Tastes

Today, I say goodbye to the first SMWS bottle I ever received. I was bought a membership to SMWS a few years ago for Christmas and I’ve renewed every year since! Name: Cinnamon raisin bagel Cask number: 13.53 Age: 10y/o Distilled: 31-05-2007 Cask: 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel 1 of 210 bottles ABV: 59.7 % Based on the distillery code, this is a Dalmore. Nose: Sweet! Apple, lemon zest, orange, vanilla, lightly floral. Palate: Very sweet. More apple, orange and vanilla. A lot of baking spices and cinnamon. Finish: Medium long finish. You get more of the spices and citrus. Lightly souring on the aftertaste. Quite sad to finish this one, but that’s the joy of single cask whisky - once it’s gone, it’s gone. It’s a short lived, but very pleasant experience. On to the next one!

Nose: Peat, oak, herbal, vanilla, seaweed/saline Palate: Smooth, damp peat, black pepper, oak, ash. Hints of salt. Caramel sweet, burnt sugar Finish: Medium long finish. Peat, leather, oak, tannic. Sweetens on the aftertaste. Sweet and a little ashy. A bit too watered down tasting, but smooth and quite tasty.

Nose: Medicinal, seaweed, gristy, allspice, burnt sugar, oak Palate: Stewed fruit, ash/char, green pepper, damp wood, dried apples and bananas Finish: Long finish, spicy, apples, oak, vanilla, leather, ginger on the aftertaste Smooth but watered down. Not as smoky as the name suggests. There is a bit of smoke, but the dominant flavour is a medium sweet light dried fruit.

Nose: Vanilla, toffee caramel, campfire/bonfire, salt, vanilla, orange Palate: Plums, apricots, apples, raisins, burnt wood, peat (as you’d expect!), oak, vanilla. Sweet, peaty and fruity. Finish: Medium short finish. Burnt wood smoke, salt and pepper, chilli, baked apples, dark chocolate, coffee, oak. Tasty and well layered. Lots of smoke and ash, fruity sweetness and a hint of salt.

Nose: Dry peat smoke, grassy, vanilla, muddy Palate: Vegetal, BBQ pork, green leafy vegetables, peat, chilli & ginger, citrus & orange, zesty Finish: Medium finish. Oily, peaty, vanilla. Souring on the aftertaste. Smooth and peaty, although not as intensely peated as you’d get from a South Islay dram. A bit of citrus and orange throughout, which becomes more prominent on the aftertaste. The citrus notes seem to sit on top of the peat, rather than being well integrated into the dram.

Nose: Lemon zest, honey, oak, vanilla Palate: Zesty, citrus, orange, floral, oak, Fino sherry Finish: Long finish. Spicy, citrus, leather, orange. Has a cocoa powder aftertaste Nice summery and zesty, refreshing dram. Smooth. Citrus and orange throughout. There’s some light Fino sherry, but not as a dominant part of the profile.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Colours Tasting, 4th September 2021). This tasting included 6 different spirits and a cocktail where we explored our perception or experience of colours when tasting. A fun and interesting concept for a tasting - definitely something a little different. Nose: Window putty, baking spices (cloves & ginger), vanilla, white pepper Palate: Sweet, golden syrup, black pepper, caramel, oak, nuts (walnut) Finish: Medium long finish. Leather, oak, varnish. Lightly souring on the aftertaste- grapefruit & lemon This is a pretty solid rye. Nice layers and plenty to keep it interesting. Spice and sweetness throughout, but nutty and citrus on the aftertaste. A very easygoing rye. Doesn’t taste anywhere near its 58.7% - take care! While we did rate the spirits, the range of flavours didn’t really lend itself to comparable results. Having said that, this was voted as joint first with two other drams with 27% of the vote for favourite.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Colours Tasting, 4th September 2021). This tasting included 6 different spirits and a cocktail where we explored our perception or experience of colours when tasting. A fun and interesting concept for a tasting - definitely something a little different. Nose: Caramel, golden syrup, honey, cereal bar, honey nut corn flakes Palate: Vanilla tablet, fudge, sweetened breakfast cereal, oak, hints of smoke, buttery/oily mouthfeel Finish: Medium long finish. Salt/saline, honey, vanilla, gorse This is one of the nicest blends I’ve had in ages. There’s a lovely oily/buttery mouthfeel, and hints and wisps of smoke - although you need to search for them! Beautifully layered. While we did rate the spirits, the range of flavours didn’t really lend itself to comparable results. Having said that, this was voted as joint first with two other drams with 27% of the vote for favourite.

Nose: Gristy, chocolate, honey, baked goods Palate: Fruit, apple, pear, strong orange, dark chocolate Finish: Short finish. Wood, oak, chocolate, floral, vanilla. Christmassy, but not the sherried/PX/chocolate you'd normally expect from a 'Christmas malt whisky'. Chocolate orange without being overpowering. Very tasty. Bottled: 2019 1 of 212 bottles Age: 11 years old

Nose: Baked fruit, rose, almond/nutty, orchard fruit (pears & apples) Palate: Banana, oak, black tea, oily/buttery mouthfeel, instant coffee Finish: Medium finish. Banana, creamy mouthfeel, dark chocolate, nutty, woody. Slightly burned note. Complex and layered. Lots of different, well integrated, notes to keep it interesting. I completely get the banana in the name! I've docked some points for tasting a little burned on the aftertaste. This is not a 'charred barrel' flavour, it's more a burned fruit and doesn't quite work with this dram. Cask: 1st fill ex-bourbon Distilled: 12-08-2003 16 years old 1 of 194 bottles