9, 16, 23 May 2020 "Mayday, Mayday"
SMWS Codename : 6.34 “Boundless intemperance”
Distillery : MacDuff
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 58.6%
Cask : Refill Ex-bourbon Hogshead
Age : 12 Years (Distilled 29 Aug. 2006)
Nose : Subtle aroma of tropical flower beds, mellow fruits, and creamy starch. As it starts to open up, layers of aromas emerge: lemon custard, citrusy gummy bears, bamboo baskets, melon, and berries.
Palate : Medium body with a mellow flavor profile. Creamy nutty almond milk, apple juice, and honey lemon drops. Floral notes come near the end along with a tannic dryness almost like raw almonds.
Finish : Medium length finish that gradually lengthens; pastries, honey, jelly.
SMWS Codename : 7.228 “Say it with nettles”
Distillery : Longmorn
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 59.4%
Cask : Refill Ex-bourbon Barrel
Age : 15 Years (Distilled 11 Feb. 2004)
Nose : Waxy and herbal with menthol and musty notes of wet rainforest. Sweet aromas of palm sugars, unripened pineapple, Korean pears, and muddled mint leaves develop as the dram opens up.
Palate : Fruit and creamy with a medium body. Waxy, almost paraffin like, notes encase sweet fruits. Citrus spritz, cream, pastries and condensed milk give way to tart notes of black cherry and white wine poached pears.
Finish : Lingering sweet fruit sugars with a mildly tannic astringency.
SMWS Codename : 13.80 “Cerf sans moustache”
Distillery : Dalmore
Country/Region : Scotland/Highland
ABV : 61.3%
Cask : Refill Ex-bourbon Barrel
Age : 12 Years (Distilled 21 Sept. 2006)
Nose : Dockside candy store— spearmint gum wrappers, apple flavored soda, and creamy peanut butter all accompany the maritime salt of a fishing dock. Dried tropical fruits, leather shoe polish, sticky amber, and burnt incense flicker in and out.
Palate : Medium bodied with a malty, salty, buttery profile. Loads of dry oak notes, along with molasses, brown sugar, and sweet white grape juice. Odder notes being to build on the back end; bitter dark chocolate, herring and cream, tobacco, and rancid olive oil.
Finish : Lingering molasses and salt.
SMWS Codename : G8.11 “Sweet remedy”
Distillery : Cambus
Country/Region : Scotland/Lowland (Single Grain)
ABV : 61.2%
Cask : Refill Ex-bourbon Hogshead
Age : 30 Years (Distilled 12 June 1989)
Nose : Rich and full bodied— heaps of cinnamon, vanilla, and custard. Creamy and sweet like Banana’s Foster, banana custard, vanilla bean pudding, or fried plantains rolled in brown sugar and cinnamon. Hints of toasted nut, cocoa, and minerals water.
Palate : Syrupy and full bodied with waves of dark brown sugar, crème brûlée, and oaky tannins. Sweet toasted caramel, whipped marshmallow, and mirin— sweet Japanese rice wine seasoning.
Finish : Medium length with oaky vanilla bean and crème brûlée topping.
SMWS Codename : 35.245 “A conversation piece”
Distillery : Glen Moray
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 54.9%
Cask : Chenin Blanc Barrique (13Y), 2nd Fill #4 Char Oak w/ new Toasted heads (2Y)
Age : 16 Years (Distilled 25 April 2003)
Nose : Fruit ninja— green apples, fresh berries, figs, grapes, and ultimately fruit punch. Thicker notes join in over time; caramel, lemon zest, and tangy black vinegar.
Palate : Stewed fruits and fragrant wood come through on a medium body with dry oaky tannins. Sweet and spicy cinnamon poached apples, snickerdoodle cookies, stewed strawberries, apple toffee tart, and tangy-bitter rhubarb. Bitter notes are accentuated on the back end like raw almonds, toasted oak, and an earthy sulfur.
Finish : Lingering oaky spices and bitter sweet fruits— li hing mui, fruit loops, and ripe apples.
SMWS Codename : 135.16 “Flavoursome and fabulous”
Distillery : Inchmoan (Loch Lomond)
Country/Region : Scotland/Highland
ABV : 54.1%
Cask : Refill Ex-bourbon Hogshead
Age : 14 Years (Distilled 18 Mar. 2005)
Nose : Musty, moldy, and smoldering. Rich earthy notes of composted garden soil, old wooden shed, and a briny fish bucket. Sweeter hints of earth pickled beets join with aquatic notes of algae, pond scum, and charcoal dried kelp. A faint sweet smokes wisps in the background from either the charcoal grill or a kerosene lamp.
