Weekend Brief Nov. 2023: 1.9.8.3. SMWS Tasting
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society released a set of four whiskies whose code numbers spelled out 1983, the year of its founding. We poured a set of the whiskies at a local whisky club tasting in late Summer/early Autumn 2023, along with an actual 1983 vintage bottle and a Bunnahabhain released for the 30th anniversary of the US chapter.
The four whiskies that spelled out 1983 were generally nice, though I was a bit disappointed the entire set was not more special or unique. The release felt more geared toward a collector or someone looking for a cool set of shelf bottles than anything else. Thanks to our tasting, there is at least one less complete set of these bottles out there.
Whisky Details: Glenfarclas 10 Year (2013) SMWS 1.282 “Magic shadow show”
Nose: Fruity saltwater taffy, pineapple, green apple, lychee, guava, mild tartness and spirited heat, cream with more time, anise, pineapple shortbread cake.
Palate: Medium-bodied, sweet and peppery, caramel and vanilla, Red Hot cinnamon candies, caramel apples, mild waxiness on the back end, tobacco and herbal notes at the end; with water, more strawberry and cherry.
Finish: Medium to long with apples, herbs, and pepper.
Score: 5-6
Narrative & Notes: The aroma on this was absolutely lovely, and I was a bit surprised that the hint of heat on the nose turned into a more upfront and apparent pepper on the palate. The tropical fruitiness of the aroma was nowhere to be found on the palate, though a few drops of water helped dull the pepper and bring more berries to the fore. If the palate and aroma had matched up more closely, this could have been lovely, but it felt a bit disjointed at times. The caramel, vanilla, and cinnamon candies on the palate were simple, and even a nice bit of waxiness was not enough to salvage the experience.
Overall, not bad whisky by any means, but still a bit disappointing for such a special occasion bottle. I have had a few sibling casks to this and generally enjoyed them more. During our whisky tasting, I did not hear this make anyone’s list for the best bottle of the tasting, though only a handful of people ranked it at the very bottom.
Whisky Details: Glen Grant 19 Year (2003) SMWS 9.275 “Intricacy”
Nose: Apples and pastries, big notions of apple pie production with baking spices, hints of tarragon, butter, and a mellow graham cracker crust, milk chocolate, with time more nutty olive oil and focaccia as the malty pastry notes and herbal spice took a slightly savory turn.
Palate: Medium-bodied, vibrant, and crisp, but always mild; sliced apples and pears, tangy apple cider, hints of wax, nutty olive oil; more macerated coconut flakes and donuts toward the end with brown sugar, and then an oaky finale.
Finish: Medium-length with malty cereal grains, herbs, apple cores, and a mild drying quality.
Score: 6/6+
Mental Image: Apple Pie Studio
Narrative & Notes: A delightfully complex and mild Glen Grant, this bottle grabbed a few fans during our local tasting. While I think most ranked it 2 or 3 for the evening, there were at least a few who marked it down as their favorite from the lineup. The flavors were very straightforward and well-structured so that a clear progression developed on the nose and palate. The finish was a touch weak. I initially wrote it was short, but it did develop some legs, so I ended up settling on medium-length. Overall, this was not much different than its siblings from SMWS: tons of apple pie notes with hints of a more savory side lurking in the background— pretty standard fare and not too shabby for those who count themselves as particular fans of the style.
Whisky Details: Tamdhu 7 Year (2015) SMWS 8.43 “Shaded by flowers”
Nose: Sticky fruits and caramel; layer of spice with licorice, cinnamon, pepper, Christmasy notions of nutmeg and cloves; sticky toffee puddings and caramel chocolates.
Palate: Full-bodied, thick and viscous, stewed fruits and sticky caramels, creamy condensed milk over shave-ice, coconut puddings, subtle citrus, charred wood, earthy notions of mushroom and chocolate toward the end with hints of tobacco.
Finish: Long and lingering with fruit, earth, and charred wood.
Score: 6-7
Narrative & Notes: Big, brash, and bold, this was a true sherry monster— the stuff of legends where you could almost close your eyes and think you were actually kicking back a little crystal glass of sherry. It drank remarkably easily considering its youth, elevated abv, and intense casking— though I am not really sure you want to be pouring anything after this as the fruits and chocolate coat the tongue. During our local whisky tasting, I set this as the last of the 1983 bottle set as I feared it would blow out the more subtle Glen Grant or Bowmore.
The cask monster style is rarely to my taste, but overall, I thought this was pretty good, with just enough complexity to make it interesting. I am not sure it is something I would want to sit and sip very often, but it was enjoyable. It was also the first Tamdhu SMWS has bottled since roughly 2006, and I wondered if they sourced this cask just for this set or if they managed to get multiple casks filled at the distillery.
Whisky Details: Bowmore 18 Year (2004) SMWS 3.349 “A whirlpool of flavor”
Nose: Wispy smoke and salty coastal air, tropical fruits lingered along a sweet vein of pineapple, guava, lilikoi, tart plum, and mellow melon; toasted marshmallows painted a picture of ambrosia salad, while caramelized figs offered a more refined sweetness.
Palate: Medium to full-bodied, deep and rich with caramelized fruit sugars and coastal salinity, grassy and slightly floral, pandan sugars, slightly tart with green mango and salty shrimp paste, hints of heather, grilled oyster shells, and a kiss of shrimp paste and burnt sugars toward the end.
Finish: Long and lingering with grilled tropical fruits, heather, and grass.
Score: 8
Mental Image: Green Mango at the BBQ
Narrative & Notes: Of the four malts in this series, I was most excited to try this one. I have had plenty of sibling casks to this Bowmore— the Feb. 2004 vintage from SMWS rightly attracts a lot of interest— and it is precisely because I have had so many and loved them so much that I was thrilled to get to this bottle. It was nothing new and nothing unusual, but I knew it would be delightful. I was not disappointed. The malt offered up a full spread of coastal impressions, tropical fruits with hints of florals, and then some deep, rich teases of grilled fruits or tart mango. The shrimp paste note might be a bit of a turn-off for some, but it was always mild and a bit further in the background; nothing like actually opening a jar of shrimp paste and taking a spoonful— still, it trigged that sweet notion of tart mango and salty accompaniments.
Overall, I was a big fan of this, as I have been for most of its siblings. A few of the peat hounds at the tasting were a touch disappointed that this was so soft and mild when it came to peatier notions of smoke or char.
