Balmenach 7 Year (SMWS 48.120 "Worm Tub Stodge")

 

Balmenach is a very old distillery, founded in 1824 (as "Balminoch") by James McGregor (a known smuggler, which was a surprisingly common profession back then). It's currently owned by Inver House, who also owns Speyburn, Knockdhu/anCnoc, Old Pulteney, and Balblair. Balmenach is commonly used in blends like Crabbie's. 

It was one of the very first distilleries sanctioned by the Excise Act of 1823; if you want more data on that, please consult Charlie MacLean's fantastic book "Malt Whisky" - I just finished it, and it's fantastic. 

Tullibardine 8 Year (SMWS 28.51 "Classical and Fulsome")

 

I have never had Tullibardine before this single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). Tullibardine is not an old distillery, founded in 1949, located in Blackford in Perthshire. 

Ardmore 7 Year (SMWS 66.193 "An Engine Starter For Cold Mornings")

 

Anyone who has read through this blog over the last year or two knows I'm a big fan of Ardmore, a somewhat chameleon-esque distillery in the eastern Highlands of Scotland. Capable of making all kinds of wild, vivid flavors, I buy almost every single cask offering that's released by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS").

Highland Park 13 Year (SMWS 4.278 "By the Beautiful Sea")

 

I basically bought this bottle entirely on the strength of the previous revatted bottling of Highland Park that I obtained from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). That bottle was called "Dining by the Harbor" and was a fragrant, coastal, fruity, floral, softly smokey dram that I poured and poured and poured into my glass. 

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...

Douglas Laing's Big Peat Christmas Edition 2019 Cask Strength blend, Second Take

 

I don't know why, but I am still finding Douglas Laing's Big Peat Christmas Edition from 2019 (you can tell because it's bottled at 53.7% ABV) on the shelves of local Washington D.C. liquor stores. At *very* competitive prices. We're talking ~$50 for a cast strength Islay blend that includes Ardbeg and Port Ellen (however small the proportions might be) and Bowmore and Caol Ila. 

I guess this is still something of a secret in the Scotch community, perhaps only known to Islay maniacs and smokeheads. But boy did I love my last two bottles, and now I'm going to review this third version, even though it's been two years since it came out. 

Smokehead High Voltage Islay Single Malt (NAS), Second Take

 

I decided to re-sample some of the Smokehead High Voltage Islay single malt whisky, after finding some lately at a competitive price. I've already accepted that I spend every cent of my disposable income on Scotch... might as well make it interesting!

Coming from bottler Ian MacLeod, this is unidentified, no age statement Islay whisky. It's young and very much in-your-face. The normal bottling is only 43% ABV - who has time for that? This "High Voltage" edition is bottled at 58% - now that's more like it. 

Bunnahabhain 7 Year (SMWS 10.216 "Creels and Harbors")

In the past year I have had no less than five six-or-seven-year single cask bottlings of peated Bunnahabhain from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). As my friend Rob Martin would say, it should be its own category of Scotch by this point, along with the ubiquitous 10 year Caol Ila. I'm only surprised at this point that kitchen sinks don't have a third tap for 10 year Caol Ila, next to the hot and cold water. It's everywhere. 

As the weather cools off, my taste for peat grows and grows, and this came with a particularly high recommendation during the SMWS's 2021 Gathering - a sort of general Scotch festival they hosted. I made an impulse purchase and now the bottle sits next to me, waiting for review. Let's investigate!

Glen Moray 8 Year (SMWS 35.286 "Xanthous Symphony")

 

For anyone wondering, "xanthous" is an adjective referring to something yellow in color, usually a particular mustardy golden/red/auburn/brownish shade of yellow. Video game fans will recognize the term from the Dark Souls games, where there is a set of clothing that is xanthous-colored (and is so named). 

I haven't had a bottle of Glen Moray in a while, and decided it was time to come back and revisit this excellent distillery whose bottles I have so enjoyed in the past.

Smith and Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum

Very rarely do I review a non-Scotch spirit on this blog - after all, it's called Let's Drink Scotch - but once in a blue moon I find something so outstanding and noteworthy, I have to discuss it. The last time, I think, was Yellow Spot Irish whisky (and god, that was good). This time, it's Smith and Cross Traditional Jamaica Rum. It's the best rum I've ever had. 