Palate : Medium bodied with a wonderfully weird chimeric flavor profile. On the one hand are notes of pond scum, morning dew, damp decaying vegetation, or a chlorine swimming pool— on the other are overripe fruits, salted plums, sweet black vinegar, and Chinatown spice shop. Further into the dram notes of tar, fire place smoke, and pine resin emerge.
Finish : Lingering notes of sweet charred wood and autumn leaves.
SMWS Codename : 93.120 “Cocoa and coal”
Distillery : Glen Scotia
Country/Region : Scotland/Campbeltown
ABV : 57.3%
Cask : Recharred Hogshead
Age : 14 Years (Distilled 31 Jan. 2005)
Nose : Ovaltine by the sea shore along with a bag of sliced fruits: melons, dried orange peels, and citrus gummies.
Palate : Light body with a lovely rich profile. Notes of chocolate milk powder or instant hot cocoa with marshmallow sachets deliver a wonderful dry chocolate and malty open. Further in were notes of citrus oil, sweet cinnamon, herbaceous tea, and sweet pastries. Cream, char, and subtly fruity caramelization came though on the backend as blackened breadfruit or baked ʻulu.
Finish : Lingering hints of woody vanilla, floral herbs, and maritime salt.
SMWS Codename : 26.132 “Krupnik and amaretti”
Distillery : Clynelish
Country/Region : Scotland/Highland
ABV : 59.6%
Cask : First Fill Ex-Bourbon
Age : 9 Years (Distilled 20 Jan. 2010)
Nose : Fruity and rich with beautiful notes of creamy custard, toasted brown sugar, dates, prunes, and fresh roasted coffee beans.
Palate : Medium bodied with intriguing bits of chalky minerals and wax. Fruits and dried berries came through with a lovely maltiness that recalled Fruity Pebbles more than anything. Hints of leather, floral tea, and chocolate chip mint ice cream developed in the background.
Finish : Lingering waxy fruits with a mild astringency.
SMWS Codename : G4.19 “Could solve any problem” (aka, Apothecary’s Crackseed Store)
Distillery : Cameronbridge
Country/Region : Scotland/Lowland (Grain)
ABV : 53.6%
Cask : Refill Ex-bourbon Hogshead (37Y), American Oak PX Hogshead (3Y)
Age : 40 Years (Distilled 28 May 1979)
Nose : Fruity with creamy undertones— berry jam, apricot marmalade, haw flakes, and cheesecake. Slightly savory notes of old leather, graham cracker crust, and pipe tobacco come through until vanilla and brown sugar reassert themselves.
Palate : Syrupy and sweet with a tannic salty dryness. Rich tobacco and leather jump out right away with li hing candied lemon peel and white li mui in close pursuit. Oaky tannins build over time along with rich vanilla and sweet honey. Mouthwateringly dry salted plums come on the back end.
Finish : Medium length strong tannic wood notes and subtle spice.
SMWS Codename : 28.43 “Muscle-toned heft and punch” (aka, Bald Bull’s Ridunkulous Figasaurus Rex)
Distillery : Tullibardine
Country/Region : Scotland/Highland
ABV : 59.6%
Cask : First Fill Ex-Oloroso Butt
Age : 11 Years (Distilled 20 May 2008)
Nose : Incredibly rich and complex— stewed plums, raisins, strawberries, apricots, and jammy sweetness. Classic dessert notes of vanilla, caramelized sugars, molasses, and hot chocolate with a healthy shot of cinnamon liqueur come through. Sweet herbal spice notes of ginger, rosemary, and pine emerge on the edges along with faintly sulfurous geothermal Icelandic baths.
Palate : Big and rich with chocolate mint, caramelized fruits, and creamy milk chocolate. Dates and dried figs began to dominate the palate— figgy cookie bars taking over. Hints of leather, toasted oats, and sulphur appeared occasionally. Chocolate covered raisins arrived near the end and gradually supplanted the figs.
Finish : Lingering dried fruits with a hint of toasted nuts.
SMWS Codename : 77.59 “Making marmalade”
Distillery : Glen Ord
Country/Region : Scotland/Highland
ABV : 60.2%
Cask : Refill Ex-bourbon Hogshead (10Y), 2nd Fill Spanish Oak PX Hogshead (1Y)
Age : 11 Years (Distilled 7 Aug. 2007)
Nose : Waxy and fruity with lemon peel, berries, orange marmalade, fruit leather, pears, and apples. Waxy fruit punch with a hint of glue and liquid cement turned toward honey and musty oak.
Palate : Sweet, spicy, waxy, creamy— this was a busy dram right from the get-go. Lovely lemon and orange peel, fruit leather rolled in brown sugar, dried fruits, nuts, and malty grains. Peat tart with candied almond slivers, waxy fruit skins, floral calla lilies, and full cream yogurt.
Finish : Lingering waxy fruits with apple sauce and ripe berries.
