (SMWS 9.252 "Breakfast in the Orchard")

 

When I think of Glen Grant, I immediately think "Italian" (owned by Campari) and then "sweet." Almost always a dessert dram, for me. So this Spring 2023 bottling, from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") caught my eye, I won the lottery for the bottle, and picked it up.

Port Charlotte SC:01 2012

 

The latest in Bruichladdich's "Cask Exploration" series, the heavily peated Port Charlotte SC:01 is the first to feature 100% barley from Islay. This isn't quite the rarified air of the Black Arts series, but is a distinct notch up in quality from the normal (and hard to find, these days) Port Charlotte 10 Year. 

Ardmore 24 Year (WhiskyNerds)

 

I bought this heavily recommended independent bottling of Ardmore from the Dutch store Passion for Whisky, which I highly recommend - although the shipping time is long (~2-3 weeks) they pack very well and have an incredible selection of things you just can't get in the US. For example: this Ardmore, which is Netherlands only, as far as I can tell. 

Kilchoman 3 Year (Cask Chasers)

 

Photo credit goes to the Cask Chasers website, who chose this cask from Kilchoman and are promoting it - I found out about it via the Discord server for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, where one of my colleagues and fellow whisky aficionados clued me in to the release (thank you!). 

Ardmore 11 Year (SMWS 66.49 "Art Class Enchantment")

 

Thanks to Tom Smith, head of the US branch of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") who stood me this dram after the recent panel tasting at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. An 11 year Ardmore from a refill ex-bourbon barrel, I couldn't resist - I love Ardmore. 

Blackadder Red Snake (Cask #126: Peated, NAS)

 

I've been eyeing this bottle for a while - a peated Blackadder from a single "top quality first fill ex-bourbon cask." Picked up on a lark this week, mostly because I was already buying a 3 year old Kilchoman, and figured I'd throw this into the bargain. I think this is somehow part of the Raw Cask series in the same way the Sherry Snake, Black Snake, and Puff Adder are as well. At any rate, there are a million charry cask particulates floating in this.  

Glenfarclas 9 Year (SMWS 1.231 "A Precious Moment in Time")

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Glenfarclas belongs in sherry casks. I've had a number of ex-bourbon single cask bottles of Glenfarclas (all from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society) and I haven't loved a single one of them. Some I didn't even like. 

Caol Ila 15 Year (Elixir Distillers)

 

I have taken a bit of a shine to older, more mature Islay expressions this last winter. They are softer, hazier, subtle, and complex. The peat punch to the face becomes a smoky breeze full of savory things and sweet things. So when I saw this 15 year Caol Ila while at a whisky tasting, I took a chance. It'll be the last bottle I get for a while (budget reasons) so I figured to make it something I could enjoy for some time to come. 

Ardmore 11 Year (Blackadder Raw Cask)

The second of two Blackadder Raw Cask bottles of my favorite distillery Ardmore that I purchased from Passion for Whisky in the Netherlands. This one is a year older than the prior bottle, coming in at 11 years old, yet it's bottled at the exact same strength - 60.6% ABV. I'm deadly curious to see how this tastes, even as tendrils of smoke from the previous bottle remain on my tongue! 

Ardmore 10 Year (Blackadder Raw Cask)

 

As anyone who has skimmed this blog will know, I am a gigantic fan of Ardmore whisky: fruity, smoky, lightly peated, full of earth and salt, fragrant, at any age it never fails me, not once. 

So recently I discovered the fabulous whisky shop Passion For Whisky, based in the Netherlands, and simultaneously discovered they had a phenomenal selection of Ardmore. I bought three - a 24 yr from WhiskyNerds, and two Blackadder Raw Cask bottlings. This is the first of the Blackadders. 

Ben Nevis 12 Year (SMWS 78.49 "I Hope You Like Jamming Too")

 

This was the introductory dram at the March 2023 outturn tasting of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. I like Ben Nevis (owned by Japanese company Nikka) the most when it is dank, dirty, and industrial. Weirdly, almost none of the single cask releases I've had from SMWS have showcased that particular angle. 

Highland Park 16 Year (SMWS 4.304 "A Proper Summer Dram")

 

The final sample provided at the March 2023 outturn tasting of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") was easily the favorite of basically everyone in the room: a 16 year Highland Park, finished in a PX cask that had been shaved, toasted, and recharred (!). A very curious choice, since you'd expect the PX influence to be literally scraped and burned away by the STR process. That said, the result was incredible, as we'll see in a bit.

Inchgower 11 Year (SMWS 18.45 "Hola!")

 

Inchgower is another of those little-known distilleries owned by Diageo that gets funneled wholesale into various blends (and specifically Bell's), with the odd off-profile cask sold off to independent bottlers and escaping into the wild to be sampled by curious drammers like myself. This was the 5th and penultimate sample provided at the March 2023 outturn tasting of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS").

Glen Grant 17 Year (SMWS 9.235 "The Proof is in the Finish")

I quite like Glen Grant - always sweet and pleasing, always with a curious angle somewhere in the glass, it's never disappointed me. This 17 year sample was provided at the March 2023 Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") outturn tasting at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC. 

Inchmurrin 18 Year (SMWS 112.99 "Feels Like a Caress")

 

The second bottle sampled at the March 2023 outturn of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington Dc. This is an older Inchmurrin (imprint of Loch Lomond distillery), and was a very popular sample among the people at the table. 

