About a week ago, a chap by the name of Tom Thomson (Twitter handle: @ifotou - whisky blogger, Twitter wizard and all-round good guy) tweeted a morning coffee picture. In the picture was an unassuming white mug carrying a rather special logo.
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| Admit it, it's pretty. |
What started with a simple photograph of a mug, ended five days later on a Tuesday afternoon with yours truly staggering his way through Central London carrying a backpack full of goodies.
For those of you yet to discover the delights of this rather curious society, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society is a purveyor of whisky in its purest form. They select a cask from a distillery by way of a tasting panel, barrier filter the contents and bottle it. That’s it. Single cask, cask-strength, unchillfiltered and no added colour; in short, the whiskies they sell have been fiddled with less than an ugly nun. Yeah, yeah, yeah Johnnie, get off your soapbox; are they any good? Well, I have yet to come across one that has been anything short of good and some have been verging on spectacular. Certainly worth a look – www.smws.co.uk - anyway, I digress.
Back to Tuesday and just around lunchtime, I wander into the Society’s London Rooms located a stone’s throw away from Farringdon station. After a brief chat with Joe McGirr, the SMWS London Venue Manager, and pledging my allegiance to the clan………
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| Whisky Blaggard in Shameless Selfie Shocker! |
….. I put myself in Joe’s capable hands and began my SMWS tasting session.
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| Linkwood, 23 years, 59.1%, ex-bourbon |
Nose:
Fruity, floral and oozing with honey. Not so sure about the name as this is more like sugar, spice and all things nice. A little time to develop brings golden syrup with blackcurrant jam and damsons.
Palate:
Imagine an apple turnover stuffed full of Bounty bars and you're not too far off. Apples, pears, coconut, golden syrup, cherry bakewells; this is a symphony of confectionery. If I was to be critical, this may be a little too sweet for some. However, as a first dram, it's going down very well.
Finish:
Medium-long and warming. Some spicier elements in the mix now - cinnamon, cloves and a touch of black pepper. Some woodiness but nothing too astringent. It's just savoury enough to add some balance to the whole experience.
Thoughts:
Can't fault Joe on his choice. A great start to the session and it's got me fired up. There's a lot of substance to this whisky, although it's a bit on the sweet side. The finish rescues the whole affair by adding a little contrast and you can't fault the nose.
Grade: B
If you have a sweet tooth, this is a no-brainer.
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| Longmorn, 28 years, 58.7%, ex-bourbon |
Nose:
Simply incredible. Heavy, dark fruits with a wonderful rum-raisin quality. There's nothing light or delicate about this. My God, the nose is almost chewy. Black cherries and overripe grapes. I'm almost scared to taste it.
Palate:
Sweet and sticky with a hefty dollop of spice that warms and warms and warms. Oily mouthfeel with spurts of redcurrant jelly and cinnamon rolls. A drop of water dampens the fire and brings the fruit into focus. Cherries, sticky candy and a hint of sherbet nearing the finish. Something akin to old school Refreshers and a dab of Parma Violets.
Finish:
Long, hot and sticky like a Tuesday in July. Wood, spice and a pleasant drying finale.
Thoughts:
A little more grown up than the Linkwood and, although sweet, more balanced too. In spite of this, somehow I find myself not liking this as much as its predecessor. Maybe it's because the palate doesn't quite live up to the nose. To be fair, the nose was so sublime, I'd have been flabbergasted if it could. A little heavy for my personal taste but a great whisky nonetheless.
Grade: B
Worth trying just for the nose alone. I can see why some people would love this.
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| Glenlossie, 20 years, 53.7%, ex-bourbon |
Nose:
Big contrast when compared to the previous two whiskies. Heather honey with vanilla, orange zest and what I believe to be a hint of sea spray, which is a little puzzling. A little time and the nose gets quite creamy with a toasted almond and sesame seed aroma filtering out.
Palate:
Big surprise. This is not what I expected from a Glenlossie at all, which is a little arrogant of me considering I've never tried one before, but still. Sweet and savoury by turns. More heather honey with a coastal quality and a creamy bay leaf/coriander element that puts me in mind of good Ben Nevis or, to a lesser extent, Clynelish. If this is what can be expected from this distillery, sign me up. Definite flashes of honey and vanilla but weighted in favour of the honey. Wonderful balance as the palate is sweet without being cloying and astringent without being bitter. Oily mouthfeel but a sticky, treacle texture every now and again. This is hugely enjoyable.
Finish:
Long, balanced, drying, warm, woody.....everything you'd want from a finish. Lovely stuff.
Thoughts:
This is massively floating my boat. Hits all the right notes for me. I'm a big fan of Clynelish and some Ben Nevis bottlings and this shares a certain quality with them which ticks all my boxes.
Grade: A
Never any doubt in my mind. I'd happily buy a bottle of this, which is why I did.
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| Port Charlotte, 11 years, 66.7%, ex-sherry |
Nose:
Death and destruction, but in a good way. Charred wood, smoke and dragon's breath. Don't get your nose too close to the glass; this one bites back. Fleeting farmyard aroma that reminds me of Kilchoman. Give it a few moments and there's a delicious brininess and a freshly fried fish note.
Palate:
A bonfire explosion. Smoky, dry and astringent. This is savoury all the way with a good deal of pepper; feisty in all the right ways. Weighing in at 66.7%, I think this would benefit from a few drops of water. After a while and a slug of water the palate is more restrained but no less tasty. A sweetness begins to develop with a burnt, honey-glazed gammon taste. A little while longer and orchard fruits make an appearance with sharp, crisp juicy apples taking centre-stage.
Finish:
Long, peppery and a little tart. A good level of astringency which keeps you coming back for more. There's an elegance here that you wouldn't expect, given the bruising nature of the whisky.
Thoughts:
Yeah, it's not subtle, but it's massively entertaining. By no means a one trick pony; there's real substance and flavour to be found once the shouting has died down. I shall certainly be keeping an eye out for future releases.
Grade: A
I wanted to buy a bottle of this but it had sold out. Booooo!
Final Thoughts:
Huge thanks to Joe and his team for their hospitality and to Tom for planting the seed. My bank balance may not be happy but on an afternoon like this, how could I not be?
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| Cheers! |
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