123.14 - "Playful spices buzz the mouth"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:51

9 years old, distilled 4th May 2005, 57.4% abv, first fill ex-bourbon barrel, 225 bottles

85.29 - "Best of the Med"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:41

15 years old, distilled 6th October 1999, 54.2% abv, refill ex-bourbon hogshead, 290 bottles

66.65 - "Holy smoke!"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:36

10 years old, distilled 5th October 2004, 62.7% abv, first fill white wine hogshead, 270 bottles

46.30 - "Flowers and chocolates for Churchill"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:31

14 years old, distilled 27th September 2000, 58.6% abv, refill ex-bourbon hogshead, 267 bottles

48.54 - "Milkshakes and medicine"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:27

12 years old, distilled 1st November 2001, 57.4% abv, first fill ex-bourbon barrel, 229 bottles

50.63 - "Boozy buccaneers!"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:23

24 years old, distilled 15th May 1990, 58.3% abv, refill ex-bourbon barrel, 126 bottles

73.69 - "Dark side eclipsed by sweet joys"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:19

22 years old, distilled 27th October 1992, 52.9% abv, refill ex-sherry butt, 620 bottles

72.43 - "Bunsen Burner and Burnt Capacitors"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:15

10 years old, distilled 23rd September 2004, 59.8% abv, first fill white wine hogshead, 262 bottles

SMWS April 2015 Outturn

Submitted by Philip Storry on Fri, 10/04/2015 - 13:02

Another month, another great outturn from the SMWS. How do they do it?

Some very nice whiskies here, covering pretty much all the bases (except grain).

Unusually, there were two first fill white whine hogsheads - the Ardmore and the Miltonduff. (My preference was for the Ardmore.)

My favourites from the list included the Dailuaine and the Bladnoch. As usual the Glen Grant was superb, and the Glenlossie also impressed me. If you're looking for peat, then the Ardmore impressed but the real pick was the Bowmore.

The only disappointment for me was the lack of the Kilchoman (129), as there had been a small misunderstanding. It originally came out on a mid-March top-up list, and the London Rooms sold all their bottles. When it appeared on the April list again it was a bit of a surprise, and they didn't even have a dram of it left. A pity, as I recall it being a good one when I tried it - I just wish I'd drawn up some tasting notes then!

SMWS 7.113 - "Takes you to another place"

Submitted by Philip Storry on Mon, 06/04/2015 - 10:16

24 years old, distilled 11th December 1989, 51.7% abv, second fill Port Barrique, 147 bottles

(Released in Denmark, but a case somehow made its way over to the UK and the SMWS London Rooms - thanks Sam!)

The nose has raisins, midget gems, and a hint of spice - cumin? There's also a suggestion of smoke - perhaps incense? The mouth-feel is lush and juicy, but not very coating. The body has ginger, cumin, and fried duck. The finish is light and has a return of the midget gems from the nose.

Water brings big, thick whorling that expands quickly and lingers for quite a while - very nice! The nose now has less of the midget gems and a little more of the incense. The body has light caramel notes, and the spices have moved towards the back of the palate. There's also some melon and a hint of florality. The finish is sweeter - melon, midget gems and ginger!

A very good, graceful dram that would suit a picnic basket.

4/5

SMWS