One Year in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society: A Review

 

I don't think my journey to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") is all that unique. 

Like most single malt Scotch drinkers, I started with your basic blends as a teen or early twentysomething (I distinctly remember that it was Cutty Sark at a bonfire in my hometown of Damascus, Maryland, around 2001 or so).

Then I moved up to the entry level single malts (Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, and so on), then began experimenting more and more, partaking in liquor store tastings, meeting the reps, gradually expanding my palate and growing more and more curious about different styles, caskings, ages, regions, all of it. 

Ardmore 7 Year (SMWS 66.192 "The Dalai Farmer")

 

I am such an aficionado of Ardmore - a Highland distillery owned by Japanese beverage giant Suntory - that I love basically every bottle I've come across. Originally built by William Teacher's son Adam, to supply blend fodder for Teacher's Highland Cream, they did have a small core selection of single malts for some time. 

Unfortunately, my delightful original experience with their official distillery bottling, the Traditional Cask (no age statement), was short-lived - Ardmore pulled it from the market, and whatever they've replaced it with has taken years to come out, and doesn't seem to be widely available in the American market. At least, I can't find it anywhere. Which leaves independent bottlers. 

Laphroaig 10 Year (SMWS 29.281 "Driftwood Barbecue")

 

I took a bit of a gamble on this single cask bottling of Laphroaig from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), since the last bottle of Laphroaig I tasted from them was absolutely awash with a pungent "Lemon pledge cleaning solution" aftertaste that I couldn't shake and found unfortunately unpalatable, despite many other interesting notes. 

Bottles of Laphroaig come through the SMWS so rarely, there is always a temptation to assume that they are reject casks in some fashion, or at least significantly off-profile for Laphroaig. But they are also sought after extremely highly by the large quantity of Islay maniacs who belong to SMWS, and all ~165 bottles of this single cask were sold out in about ten minutes (!). 

Glencadam 9 Year (SMWS 82.33 "Frolicking Flavors")

In all my years of drinking Scotch whisky, I've never had Glencadam until now; and instead of one of their official distillery bottlings, this is an independent single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). 

Glencadam is owned by Angus Dundee (who also owns Tomintoul!), and has a wide range of official bottlings, from 10- to 25-years old. Here are the official tasting notes:

Glenallachie 9 Year (SMWS 107.23 "Aromatic and Substantial")

 

I am super intrigued by this single cask bottling of Glenallachie from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). Released with the nickname "Aromatic and Substantial" in the September outturn, it's the second Glenallachie bottle I've had from SMWS. The first was a young, brash, characterful 8 year that had a really great umami/meaty overtone and was totally matured in a sherry butt. 

Glen Spey 8 Year (SMWS 80.20 "Easy, Peasy,...")

 

A new distillery to me, Glen Spey is located, predictably, on the banks of the River Spey, in the town of Rothes in the Moray area. If those sound familiar to you, you may recall distilleries named Glenrothes and Glen Moray - clearly we're in the heart of Speyside territory. Neighbor distilleries include Macallan, Craigellachie, and Glen Grant. Dating to 1878, Glen Spey was originally called "The Mill of Rothes," and was actually an oatmeal mill before it was a distillery (!). 

Currently owned by Diageo, basically the entirety of their output is funneled into blends, specifically J&B. Wikipedia's entry for the distillery notes that they use purifiers, which return some of the alcohol back into the pot for distillation, and results in a lighter textured spirit. This is an independent bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), nicknamed "Easy, Peasy,..." - the end of that phrase is Lemon Squeezy, which is definitely encouraging. 

Linkwood 8 Year (SWMS 39.208 "Summer Gardens and Funfairs")

 

I have a strange fondness for Linkwood, even though I've only ever had one bottle of their whisky, and that was an independent bottling from Signatory. Still, that one bottle made a big impression on me - it was a light, delicate, textured dram with lots of flavor even at 46%. So imagine my delight when the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") had a big sale this week in honor of the Highland Games, and one of their bottles was from Linkwood!

