Scotch Malt Whisky Society ‘Finding the Perfect Tree’ – Scotch Whisky News
An early winter’s snow takes us on a walk amidst the pines with Spruce on the loose where dark chocolate was found in an old pipe tobacco box lined with crystallised spruce sap. Thick cut marmalade and nutmeg-infused orange peel lead nicely into a clearing where a lightly peated adventure awaits. Wandering Alchemy is the respite from the walk with deep and enticing notes of soft, heathery peat smoke and a decadently rich and mouthcoating, yet warming and gentle palate to see the festive season through.
SPRUCE ON THE LOOSE
Age: 17 years
Cask: First Fill Barrel & Second Fill Barrels
Sticks of calligraphy ink joined slices of dried papaya in maple syrup as autumn leaves fell upon school textbooks. Dark chocolate was found incarcerated in an old pipe tobacco box lined with crystallised spruce sap. The nose had us in a boreal forest, but the palate transported us to summer fields and fruit orchards: green apple slices mingled with dried ginger, toasted cereals and a spoonful of thick-cut marmalade in an orchardist’s tobacco pouch. Water introduced nectarines and peaches, cedarwood mothballs and honey to the nose, while the palate transformed to a minted bay leaf bouquet garni, woven with nutmeg-infused orange peel, sweet chilli fruit leather and fondant.
Looking for the perfect hauf ‘n’ hauf beer pairing with your dram of Spruce on the loose? Jack Low from Wasted Degrees suggests their Amber Rye, a malty offering with complementary notes of marmalade. It’s also officially the number three amber beer in the UK, according to The Society Of Independent Brewers and Associates. Pick up your Amber Rye here and be sure to tell us what you think about the pairing!
WANDERING ALCHEMY
Age: 10 years
Cask: Bourbon, Oloroso, Pedro Ximénez & HTMC Hogsheads
What witchcraft and molten japery is this? At least, that’s what our raised eyebrows and throaty musings queried. Surely this dram was much older and much more ‘old style’ that it had a right to be? We detected deep and enticing notes of soft, heathery peat smoke. Then encroaching medicinal charms, pine wood, camphor, cooling bonfire embers and tendrils of seaweed! Water dialled up the charm vibes to ‘Roger Moore’: elegant wood smoke, fragrant phenolics, old herbal and tar liqueurs and a kiss of cask-aged mead. The palate was decadently rich and mouthcoating, yet warming and gentle. Its rich herbal character mingled with more medicines, dried mint, mineral oils and fatty sheep wool oils. Reduction brought us wood spices, resinous hardwood extracts, smoked black olives, pure tar, hessian and a lovely medley of aniseed, salted liquorice and soy sauce – what despicable chemist brewed this sorcery!?
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults, 87 Giles Street, Leith EH6 6BZ
Contact: sales@smws.com or call 0131 555 2929 (Mon-Fri 9am-4.45pm). Visit the Society at here for membership information
This is your chance to join and to take advantage of their great offers!
Spot the SMWS bottles in this amusing You Tube video
