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. 

Here are the official notes:

Some of us pictured the oriental boudoir of Queen Marie Antoinette in the palace Fontainebleau while others, closer to home, found glazed smoked cured bacon with brown sugar and maple syrup. On the palate, yet again, some carefully sipped on a sweet and smoky margarita using orange curacao, orange blossom honey and blood orange soda next to lime juice and peaty whisky. Others had shots of peated pickleback. Careful when adding water, as the impression was of a barn full of freshly cut hay going up in smoke. To taste, we found smoked honey on sweet bread and, in the finish, pimentón de la vera, Spanish sweet smoked paprika. 

This sounds RIGHT up my alley. First of all, I love when SMWS gets colorful with their descriptions like this - it's always fun to read about Marie Antoinette when sipping your scotch. Second, the description is reminiscent of my beloved Ardmore, so I'm onboard. Third: PEATED PICKLEBACK. 'Nuff said. Let's explore the western Highlands: 

Nose: WOW! What a nose on this bad boy. Honey-cured ham. A mountain of brown sugar. Maple syrup (the good Canadian stuff!). I've never had such a thick, resinous, distinct maple note as on this nose. Super meaty and super sweet. Of course, peat and smoke are mixed in as well. 

Mouthfeel: Strictly medium-bodied. 

Palate: Big bold palate: orange blossom honey is right on the mark, sweet orange and chocolate (like those balls you'd get at Christmas, whack 'em and they split into slices). Honey and salted caramel. Maple. Herbs. I get the pickleback thing in theory - there is a sharp citrus zest here that undercuts the sweetness the way a pickleback does. But it's not really vinegar-sharp the way a pickle is - more lime and lemon zest or flavedo. Cigarette smoke and soft peat. Flowers and honeysuckle. I also understand "smoked paprika" reference... I'll sign off on that. All in all, the official notes are very close to what I'm getting. 

Finish: Long: smoked honey, maple syrup, cigarette ash, and smoking grass. Much smokier on the finish than you'd expect. 

Verdict: Even better than the unpeated Ardnamurchan I just had. This is really high quality whisky, 7 years be damned. Full of flavor, just bursting at the seams. Wonderful! Highly recommended if you can stand the smoke.