Ardbeg 10 Year: A Celebration

 

This brief post isn't really a review. It's just a general celebration of a great bottle of whisky - Ardbeg's vaunted 10 Year expression. 

Glenfarclas 7 Year (SWMS 1.241 "Marvellous Marmalade")

 

There are very few distilleries I respect as much as Grant-family-owned Glenfarclas. I love their 12 year, 17 year, and 21 year expressions so much - very very good memories of draining those bottles. This is my first independent expression of their distillery! From the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), this 7 year bottling was aged 5 years in bourbon barrels was finished for another additional 2 years in a first-fill PX hogshead. Nicknamed "Marvellous Marmalade."

GlenDronach 10 Year (SWMS 96.32 "Sunshiny Shimmer of Satisfaction")

 

My first independent bottling of GlenDronach, from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS")! I love their official bottlings, at least the earlier non-chill-filtered ones, even though I haven't always been great about reviewing them here. I feel like the GlenDronach story is pretty well known by now, but just in case, here is a link to the whole thing. 

Dalmore 13 Year (SWMS 13.85 "Smiling From Within")

 

The second independent bottling of Dalmore I've had from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS")! The first was a young 7 year bottle that was full of personality and really interesting. I have high hopes for this one, nicknamed "Smiling From Within." The official notes are as follows:

A joyous combination of custard cream biscuits, creamed coconut and honey married with the evocative aromas of a dunnage warehouse nestled among lavender fields. The palate was pure fruity bliss, a social mingle of mango, apricot and peach before plums and blackcurrants invited pineapple and watermelon into polished oak casks and wood char. A fine fragrance returned with water that mixed ladies’ perfume with fresh coconut and elderflower. Apricot jam joined dark chocolate and black forest gateau with earthy notes of pine forests before light cream poured over tinned peaches in syrup and vanilla ice cream arrived with tropical fruit and ginger.

Ardmore 7 Year (SMWS 66.189 "A Doric Takeaway")

 

Of all the unknown or little-known distilleries out there, Ardmore is my favorite. I have had some really incredible bottles from Ardmore, both official (the old Ardmore Traditional Cask) and single cask independent bottlings from various places. This bottle is a lightly peated expression from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), called A Doric Takeaway (your guess is as good as mine - more at the end of the review) and aged for 7 years in first fill bourbon barrels, bottled a very robust 61.4%. Part of the 2021 Highland Festival. 

Croftongea 9 Year (SMWS 122.37 "Doctor Blowtorch")

 

First of all: what a name! Of all the wacky/descriptive/imaginative names to come out of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), Doctor Blowtorch is easily my favorite. This single cask bottling is from one of the Loch Lomond distillery imprints, this one being Croftongea; this is apparently one of the peated varieties used in their blending, along with two other imprints Craiglodge and Glen Douglas. 

Highland Park 9 Year (SMWS 4.274 "Rock Solid Dramming Pleasure")

 

This bottle is a peated single cask expression from Highland Park, it is bottled at a very very strong 63.0% ABV, and has a rather unusual casking story. Nicknamed "Rock Solid Dramming Pleasure." I'll let the official SMWS tasting notes explain:

Inchmurrin 12 Year (SMWS 112.75 "Queen of Tarts")

 

I think it's fair to say, at this point, that the recent independent bottlings from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society present the best possible face of the Loch Lomond distillery and all their various imprints. Virtually every bottle I've had has been a riot of flavor, full of intriguing aspects, rich, tasty, and occasionally even sublime. 

Glen Garioch 12 Year

I recently had a sampling of Glen Garioch 12 Year from a Suntory rep here in Washington DC. Bottled at a nice, round, robust 48%, and aged for 12 years in a mix of sherry and bourbon barrels. This is a distillery that has escaped me until now - it was founded in 1797 (!), making it one of the oldest - so I was quite curious to try something new. Let's see how it did! 

Glengarry 12 Year

 

Yet *another* imprint from Loch Lomond! This one is particularly interesting to me - and thank you so much to Meghan Burns for this lovely housewarming gift - as it's aged 12 years in bourbon, refill bourbon, and re-charred casks, and bottled at a very respectable 46% (thank you Loch Lomond!). No word on chill filtration or coloring, though - I assume both are present.  