Glenfarclas 8 Year (SMWS 1.262 "A Commune of Delights")

 

Glenfarclas was the very first distillery in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), founded by Pip Hills and his friends, hence earning Distillery Code #1. This was the third sample at the March 2023 Outturn tasting for the SMWS, held at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC. 

Glenlossie 11 Year (SMWS 46.128 "Lotta Good Stuff")

 

I have a theory that the fancier and more involved a nickname the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") gives a whisky, the better that whisky is. For example, the 30-year Macallan is "A Wizard's Poem" (wow) .... this poor Glenlossie - while not a bad whisky - got the short end of the stick: "Lotta Good Stuff." Gee, thanks, naming committee. The only name that could have less effort put in would be "A Whisky." 

Croftongea 8 Year (SMWS 122.47 "Pirates Going Crazy on the Beach")

 

Oh, Loch Lomond... how you have resurrected your reputation in a short span of time! Many distilleries have had their star fall a bit in this modern era of integrity bottling - Dalmore, Bowmore, Highland Park, many more have ad their paltry 40% ABV bottling damned by the more-and-more educated Scotch drinkers, who now prefer independent bottlers and single cask offerings. Cork sniffers!

Penderyn 8 Year (SMWS 128.16 "The Magic Faraday Tree")

 The second of two Penderyn bottles just released by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), an offering I couldn't resist, being (a) partly Welsh myself, and (b) a lover of the two Penderyn bottles I've had so far. 

Penderyn 7 Year (SMWS 128.14 "The Tiger's Eye")

 

I really love the two bottles of Penderyn I've had so far - both young, brash, bursting with personality and flavor, both mildly funky with a "tomato vine/Bloody Mary mix" note, both cask strength yet endlessly quaffable. So when the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") finally released a couple Penderyn bottles of their own, I snapped them up. 

Scotch Malt Whisky Society Blended Batch 15

 

From time to time, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") pulls a move out of the Compass Box repertoire and releases a curated blend, usually at 50% ABV. This one is Batch 15, which is peated Islay and Orkney distilleries matured for ten years in a wide variety of casks: ex-bourbon, ex-PX sherry, ex-Oloroso sherry, American oak, French oak, etc.

Clynelish 8 Year (SMWS 26.137 "Chasing Chameleons")

 

There is something really fun and engaging about young Clynelish. I've heard the older version of Clynelish can be sublime, or near perfection - but I've never had it. Instead I've had plenty of bottles like this one, a young 8 year independent bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), nicknamed Chasing Chameleons. 

Port Charlotte 10 Year (Second Take)

 

This is a second look at Bruichladdich's standard heavily peated offering, their 10 year Port Charlotte bottling. This was recently named Whisky of the Year 2023 by YouTube whisky icon Ralfy, and has since become almost unobtainable here in DC. At 10 years old, it's priced right around the same point as Ardbeg 10 or Laphroaig 10 - heavily competitive territory.

Clairin Sonson 2018 (unaged rhum from Cabaret in Haiti)

When I was 13, a Haitian/Salvadorean family moved in next door to me, and they had a son my age who I got along with amazingly from day one. Now, 30 years later, our two families are one family, and consequentially I love all things Haitian - the music, the culture, and - of course - the rum. 

Aultmore 11 Year (Blackadder "Legendary" Raw Cask)

 

While browsing at one of my favorite liquor stores here in Washington DC, I came across four dusty bottles of Blackadder. One was a 21 year Auchentoshan (far from my favorite distillery), two were Miltonduffs I already have, and the fourth ... was this 11 year "Legendary" Aultmore. Why is it legendary? I have no idea. Blackadder's website doesn't explain. I assume it's a particularly good cask? I guess I'll find out soon enough...

Miltonduff 10 Year (Blackadder Raw Cask, PX Finish)

 

Another uncommon Miltdonduff (think: Chivas Regal) bottling from Blackadder, this time a 10 year with a Pedro Ximenez sherry cask finish. Unsure how long the finish is - safe to guess 1-2 years. Bottled at 57.1% ABV, and zero filtration of even the most basic variety. 

Blackadder Smoking Islay (9 Year Islay Blend)

 

A blend of two unnamed Islay distilleries, married, vatted, and aged 9 years before bottled at a very nice 60.5% ABV (full cask strength), with zero filtration of any sort. I have been in the winter-inspired mood for smoky whiskies lately, so I picked this up on sale. 

Varela Hermanos 16 Year Rum (SMWS R9.11 "Zipwire")

 

I can't say I've ever had any Panamanian rum before this 16 year bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). But their single cask rums have been uniformly excellent, so I immediately took a chance. Spoiler alert: I was well rewarded, this is fantastic. 

Laphroaig 7 Year Single Cask (Julio's)

 

(credit to Whiskybase for the image)

At the Laphroaig Event at Jack Rose in mid-January 2023, this was the final offering: a 7 year single cask official bottling that was done for Julio's, a massive alcohol emporium in Westborough, Massachusetts. Their cask was selected at the same time that the Jack Rose owners chose a single cask of their own, which was virgin French oak matured - this one is matured in PX sherry. 

Laphroaig 7 Year Single Cask (Jack Rose Selection)

 

(credit to Whisybase for the picture)

I didn't even know Laphroaig had official (or quasi-official) single cask bottlings until I attended the Laphroaig event at the Jack Rose Saloon earlier this month (January 2023). The Laphroaig distillery has always supposed Jack Rose fairly closely, and they flew the owner and master taster out to Islay, where they jointly selected a single cask in the warehouse to be bottled for Jack Rose (!).