For the new year, the SMWS has started as they mean to go on - with a release of sixteen superb whiskies!

There are plenty of great whiskies here, even though a number of them are too spicy for my liking. Fortunately, avoiding water seemed to make that less of a problem! There's also a few decent woods used - Sauternes (G7.12, 55.43), Virgin Oak (121.96, 73.80), and a very odd Gin Cask that certainly got people talking. There was also a rare (for the Society) dram in the form of the Tomatin, which was sadly a little too spicy for me.

My favourites were the Girvan, the Ardmore, the Laphroaig, the older Longmorn and the Royal Brackla.