November 2012

SMWSA Cask 106.18

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWSA Cask No. 106.18
Highlands, Speyside
52.6% ABV
Distilled November 1984
$175
US Allocation: 78 bottles
Holiday 2012 Outturn Release

What the SMWSA Says:
Our noses found poignant floral perfumes, shrubberies and pine tree freshness. We also detected ripe fruits (apple, mango), candles, cinnamon, clove and honey on buttered toast. The palate was chewy and delicious; fragrant wood, flowers and tropical fruits (lychee, apricot, passion fruit) mingled with sweet toffee flavours to draw sighs of contentment from the panel. The reduced nose, with tutti-fruitti ice-cream, lime sawn wood and aromatherapy oils made us think of warm summer nights. The palate now carried rose and lemon flavoured Turkish Delight with stem ginger spicy warmth in the tail-flick. The distillery houses the spiritual home of Johnnie Walker.

Drinking tip: Perfect dram for the first day of your holiday.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Butterscotch quickly fading to sherry, pine pitch, and cloves. Water brings out more fruity notes.
Palate: Woody and floral with buttery sweetness on the way the out. Watering the palate does the same thing as with the nose. Much lighter and fruitier.
Finish: Heavy handed with the wood. Very warming on the finish. Water just wisps away a light clean finish.
Comments: A really nice comfort dram.
Rating: Stands Out

Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.

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SMWSA Cask No 25.63

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWSA Cask No. 25.63
Lowlands, Central Lowlands
59.8% ABV
Distilled November 1990
$145
US Allocation: 108 bottles
Holiday 2012 Outturn Release

What the SMWSA Says:
The nose suggested fermenting beer – still life on the lid of a washback – green apples, a pear, a peach, some lemon puffs, a stone bowl containing sweet pipe tobacco and a bunch of fresh spring flowers. Pears again on the palate (riper now), also some fizzy fruit (sherbet lemons), more flowers (this time from high summer) and definite peppery spice (‘poire et poivre’). The second nosing had mild liquorice (sherbet dib-dabs) tobacco leaf and pear and nettle sorbet. The reduced palate gave light, pleasant flavours of bergamot and floral perfumes; a mild tingly finish. From Falkirk’s sadly now defunct distillery.

Drinking tip: Summer-time dram – perhaps to accompany tea in the garden.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Green grass, orchards in bloom, and poached pears. Water at first makes it more vegetal and then reveals notes of apples and oranges.
Palate: Really sweet like pear preserves my grandmother used to make. Not sure if it’s the whisky or the proof but that jelly is in a spicy peppery shell. Water mutes the pepper and spice but leave the palate herbal. Where did that wonderful pear jelly go?
Finish: Nothing too remarkable but nothing offensive either.
Comments: This is a pear lover’s dram. Lucky for me I’m a pear lover. The palate and nose are fantastice but water whisks them away all too quickly. Add water slowly and sparingly.
Rating: Must Try

Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.

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SMWSA Cask 16.32

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, SMWSA Whiskies /

SMWSA Cask No. 16.32
Highlands, Eastern Highlands
57.2% ABV
Distilled March 2001
$95
US Allocation: 120 bottles
Holiday 2012 Outturn Release

What the SMWSA Says:
The nose was certainly savory (salty bacon, roast parsnips, beef in red wine reduction) but also sweet (butter croissants, marmalade, toffee) with hints of coke embers, engine rooms, tobacco, struck match, floral notes and ‘old wardrobes’. The palate was rich and substantial, oozing unctuous sweetness, but with balancing spiciness – maple syrup, treacle and Jamaican Christmas cake. The reduced nose offered zesty citric peel, candied fruits, salty toffee, leather armchairs and coffee. The reduced palate was an amazing dessert, combining lemon meringue pie, sticky toffee pudding and icing sugar-dusted biscotti dipped in espresso. The distillery houses the Famous Grouse Experience.

Drinking tip: A kitchen table dram – perfect reward for all that cooking and baking.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Buttered breakfast breads. Slightly smoky and acidic. Water makes it more savory with notes of cured meats.
Palate: Hello baby! Syrupy, rich, sweet, and mouth coating. Ooooh, no water please. It kills the palate.
Finish: Old leather, tobacco, and coffee. It’s like a middle eastern coffee/tobacco lounge.
Comments: This a lovely rich and spicy lady right out of the bottle. Sofia Vergara in a bottle. I would recommend as little water as possible.
Rating: Stands Out

Review sample provided courtesy of the SMWSA and is available to society members through their website or 800.990.1991.

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Glenlivet Archive 21 Year

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky, Speyside /

The Glenlivet Archive 21 Years of Age Single Malt Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
$150
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The Glenlivet 21Year Old Archive is a batch produced whisky using only hand-selected casks. It is a complex whisky with sherried and wood notes integrating seamlessly with the aromatic palette. Let the pleasure linger late into the night.

COLOUR
Amber with sparkling copper shades.

NOSE
An opulent, mature nose with a sherry influence. An intricate array of wood and fruit: Christmas cake, sultanas, maraschino cherry. Water enlightens the fruity bouquet and brings out vanilla and lighter notes of ripe peaches. Pear and marzipan pie. Luscious barley sugar aromas.

PALATE
This full-bodied whisky is unctuous and mouth coating, almost syrupy. Oak holds the reins back, releasing a drying spiciness of cinnamon, ginger, walnut and dark chocolate.

FINISH
The finish is everlasting and warming with lingering presence of toasted hazelnuts and a full layer of liquorice.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry, treacle, butterscotch, and malt are the first impressions.
Palate: It creeps in so softly that it almost seems light and then the richness pervades the mouth. Creamy, nutty, and oaky with just the slightest hint of buttery toffee.
Finish: Toasted nuts, white pepper, and oak.
Comments: Really a lovely dram. I was once at a Glenlivet tasting at Morton’s in Atlanta. Towards the end of the night the “leftover” whisky was flowing and Sam and I were chatting over a dram with the brand ambassador. As we look across the room we see a fellow trying to be sneaky and snatch some more 21 while the bartender wasn’t looking. To our horror he filled a Collins glass to the brim with ice and then topped the glass off with the 21. I’m usually not one to tell others how to drink their whisky but this seemed almost criminal. Enjoy the Archive but go light on the ice. 😉
Rating: Stands Out

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