Every year SMWS releases a number of whiskies in May celebrating the different regions of Scotland; it is their entry into the Festival season that sweeps from Islay across Speyside and beyond. Our local whisky group hosts a tasting most years with the SMWS Festival bottles so that everyone can give them a taste and give their thoughts— possibly expressing regret that they did not buy the bottle before it sold out since we typically do the tasting about a month after the bottles debut. For 2023 SMWS released a mix of single casks and small batches, or rare releases as they were called this year, for various distilleries. We focused the tasting primarily on the single casks with a handful of the more intriguing or unusual, small batches included.

I have split the tasting up into a couple of posts so that I am not cramming everything into a massive wall of text extravaganza. The first part covers the unpeated section of the lineup with Glasgow Distillery, Allt-a-Bhainne, and Mannochmore, while the second part turns to the peatier side of things at Glen Scotia, Bunnahabhain, and Caol Ila. A final standalone post turns the spotlight to the Bowmore release, a whisky I spent considerably more time with and revisited again at home with a takeaway sample.

The following reviews are the unpeated section of the tasting and, without a doubt, the least favorite of the crowd in attendance. There was no mistaking the peatier inclination of the group if one just glanced over at the table of bottles people brought to share after the tasting. Of the following whiskies, the Glasgow intrigued many but inspired no calls of devotion. While I did not hear from everyone— it was a good-sized crowd, and I was still a touch jet-lagged— I believe the Mannochmore was the clear favorite of this set with its heady and classic sherry profile.

Whisky Details: Glasgow Distillery 6 Year (2016), SMWS G16 “Thunderstorm in a Beehive”

Nose: Honey, vanilla, and caramel right out the gate; honeycomb with clover and wildflower, hints of cream and cracked black pepper, cotton.

Palate: Medium-bodied and balanced, honeycomb with mild florals, pepper, grass, honeyed chamomile tea, lemon-lime citrus with subtle cream, slightly oily or greasy at times, fried dough.

Finish: Medium-length with fried dough, citrus, and caramel.

Score: 4-5

Mental Image: Pooh Bear’s Bedside Honey Pot

Narrative & Notes: What happens when you distill a pot of 58% corn,  21% malted barley, and an equal part rye? Well, if you are in the United States and put that spirit in new oak, you have the basics for bourbon. In Scotland, it is still just scotch, a single-grain scotch at that— not called such because it contains only one grain, but because it comes from a single distillery. The fine folks at SMWS and Glasgow Distillery collaborated to create this whisky and judged that the time had come to release it into the world. Based on the close collaboration here, I assume there will be more to come.

I am not a bourbon drinker outside of the odd cocktail here and there, so this flavor profile did not do much for me. The nose was surprisingly subtle, and the palate felt a bit light; it was definitely on the lighter end of what I consider medium-bodied. I was not the only one at the tasting table who wondered what a cask-strength version of this would have looked like— I assume it was a bit overly aggressive and unwieldy since it was adjusted down, not something SMWS does very often outside of the odd blend. Otherwise, the flavors were relatively straightforward. Had I tasted this blind, I would have thought it was a bourbon. Considering the slower, or at least more gentle maturation in Scotland, several attendees equated this to a young bourbon and wondered what it might look like with a bit more age; hopefully, we can find out someday!

Whisky Details: Allt-a-Bhainne 14 Year (2008), SMWS 108.68 “Frolicks in the rose garden”

Nose: Rose stems and garden shop cuttings, cereals, vegetal with green chili, hints of dried fish— mostly anchovy, green apple, orange.

Palate: Medium-bodied, big orange notes with hints of mint and curry leaf, coconut, sweet dried fish, pastries and sugary frosting, dried grass, hints of bait shop fish and rubber lures.

Finish: Medium-length with citrus, salt, and herbs.

Score: 6-

Mental Image: Bait Shop Bake Sale

Narrative & Notes: SMWS aptly named this bottle as cut flower stems, and a general fresh vegetal quality ran throughout the nose and palate with hints of florals in the aroma and more citrus and herbs on the flavor profile. I thought the occasional hints of dried fish and something a touch rubbery on the palate made this an intriguing whisky, and I enjoyed it quite a bit more than I expected. I have enjoyed some of the younger peated Allt-a-Bhainne, especially when the malt gets a bit weird, but I was not sure what to expect on this unpeated malt. It was definitely a touch strange, and I cannot say it was a group favorite, though, during our tasting, it received much more praise than the Glasgow bottle. If we had more bourbon drinkers present, maybe that would have been different.

Whisky Details: Mannochmore 15 Year (2007), SMWS 64 “Luscious velvet”

Nose: Leather, lacquered wood, walnut, cherry pits, hints of coffee, subtle lime zest and molasses, dark chocolate-caramel apples.

Palate: Medium-bodied, rich and decadent, leather, lacquered wood, subtle candle wax, star anise and pepper, orange rind, cigar box, coffee and crushed nuts, chocolate soufflé.

Finish: Medium to long with chocolate and an herbal tobacco.

Score: 6

Mental Image: Antique Beetle Snuff Box

Narrative & Notes: I know it turned a few heads when SMWS labeled this 15-Year Mannochmore as an “old and dignified” malt. One international chapter explained that the category described particular qualities rather than any age assessment. There exists no magic line after which a malt becomes dignified. Such is the problem with categories; there are always edge cases and exceptions that render them a bit silly. And I do see what SMWS meant. Had I tasted this blind, I have no doubt I would have thought it was anywhere from 50-100% older than it was. It reminded me of a more balanced and mature malt infused with loads of rich sherry cask influence. I found it to be about par for the course for a quality sherry or cask-dominated profile. That is not a style I seek out, so I am confident those sherry fiends among us would rate this a notch or two higher.