Ardmore 32 Year (SMWS 66.246 "Cigars, Sauternes And Sautéed Sultanas")

 

Very old whisky (30+ years) is always expensive. Part of this reflects high demand - whether or not that demand is justified - and part of it reflects the lengthy investment by the distillery. A cask racked in the warehouse for three decades is necessarily taking up the space that two 15 year whiskies could be using... or three 10 year whiskies, and so on. 

This 32 year old Ardmore - my favorite distillery - is a Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") release, matured in a second-fill sherry butt for what appears to be the entire maturation. I assume the sherry butt was relatively inactive, to allow for a 30+ year maturation without over-oaking the whisky or saturating it in sherry and losing the distillery character. 

Ardmore 10 Year (SMWS 66.33 "Scottish Heidi")

 

Another great Ardmore from years gone by, found on the shelf at the Jack Rose Saloon, this hails from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), was distilled in 2001 and bottled in 2012. Numbered 66.33, I've only had a couple Ardmore bottles distilled prior to this one. 

Scotch Malt Whisky Society 2023 "The Gathering," in Washington DC with Pip Hills (founder of SMWS)

Tonight the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") celebrated its annual Gathering at the Jack Rose Saloon... with founder Pip Hills in attendance, all the way from Scotland. It was a night of six whiskies, and many new faces to meet and greet and swap stories with. 

Ardbeg Event at Jack Rose Saloon, Washington DC, September 17, 2023

 

Last night the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC - that famous temple of whiskies - hosted the team from Ardbeg (including current distillery manager Colin Gordon) in a tasting of five whiskies, followed by a question-and-answer session. 

The five whiskies sampled were: the new 5th release of Traigh Bhan; Fermutation; BizzareBQ; Galileo; and the newest Anthology release, "Harpy's Tale." 

Glasgow Distillery Company 5 Year (SMWS 156.1 "West Coast Recipe")

 

The Glasgow Distillery Company is a new lowlands distillery, founded in 2015, and the first in the area since 1902. Interestingly, the distillery offers joint tours with Tennants brewery - I would absolutely do this. According to Wikipedia, they have a reputation for experimentation, so I'm doubly curious about this bottle now. 

This bottles comes from the very first cask they sold to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), and is lightly peated and only five years old (!). Presumably triple-distilled. Without much ado, here are the official tasting notes from SMWS: 

Ardmore 15 Year (SMWS 66.229 "Tarred and Re-feathered")

 

The previous Ardmore I had from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") was a super chocolate bomb due to a really potent finish in a Trinidadian rum cask. Lovely stuff. This Ardmore - sequentially, the next cask they picked up from Ardmore - is finished in a PX sherry cask, so I'm hopeful for another good marriage of flavors. 

Mackmyra 12 Year (SMWS 151.3 "Skinny Dipping in the Baltic Sea")

 

Here is an interesting whisky - a single cask Swedish single malt from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS")! Hailing from Mackmyra distillery, this is one I've been curious about for some time. This Mackmyra, aged 12 years in first fill ex-bourbon, is peated (with Swedish peat!) and matured not in a warehouse but underground in an old mine (!). They also use an innovative gravity distillery these days, although I don't know if it was used to make this spirit or not. 

Ardnamurchan 7 Year (SMWS 149.6 "Recipe for Success")

 

This is the other recently released (August 2023) Ardamurchan single cask from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). The first one was a six year old fully matured in a PX sherry cask and was a delectable chocolate sherry bomb - rich as blazes. This one is a year older, fully matured in an Oloroso sherry cask, and lightly peated. 

Ardnamurchan 6 Year (SMWS 149.3 "A Walk in the Woods")

 

Ardnamurchan is one of the newer distilleries in Scotland, and probably the most prominent of the new crop to emerge in the last decade or so. I've had a couple of their official bottlings (excellent) and also a single cask from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") which was quite good, although a little offbeat. 

SMWS just released a couple more single cask bottlings from Ardnamurchan, and I picked them up. One is peated, one is unpeated; this is the unpeated offering. A brash 6 years old, filed under SMWS's Young & Sprightly category. 

Glen Scotia 8 Year (SMWS 93.193 "Salty Waterslide")

 

It's been a slow summer, it terms of whisky drinking. I've just been sipping away on bottles already reviewed, so very little to report. One of the few new things I picked up was this 8 year bottle of Glen Scotia from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), which was apparently hand-picked by Neil Patrick Harris, who has something of an ongoing relationship with SMWS. 

Ardmore 9 Year (SMWS 66.228 "Damp Blue Peat Smoke")

 

I almost never compare one independent bottler against another, but as a self-confessed Ardmore aficionado, I feel empowered to note: this is an excellent bottle from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") that stacks up against any other independent of Ardmore I've had. 

Bowmore 18 Year (SMWS 3.349 "A Whirpool of Flavor")

At this point it's just a widely acknowledged public fact that Bowmore stinks at bottling their own whisky. Basically every single scotch whisky reviewer or community says this, and all them report that independently bottled Bowmore is simply fantastic. Who knows what's wrong over at Bowmore? Let's just be glad they keep selling casks to people who do the right thing, like (in this particular case), the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). 

Tamdhu 7 Year (SMWS 8.43 "Shaded by Flowers")

 

Tamdhu is an underrated distillery, founded in 1897, and currently owned by Ian MacLeod Distillers (Rosebank, Glengoyne, Smokehead blended, Sheep Dip blended, many more). I only see independent versions of it from time to time, and apparently it's been a long time since the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") had a cask from them. This cask, the 43rd that SMWS has released from Tamdhu, was matured for 7 years in a first fill PX sherry butt, and released as part of the 40th anniversary of the SMWS. 

Laphroaig Cairdeas 2023 (White Port, Maidera)

 

It's been a light, slow July in terms of reviews over here - I have run out of room to store bottles, so I'm very slowly making my way through what I already have. 

One of the few exceptions is this year's Cairdeas ("Car chase" or "Car chess" or "Gorgeous" are the closest pronunciation guides I've heard) from Laphroaig, one of the big Islay distillers. Released yearly as a treat for the Friends of Laphroaig (the hardcore fan club), it always has interesting casking and a high ABV.

Ardmore 13 Year (ImpEx Collection)

 Ah, Ardmore. They can do no wrong. Even their weirdest, strangest, most astringent off-profile whisky is wondrous to me. When I saw this 13 year from independent bottler ImpEx (selected by Sam Filmus, the president of ImpEx!), I jumped all over it. 

North British 13 Year Single Grain Whisky (Blackadder Raw Cask)

 

This is a new one for me - I've never had anything by (or even heard of!) North British Distillery. Apparently it was founded in 1885, and is located near Edinburgh. Currently - and this is really interesting - it's a joint venture between beverage giants Diageo and the Edrington Group. The grain output is used for both Johnnie Walker and Famous Grouse. It's also apparently the last working distillery in Edinburgh, and is routinely nicknamed "the NB." 

Ledaig 13 Year (SMWS 42.77 "Smoke From a Burning Drum")

The sixth 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 Ledaig (peated Tobermory), bottled at 58.3% ABV. 

Dailuaine 15 Year (SMWS 41.150 "A Voluptuous Vortex")

The fifth 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 sherry-finished Dailuaine, bottled at 60.9% ABV. 

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!