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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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 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").
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.
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."
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!
