Auchentoshan 12yo 1999 (54.7%, SMWS, 5.35, Second Fill hogshead, +/-2012) 

“Laundry in the Bakery” 

Light and spicy on the nose with green tree fruit followed by rich warm caramel pudding. With water it changes somewhat to reveal some floral notes and is certainly less vibrant but still very good. The undiluted taste is lemon sweet with a strong back ground of cocoa or dark unsweetened chocolate and loads of oak spice, quite active actually. Very nice undiluted but strong. With a little water it holds together quite well and becomes increasingly delicious. The finish has some more of the…hold on…lots of fragrant malt and floral notes (the latter is not over whelming) and the finish is extremely long and it’s very good. Quite an extraordinary finish, very active and very flavourful.

Not your typical Auchentoshan and very, very good (which is not  to say that the Official Bottlings of Auchentoshan are not also very good).

$105

Score 88 points

Clynelish 21yo 1990 (49.1%, SMWS, 26.84, Refill barrel, +/-2012) 

“Moorland after rain”

Lovely quality right off the bat, a sensational nose but subtle and gentle, not like being smacked about with a kipper. Some hints of age and gentle lovely fruit and some very nice hints of malt. Lovely ‘antique’ moments and all very refined. The taste is also quite lovely with some very nice toasted malt, some more of the fruit and a little tobacco and leather (perhaps a little bit more of the tobacco and a little uncured tobacco thrown in for a little vegetal bitterness to give it all a little twist (just a tiny bit) and then some welcome and slightly surprising smoke. The finish is a mirror image on the taste and a really good blast of sweetness and some emerges to carry the finish to a distant end.

To hell with the water, this is awesome.

$145 (buy two)

Score 90 points

Glen Elgin 12yo 1999 (59.4%, SMWS, 85.23, Refill Sherry Butt, +/-2012) 

“Burnt granary toast with bramble jelly” 

Sour cherries on the nose and a slight portent of doom; is the dreaded “S” making an appearance?? Even without water it’s beginning to emerge. Oh bugger.  Some nice sherry notes struggle through the sulphur could that hangs over the nose like a malevolent fog over an unsuspecting village. The taste is good at first with some …..ooops rotten eggs are really too much to bear. Stop…..

Like a hair dressers when a little old lady is having her hair turned blue.

Apologies…it’s too much and a real shame since there was some moments of greatness in there.

$105

No score.

Glen Scotia 9yo 2002 (59.7%, SMWS, 93.47, Refill Barrel, +/-2012) 

“Seaweed, sushi and Abroath smokies” 

Glen Scotia has cast iron wash backs, something of a rarity in Scotland. This sample, on the nose is some what of the ocean and then the peat smoke arrives to take over and express dominance over the assembled descriptors but not in a dictators fashion (not as they are in real life since they are always bastards) but in a more subtle way, tinged with some sweetness however the peat smoke is quite delightful. Oooff, that’s nice. The taste is of malt, some lemon fizzy notes (like 7-Up) and then some of the very good peat smoke along with some juniper. With a good dollop of water honey notes emerge and it dulls the peat a little. The finish is very active and slightly thinner, more malt and less peat smoke.

A little stumble in the finish but nothing to get too worked up about, it’s a really nice Glen Scotia and killer value for the price.

$90

87 points

Ardbeg 8yo 2003 (60.4%. SMWS, 33.113, First fill barrel, +/-2012) 

“Sweet, peaceful dreams” 

On the nose there is surprisingly gentle peat smoke however it’s very good none the less; it’s not overly complex with peat smoke and sweet cocoa being the predominant descriptors and sometimes you just want to have a dram without having to agonize on all the nuances. This is good Ardbeg, plain and simple. There could, however be a trap about to be sprung by the 60.4% which is deceptively gentle on the nose. The taste, without water, is gentle at first blush and then the rocket engine is ignited and off it goes, big smashing peat smoke, crazed shards of oak splinters and the heat of a thousand suns (OK, a little over the top with that last bit). The finish is chewy malt, peat some and some citrus but loads of chewy malt and a smattering of chocolate. Medium long with a moment of coconut matting at the last.

Big and bold and excellent.

$85

Score 89 points

Samples kindly provided by the SMWS of America.

October 2012 Outturn

Sample Image