Glenturret 10 Year (SMWS 16.51 "A Bit of a Beast")

 

I absolutely adored my last heavily peated Glenturret - another single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") that was called "Confessions of a Barbecue" and absolutely reeked from bottom to top of scorched wood - pencil shavings, roasted splinters, ash, cinder, you name it. It was phenomenal. One of the single smokiest whiskies I've ever had, maybe the most. So when this bottle became available, I jumped all over it. 

Craigellachie 14 Year (SMWS 44.140 "The Fruits of One's Labor")

 

I have a particular fondness for Craigellachie - home of the most distinct apple-and-light-sulfur flavor in the business. It's always delicious, and the previous single cask offerings (as well as the very solid official bottling) I've had have all been excellent. 

Glen Deveron 11 Year (SMWS 6.44 "Summer Garden Adventures")

 

Glen Deveron (aka Macduff - the name seems to vacillate back and forth) is a distillery I have never encountered before. Currently owned by Bacardi, it was used for years in the William Lawsons Blend, and apparently 90% of their production is used in blends like Dewar's. 

This is a single cask release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), part of their Juicy, Oak & Vanilla flavor profile. It's cask 6.44, nicknamed "Summer Garden Adventures" - aged 11 years in second fill bourbon barrels, and bottled at a healthy 56.8%. I have no reference points for Glen Deveron, but here are the official tasting notes:

The nose led us through summer gardens and orchards – apple, peach and pear, tinned fruit salad, Turkish delight, honey and vanilla – merest hints of ginger and wasabi. The palate delivered more definite spice (but still gentle and refined) – ginger, clove, cinnamon and chilli; otherwise tinned mandarins, cherries and peaches (in syrup), runny honey and custard trifle. The reduced nose picked up cola cubes, pineapple chunks, rhubarb and some herbs (mint, bramble bushes, bouquet garni). The palate still had a lively mixture of watermelon, gooseberry, and white currant with caramel and vanilla fudge sweetness and a finish of dry oak and warm spice.

It sounds like a good time - fruit, honey, a little spice. Let's dig in: 

Nose: Green apple and honey, off the top. Ginger, too. I don't know about wasabi, but something spicy is present. Simple, but pleasant. The green apple reads almost as a sour scent. Some spiced pear. 

With water, there is a decided "cola" aspect here, and some tropical fruit - coconut and pineapple and lychee, along with the previously mentioned green apple, ginger, honey, and spice. Rich with fruit. 

Mouthfeel: Medium, right in the middle of the road. 

Palate: Bolder than you would think! This has some body to it. Spices come first and foremost - cinnamon, cloves, allspice, chili powder. Then, peach and pear, with drops of honey everywhere. I can see the "custard trifle" flavor from the official note - there is a bright vanilla sweetness here. I don't get any mint or bramble, though. 

With a little water, this opens up a bit. Same spices, but the fruit becomes melon, watermelon, berries, and an oak note emerges. Better with water, I think, but it's close. Very rich, bold whisky. A dram with real character. 

Finish: Not much wood influence to speak of, but the pear and apple and honey and pepper notes all fade gently into a short/medium finish. 

Verdict: Well, if this is how Glen Deveron/Macduff presents itself, then I'm a fan. This is very solid stuff. Nestled right on the Highland/Speyside line, this is, indeed, juicy, oaky, and with some vanilla overtones. The juicy aspect is the strongest - berries, honey, apples, pears, all are bold and rich. It's sweet without being cloying. It's spicy without drying out the mouth. It's powerful too - the cask strength really does it some big favors here. It's both young at 11 years, but also somewhat mature. Worth exploring. 

Inchmoan 9 Year (SMWS 135.32 "Bowling Green Libations")

 

The distiller Loch Lomond has a lot of imprints; I've mentioned them all before, but it stands repeating - there are at least six or seven that I can tell, with no clear demarcation between them. This is a bottle of Inchmoan, which I thought was the peated variety of Loch Lomond. However, this bottle - a single cask offering from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), cask 135.32, nicknamed "Bowling Green Libations" - doesn't seem to be peated at all, released under the Sweet, Fruity & Mellow flavor profile. 

