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.
Here are the official notes:
The bright, summer-time nose had us applying sun tan lotion and enjoying fruity chews, rhubarb rock and mango-flavoured ice lollies in a rose garden. The palate was a tropical fruit extravaganza – banana chips, guava, kiwi, vanilla ice cream with monkey blood (raspberry sauce) and loaf sugar wrapped in hessian; mouth-wateringly juicy with a hint of ginger in the aftertaste. The reduced nose was still fruity (lime marmalade, pears, raspberries, fig rolls) and sweet (honey) but also developed some nettles and shrubberies (a tad earthier). The palate now delivered a party atmosphere of banana split and knickerbocker glory indulgence, with iced gingerbread to finish.
There is a lot of interesting stuff crammed in this description: sun tan lotion?? rhubarb? Tropical extravaganza? Hessian and ginger? Nettles?! Wild stuff.
Well, here are my thoughts on it:
Nose: It is a tropical bonanza - banana ice cream, vanilla, mango, kiwi. All very fragrant. Raw table sugar. If you let it sit, there's also a VERY earthy/herbal element: ginger, spring onions, sack cloth, nettles (it's true!) and even some oddball notes like - yes, I'm serious - latex gloves.
Mouthfeel: Quite thick, coats the mouth well.
Palate: Significantly weirder than the palate: the order of flavors is reversed, and the herbal/earthy/strange notes all come forward boldly: copper, soil, rose flesh, onion, dust... then ginger and some baking spices... finally a warming tropical sweetness: tons of banana, mango, coconut, kiwi, etc. Also some coffee!
This is weird, woolly, wild stuff. Not at all a "normal" Speyside. I am glad to see a middle-aged Allt-a-Bhainne, because usually this stuff is released in the young-and-sprightly stage, when it is completely wacky and potent. This has mellowed, and the cask influence is tempering the strangeness. The tropical aspects are very nice.
Finish: Banana, onion, latex, sugar, mango... it's all over the place. Medium length.
Verdict: For adventure seekers only. This is an odd duck - which I love, for the record - but it's certainly not for drinkers seeking a traditional fruited Speyside experience. It reminds me very strongly of the recent spicy-and-dry SMWS releases from Fettercairn: sweet, pleasant, but with significant "WTF?!" angles that push everything into an uncharted territory. Not for the faint of heart, but nonetheless interesting.
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