SMWS

35.135 - "A pure stoater!"

20 years old, distilled 11th November 1994, 55.9% abv, first fill toasted oak hogshead, 269 bottles

DSC_0216The nose has caramel, shoe leather and a little lavender in the background. The mouthfeel is smooth and soft. The body has some tannins, then red apples and soft toffee. The finish has toffee and a hint of coffee.

48.59 - "Cidre de Glace"

11 years old, distilled 7th August 2003, 62.7% abv, first fill ex-bourbon barrel, 210 bottles

DSC_0218The nose starts an immediate reminiscence of boiled travel sweets in a tin - fruits and a hint of metal. There's also some fresh mint that over time becomes a more herbal note - sage?

SMWS July 2015 Outturn

DSC_0215A very good list for the warm weather - a little something for everyone, but mostly lighter and sweeter notes that met the hot weather well. Apparently, the drams are matched with jazz tracks this month. Which means very little to me, but the deviants jazz enthusiasts that I know seem to have enjoyed it, and who am I to stop them?

A lot of people have been asking me about the Bladnoch, but I don't think it's all that. For me, the pick of the list is either the waxy and fruity Clynelish or the incredibly well constructed Royal Brackla - both superb drams.

The clean, light and fruity Balmenach also stood out for me, as did the caramel and cigar boxes of the Mortlach. And for the peat-freaks, the vegetal earthiness of the Kilchoman is going to tick all the boxes.

Sadly, this is a bad list for fans of the sherry cask - not one in sight!.

But if you want an unusual wood, you're in luck! Don't forget the ex-port barrique Longmorn, which brought plenty of well integrated fruits. There's also the first-fill toasted oak Glen Moray - which gave everything from Turkish Delight and red apples to shoe leather and dark chocolate.

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