Glenrothes 7 Year (SMWS 30.114 "The Nutcracker")

 

Of all the twelve flavor profiles in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), I have had Spicy & Dry the least. Which is a shame, because I do tend to like spice bombs - big explosions of allspice, cinnamon, sometimes coriander or pepper, perhaps nutmeg or even pumpkin spice.

Bunnahabhain 7 Year (SMWS Small Batch Release "Smoky Maritime Hit")

 

A single cask small batch release from Bunnahabhain via the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), this was released in 2021 for the annual Islay Festival. At a brash 7 years old, this was matured in second-fill Pedro Ximenez hogshead as well as re-charred casks (!). Interesting combination... not to mention it's heavily peated! So unsure quite what to expect.

Auchroisk 8 Year (SMWS 95.46 "Earthy and Mysterious")

 

Something is going on with Auchroisk over at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"). This is my third bottle from that distiller, and all three have been re-racked into wine casks at a really young age, and then released after a pretty short finishing period. This bottle, coded 95.46 by the SMWS and nicknamed "Earthy and Mysterious" is the oldest at 8 years (!). Released as part of the annual Speyside Festival, as part of their "spicy and sweet" profile. 

Ledaig 13 Year (SMWS 42.52 "Wood Smoke Through a Porthole")

 

The Tobermory distillery on the Isle of mull makes both peated and unpeated whiskies. When they peat it, they release it under the imprint Ledaig ("Let-chick"). And that's what this is: a single cask bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") from Ledaig, aged 13 years in refill ex-bourbon casks, peated, and served up at a delicious 58.3% ABV. Nicknamed "Wood Smoke Through a Porthole." 

Bunnahabhain 7 Year (SMWS 10.211 "War and Peat")

 

This is another heavily peated Bunnahabhain (often called "Staoisha" after Loch Staoisha on the Isle of Islay where the distillery is located), this time with an interesting re-casking. Hailing from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), this was aged for five years in ex-bourbon before being finished for two years in a second-fill Oloroso sherry cask. 

Bowmore No. 1 (NAS)

 

I was able to try a small sample of this at a local liquor store; I'm not sure if it's a new product, but they were definitely trying to push it out the door pretty aggressively. I declined that opportunity, though; aged for an unknown number of years in first-fill bourbon barrels, this Bowmore is unfortunately bottled at a tepid, wishy-washy 40% ABV. Unfortunate. Well, let's dive right in: 

Glenturret 11 Year (SMWS 16.53 "Confessions of a Barbecue")

 

Another interesting selection from Glenturret, as released by the independent bottlers at the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS")! This one is USA-exclusive, and was released for Father's Day 2021 (alongside a 23-year Glenrothes). 

Highland Park 12 Year (SMWS 4.264 "Dining by the Harbor")

 

When the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's ("SMWS") June 2021's outturn was released, very little was said about this interesting "oily and coastal" bottling from Highland Park. I usually associate Highland Park with a sweetish, gentle profile - a little smoke, a little honey, a little heather (a distinctly dry and floral note), a little fruit... balanced, almost delicate. Even their fantastic Cask Strength Release No. 1 was bold in a balanced, thoughtful way. 

Rock Oyster Batch No. 1 Malt Blend, Cask Strength

 

Here is a bottle I found totally by chance in a small DC liquor store (shout out to Central Liquors on E St in Chinatown! Great selection), after having reading about it here and there. After trying - and loving - the Big Peat Cask Strength offering from the same company, I had to give this a go. 

Apparently Rock Oyster had two small batch Cask Strength releases (this is the first of the two), but then was rebranded to "Rock Island," so you may see it near you under that name. Unsure if they have released any cask strength Rock Island.

The Arran Private Cask Sherry Matured 10 Year

 

Much thanks to Rob Martin for the sample! I particularly liked the old bottling of The Arran 10 Year that I had last fall, which absolutely dripped with honey sweetness - one of the purest honey notes I can remember having. This is their Private Cask series, which seems to be a single cask series bottled at natural strength - an attractive prospect from such a good distillery. While some/most of the bottles seem to be produced for specific stores/entities, and labeled as such, there seem to be some directly from the distillery as well. 

