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. 

Cragganmore 17 Year (SMWS 37.136 "Bar Nibbles")

 

Second sample from the September 2022 outturn of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC. 

This is a rather unsung distillery - Cragganmore - founded in 1869 by John Smith on land that was partly chosen due to its proximity to the local railway in Banffshire. Smith was an old hand in the Scotch whisky trade, having managed Macallan, Glenfarclas, and Glenlivet, at least, prior to founding Cragganmore. 

Currently Cragganmore is owned by Diageo, and forms part of their blends. 

Bowmore 17 Year (SMWS Rare Release, Islay Festival 2022 "Time Travelers")

 

This was a "bonus" dram at the end of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") June outturn event at the Jack Rose Saloon, along with the 18 year Glen Garioch. I have had a few of these 17 year Bowmores from SMWS now, and they are all quite good, albeit slightly pricy for what they are. Eh, you pay for the name and the scarcity, I suppose - along with the fact that you'll never find a distillery bottling this good from Bowmore itself. 

Longmorn 17 Year (SMWS 7.269 "Luscious, Silky, and Sensuous")

 

This was the second of six samplings of the May outturn for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") - an older Longmorn, full of buttery, grassy Bakewell tart! A gathering of about 30 people gathered at the Jack Rose Saloon in Washington DC to try and guess a blind tasting of the six drams. 

Bowmore 17 Year (SMWS 3.334 "Technicolor Panoramic")

 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an official bottling Bowmore is the worst expression of the Islay distillery, and that the distillate is best showcased in independent bottlings which have, as a result, steadily crept up in price over the years. This particular bottle hails from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). 

No one knows what is going on over at Bowmore, but the opinion I just laid out is the party line everywhere that scotch drinkers gather. I've heard it on Reddit, in whisky bars, from friends, liquor store owners, everywhere. I have, in fact, discussed it in numerous posts on Bowmore here on the blog. They clearly get under my skin a bit. 

Glen Grant 17 Year (Signatory)

 

It's been some time since I explored the Signatory range of independently bottled scotch. Too long, in fact. Signatory provided me with my first, valuable looks at Mortlach, Linkwood, Dailuaine, and Clynelish. This bottle is of Glen Grant - a Speyside distillery from whom I have liked everything I've tried thus far. I have a Scotch Malt Whisky Society Glen Grant bottle in my cabinet as well, "Harvest Hayride Happiness," and it's astoundingly fragrant, fruity, and delicious. This bottle, at 43% ABV, is much less potent, but I suspect will be a very easy sipper and full of flavor. No colorating, no chill filtration!

Clynelish 17 Year (SMWS 26.179 "Eastern Coastlines")

 

The second dram of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") March outturn preview tasting. This was also immediately identifiable as Clynelish right on the nose - so much wax! - even without knowing the distillery because of the order page provided online. 

Craigellachie 17 Year (SMWS 44.143 "Good Traditional Fare")

 

Now here is a bottle I am greatly looking forward to: a 17 year single cask Craigellachie from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). I have adored every single Craigellachie SMWS has released, and the last one, a 13 year bottle called "The Fruits of One's Labors" was outstanding: a succulent mixture of apples, pie crust, and meaty sulfur notes. Wonderful stuff. 

Craigellachie means "rocky hill" - I imagine that's where the words "crag" and "craggy" originate - and refers to an outcropping that overlooks the Spey river, across from the Macallan distillery. Craigellachie is owned by Bacardi, and I have to say - based on what I've had, they are doing all the right things. It was built in 1891, and is currently a major part of Dewar's blends; they produce 4,000,000 litres of alcohol a year.  

Bowmore 17 Year (SMWS 3.324 "Split Personality")

 

I've been waiting for this for some time - an older single cask Bowmore! I am one of those who hasn't terribly been impressed at all with the uber-funky 15 Year official bottling, and can't source any of the older bottlings that everyone else seems to rave about (generally the 18-to-27 year range) for a price below First Born Child. 

But finally I have my chance to have a full-strength bottle from the gentle, fragrant Islay distillery that is Bowmore. This single cask bottling is released via the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") under their Lightly Peated flavor category, nicknamed "Split Personality." But it's not without some peculiarities...

Glenfarclas 17 Year

 

I'm a big fan of Glenfarclas 105, the cask strength no-age-statement version of their whisky, which is matured in oloroso sherry casks. This results in an unusually rich and quirky spirit, almost funky, and one that I took a shine to. Lately I've been diving deep in the world of independent bottles, so I thought I would take a breath of air from the world of official bottlings, and explore Glenfarclas a bit more.