Summer Sale 2012 Offerings – July 2012 

Cask No. 73.45 is President’s Choice 

Kissing a freshly perfumed woman 

Cask No. 73.45                     

Highlands, Speyside (Islay) 

The interesting nose had peardrops and polished wood, then cloves and iced cinnamon swirls, also marmalade, orange oil and chocolate oranges; finally Marsala and strawberry syrup. The unreduced palate seemed amazingly mature – orange liqueur, beeswax polish on expensive furniture, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, orange peel, red Chewits (or Campinos) and peach with traces of mint – surprisingly lively. The reduced nose discovered tobacco, scented wood, sherbet, coconut oil and eventually Kummel. The reduced palate, complex, rich and pleasing, had the woodiness of old bourbon and floral perfume – ‘like kissing a freshly perfumed woman’. This 1897 distillery is a ‘sister’ establishment to Craigellachie. 

Drinking tip: For a warm summer evening, with appropriate music and floral perfumes 

Colour: Orange honeycomb                               

Cask: Refill ex-Sherry butt                               

Age: 19 years                                        

Date distilled: March 1992

Alcohol: 56.1% 

$135 

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Lively and explosive

Cask No. 1.159                     

Highlands, Speyside 

An unusual and intriguing wee dram on the nose – hard peaches, wood sap, nutty notes, quince, juniper, flint, Evo-Stik and green ginger – quite clean but was it floral or soapy? The palate was fizzy, lively and tooth-stripping, with explosive ginger heat, granny smith apples, vanilla and mint humbugs. The nose seemed smoother and sweeter with water – cocoa butter, sherbet fountains (with liquorice), ginger beer and lime – quite summery in character. The reduced palate became well-rounded and easy-drinking with some of the deeper botanical ingredients of gin coming through – liquorice, aniseed, angelica and cassia. The distillery sits north of Ben Rinnes. 

Drinking tip: Could be a summery drink, maybe even with ginger ale 

Colour: Sparkling mica gold                             

Cask: First-fill barrel                                       

Age: 11 years                                        

Date distilled: May 2000

Alcohol: 56.2% 

$100

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Barbequed haggis 

Cask No. 10.75                     

Islay, North Shore 

The first impression is not too impressive: solvent, washing up liquid and Coal Tar soap; dried meat, smoked mackerel and charred fish skin, but a pleasant taste of boiled sweets and runny honey on burnt toast, with a trace of fennel and rosemary in the finish and ‘the burnt end of overdone roast beef’. With water the aroma is of dried out haggis, and some allspice: dry overall. The taste is still sweet, then burnt and slightly peppery. Still some haggis, with a thyme-like herbal note and charcoal in the finish. This distillery on the Sound of Islay usually makes un-peated malt. 

Drinking tip: A Burn’s night Barbie on a beach 

Colour: Tarnished silver with pale green lights            

Cask: Refill hogshead                                       

Age: 13 years                                        

Date distilled: December 1997

Alcohol: 55.9% 

$110 

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Rich, sweet and comforting 

Cask No. G5.5                      

Grain 

A treat for the nose – buttered toast with honey and creamy custard to start. Then pencil shavings, airfix glue and marzipan got the mouth watering. The taste was very sweet (honey, vanilla and syrup) with some mild spiciness (pepper) which was warming and comforting. Adding water seemed to dull down the aromas but the sweetness returned with fudge, honey, cereals and then fruits – banana flavoured sweets, orange oil – and demerara sugar. Fresh oak, ginger, orange oil and boiled sweets were on the palate and rounded off a satisfying finish. This Highland grain distillery was built in 1959 to create employment in the local area. 

Drinking tip: For quiet contemplation, but be careful with the water 

Colour: Light copper with pink highlights                    

Cask: Virgin toasted oak hogshead                                

Age: 18 years                                        

Date distilled: May 1993

Alcohol: 65.4% 

$130

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*Members receive $10 off every Society bottle purchased in the month of July 2012.

Visit http://www.smwsa.com/ for more Society information.