Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America March 2012 Offerings – Scotch Whisky News
March 2012 Outturn Offerings
Cask No. 53.154 – President’s Choice
Surfer’s sundown dram
Cask No. 53.154
Islay,NorthShore
Unreduced the nose was like the soft smoke of burning driftwood on a distant dune. Damp coarse sand, seaweed and brine fill the nostrils as if one were laying prostrate on a wet beach after an energetic swim across the bay. On the palate it sets the tongue ablaze with hot smoke and black peppercorns cracked between the teeth. With water the nose softens as if a mist has fallen; pleasant, cooler with a hint of eucalyptus. Citrus, tar and swirling smoke cover and console the palate. The narrows of the Sound of Islay remain visible through the mist.
Drinking tip: Outside on a cool autumn evening
Colour: Dried pasta in a glass jar
Cask: Refill sherry butt
Age: 17 years
Date distilled: July 1993
Alcohol: 59.8%
$120
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Geologist’s Dream
Cask No. 26.81
Highlands,Northern Highlands
The cooling Icelandic nose brought thoughts of tundra and sea with lemon splashed on dry stone; an empty beach with dew, grass and rock salt followed by fresh lime, balsam and pine resin. The neat palate was almost Chablis-like, licking lemon off flinty rocks or ‘sucking a pebble’ said the tour guide. With water, the nose became clean with a sherbet-like fizz; washing powder on clean linen laundry drying on hot rocks; botanicals of juniper, coriander and angelica brought depth. The reduced palate continued the effervescent theme with sherbet lemon, moondust, cremola foam and candy floss. This distillery has beautiful views over theNorth Sea and sources its water from the Clynemilton burn.
Drinking tip: Forget the gin and tonic – have this when you need something more interesting
Colour: Platinum gold
Cask: Refill hogshead
Age: 11 years
Date distilled: April 2000
Alcohol: 58.6%
$95
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The Roly-Poly Pudding
Cask No. 66.32
Highlands, Speyside (Bogie)
Raw dough with a whiff of smoke. Dusty, coal smuts: we thought of Beatrix Potter’s story about Tom Kitten… Over time the smokiness increases, soon joined by light medicinal notes (sphagnum moss, Swarfega hand wash), while the dough becomes more buttery, like Aberdeen ‘rowies’ (a buttery form of croissant). The taste is sweet, clean and hot, with light sulphur, antiseptic and peaty elements. Water raises European oak notes (struck matches) for a moment, then bread and butter pudding, and now the taste has treacle toffee, salty butter and charred toast in the finish. Famously smoky for an Aberdeenshire malt.
Drinking tip: Reading Beatrix Potter beside an unlit fireplace
Colour: Pale amber
Cask: Refill gorda, ex sherry
Age: 13 years
Date distilled: March 1998
Alcohol: 58.6%
$110
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Greta Garbo
Cask No. 125.47
Highlands,Northern Highlands
Another superb example of ‘Scotland’s favourite malt’. Hazel nuts and sappy wood give way to honeysuckle and jasmine, with traces of unlit cigarettes, and later a faint wisp of smoke. A thick, creamy nose, with soft fudge and hints of coconut – and the creaminess is repeated big time in the mouth. The taste is sweet, with Amarillo liqueur; mid palate and smooth. Water makes it more floral – rose petals with fresh coconut, and a hint of cigar ash; the texture is still silky smooth; the taste sweet (tinned peaches) and the medium finish is ashy. We thought of a classy dame in a silk negligee, lounging in her suite at The Savoy.
Drinking tip: Lounging at The Savoy
Colour: Mid gold
Cask: First-fill ex-Bourbon hogshead
Age: 15 years
Date distilled: December 1995
Alcohol: 56.1%
$115
