SMWS Outturn 268 - Bold Discoveries

SMWS 93.93 - Summer seaside picnicThe August list has pretty good scores, but a fair bit of spice.

The sweet, subtle and shifting Miltonduff won't impress those who like big drams, but it's seriously good for those of us who like a light and balanced dram. It scored 4.5, and I wish I could afford a bottle! The constant small changes are a delight. Then there's the Mannochmore, which is honeyed and fruity. Finally there's two peated drams, both of which (unusually, for me!) also scored 4.5. The Ardmore is, to use colloquialism, "delightfully bonkers". It has sweet, savoury, fruit and smoke and it shouldn't work. But sometimes whiskies manage to deliver the flavours in a way that binds it all together, and this happens here and saves the day! And finally my favourite of the evening was the Glen Scotia, which has some tar balancing out fruit and soy sauce, with more going on as well. A great dram to finish on!

You should also try the Glenrothes - a nice bourbon cask that's done a great job, and it really suits this current weather. It scored 4, as did a the unusually spirituous Glengoyne, which has a lot of fruit alongside the spirit notes. And the Glen Moray's re-racking was also very successful - although a little too much pepper for me.