Scotch report: Cabal meeting 3 (I think)

The cabal assembled, minus one - he'd decided a network conference, which didn't start until today, was more important than whisky.
In unrelated news, there may be a vacancy opening up in the cabal, usual bottle based bribes for entry.

For the first time we had more distillery releases than SMWS releases. And in an effort to look like we knew what we were doing, we'd focussed the SMWS releases on distillery 35 (Glen Moray). So let's take an increasingly disjointed stagger through last nights tastings.

SMWS Complex and Joyous - 35.32; refill hogshead, ex-bourbon, 1/183 bottles, 34yo 55.1%
Nose: christmas cake, sherry, ethanol (from the other doctor, nothing, i repeat, nothing, gets past him), cherry, marzipan, cloves
Palate: salt, massive mouth feel, chewy, liquorice, complex, christmas cake
Finish: massive, went on for hours, ale (weird ale aftertaste), honey, happy.

Addition of water produced on the nose, tea, parmesan and salt. And on the palate, more cloves and leaves.

Initially we gave this 9.5/10, but on reflection there was nothing wrong with this whisky, and so it's now a 10/10.

SMWS Explosive with tremors - 35.29; refill hogshead, ex-bourbon, 1/216 bottles, 22yo 61%
Nose: parmesan, wood, cherries, toffee, weaker christmas cake
Palate: salt/pepper, manuka honey, toffee, chewy
Finish: long, peppery and heat

Addition of water increased the salt taste and killed everything.

There were obvious similarities between these two, and in some respects the .29 suffered following the .32, but it's cemented the position of distillery 35 in our 'must try more' list.
7.5-8 / 10 for this one.

SMWS Ticklish and Dreaming - 35.49 refill barrique, ex-chardonnay, 1/273 bottles, 10yo, 59.5%
Nose: dark chocolate, ginger, cut grass
Palate: salt/pepper, honey (sweet), crystallised ginger, chocolate
Finish: medium, sweet

Additional of water caused the nose to decrease the chocolate, and the palate to become smoother but with increased chocolate.

We gave this one a 7/10. Again, distillery 35 is our friend.

And so concludes our SMWS vertical tasting.

English Whisky Co. Chapter 6 - 3yo, 46%, bourbon
I'd been wanting to try the English whisky for some time as it's had good reviews.
This bottling was very pale in colour, but then it's only had 3 years in the cask.
Nose: gingernut, vanilla, soap (I picked this, no-one else agreed, but I'm writing the notes), hint of pine, ouzo
Palate: salt, vanilla
Finish: pepper, short

there's not a huge amount happening, but there's big potential there, so we gave it 6.5/10 and 'could go far'.

Benriach Solstice 15yo port finish heavily peated. 50%
Nose: peat, iodine
Palate: peat, sea, salt, "drinkable laphroig", sweet
Finish: salt, port, sweet
And no change with water.

It's not just me. This is a very weird whisky. It seems wrong and yet it's very very drinkable. Nothing marries up, and yet, it works. Brilliantly.
We gave this a 9/10.
as I've said before, go buy a bottle. It's great. And buy it from Loch Fyne Whisky.

Stronachie (Benrinnes) 18yo 46%
Nose: peat, sap, woody
Palate: salt, peat
Finish:  pepper, med-short

Not a stunning whisky, but very drinkable which is why it had been purchased (level in the bottle supported this), we gave it a 5/10, but would be more than happy quaffing it.

Tomintoul 12yo Portwood finish 46%.
Nose: peaty but light, watery
Palate: sweet, salty, port
Finish: short, sweet

Very light, again quaffable, and again 5/10.

Another superb tasting, lots of excellent whisky, indeed not a duff one there. All of the general releases are available from Loch Fyne, who should be your indie whisky retailer of choice. And no, I don't get any kickbacks, sadly.

Love, B