Macallan 12 Year (SMWS 24.147 "The Deepest of Mahogany")

 

It's not very often you run across an independent bottling of Macallan, one of the Fine Old Names in Scotch. Well known for having old bottles selling at auction in the tens of thousands of dollars/pounds, they tend to guard their brand very, very carefully, and presumably they don't like to have their name and reputation out there floating around outside their control. 

On the other hand, their brand has become a bit silly in the last few years, with rapidly climbing prices and more and more No Age Statement bottlings that verge on the ridiculous with the amount of hype and pretension invested in them. Many people have commented that they are perhaps too obsessed with their own image. So what to make of this bottle?

Tobermory 15 Year (SMWS 42.54 "Adventures by the Sea")

 

Purchased during the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Highlands Festival 2021, this is a 15 Year Tobermory, a distillery I have before today never experienced in its unpeated form! Hailing from the Isle of Mull, Tobermory is perhaps better known by their peated imprint Ledaig, which I have quite enjoyed in the past, and that has a distinctive dry peat flavor I liked. Tobermory, the core distillery, is a real mystery to me. 

Benriach "The Original Ten" 10 Year

 

Having reviewed - and loving - the Benriach Smoky Twelve, along with a wonderful independent bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, I am super curious about this ten-year expression, which features virgin oak intervention along with the ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.

Loch Lomond "Original" (NAS)

 

Loch Lomond is a Highland distillery that originally dates to 1814, but was closed for much of the intervening years. It only reopened around the mid-1960s, and today bears the distinction of making both single malt and grain whiskies - one of only a very very few places to make both.

Johnnie Walker 18 Year Blend

 

A good friend bought this bottle to drink with me after a rough day; it was much appreciated. Over the course of a few months, we emptied the thing steadily, and I accumulated tasting notes. 

Ardmore 11 Year (SMWS 66.186 "Bivouac Breakfast")

 

Boy, do I love me some Ardmore. They seem capable of creating all kinds of great flavors in their spirit. Although they used to have a great distillery bottling called The Traditional Cask, it was discontinued a few years back; now, their website lists four options: "Legacy," "Tradition," "Port Wood Finish," and "Triple Wood." 

However, I haven't seen any of these in shops near me in Washington DC, nor are they available online anywhere that I can find. Maybe a UK-forward rebranding that is just getting off the ground? Crossing my fingers...

Glenallachie 8 Year (SMWS 107.21 "Bounty on the Galleon")

 

Glenallachie has received a lot of attention lately, after Youtube/Patreon legend Ralfy declared their 12 year old his best whisky of 2019. Glenallachie arrived on the Scotch scene in 1967 as blend fodder - like so many before it. But eventually they worked their way up. And along with their official bottlings, this Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) bottling also entered the radar; 8 years matured in sherry casks, bottled at 63.3%, nicknamed "Bounty of the Galleon": 

Clynelish 8 Year (SMWS 26.161 "Put the Pebble to the Petal!")

 

Ah, Clynelish! How I love thee. Both the official 14-year bottling (surprisingly complex of both flavor and texture), and all the strange, exciting independent bottlings I've had. This bottle, an 8-year from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), is aged entirely in first-fill ex-bourbon casks, and bottled at a wonderfully stiff 60.9% ABV. Part of the "sweet, fruity, and mellow" flavor profile, it's nicknamed "Put the Pebble to the Petal!" which is curious, and suggestive. Official SMWS tasting notes include putty, clay, wax, chalk, stone, pineapple jelly, and gorse. Fascinating!! Let's see what I find:

Balmenach 7 Year (SMWS 48.118 "Trekking in the Jungle")

 

Balmenach is one of those "hidden" distilleries that generates spirit that is almost exclusively used in blends; in this case, MacArthur's and Hanky Bannister. It's owned, ultimately, by Inver House, who also owns Balblair, Knockdhu/anCnoc, Speyburn, and Old Pulteney. There is no formal single malt release from the Balmenach distillery, although I have seen (and tried) some independent bottles of it.