May 2021 sees the release of the SMWS Whisky Festival Bottlings. Have a look at what SMWS has to offer from the different regions of Scotland.
The SMWS Whisky Festival Bottlings follows on from their previous SMWS Speyside Whisky, SMWS Hauf ‘N’ Hauf, SMWS Whiskies That Sparkle Selection and the previous months special releases of SMWS The Vaults Collection, SMWS Solstice Selection of whiskies and SMWS A Wee Cheeky Selection released in 2021/2020.
SMWS Whisky Festival Bottlings are below:

63.73 – Shake Your Butt
62.3% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Oloroso Butt ~ 12yo ~ Speyside
Intense and captivating aromas led us into a melody of chilli chocolate, orange marmalade and butterscotch as brazil nuts and hazelnuts crumbled on top of carrot cake. On the palate we found cloves, ginger and coffee joyfully jigging with roasted figs and brandy butter as blackcurrants merged with dark chocolate in the corner….read more
£64.60

18.34 – Give Us An Inch!
58.1% ~ 2nd Fill Toasted and Charred Hogshead ~ 10yo ~ Speyside
A playful initial nose that showed trail mix, toasted seeds, dried fruits, heather honey and roasty old-school shilling ales. The blow-torched surface of a creme brûlée, chopped hazelnuts, marzipan and honey-soaked straw with some salted caramels. Reduction made it drier, sootier and earthier. More clay, smashed hot pottery, canvas, baking parchment, sunflower oil and chopped fennel…read more
£56.00

89.15 – Pinball Wizard
60.2% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Oloroso Ex-Islay Hogshead ~ 10yo ~ Speyside
The aromas were bouncing around like mad; savoury meaty smoke, sherry vinegar, smoked wine gums, brandy snaps, olives and sea-salted smoked mackerel in sunflower oil. On the palate the magic was revealed; from Andalucía via Islay to Speyside. Sweet and spicy, hickory smoked fall-off-the-bone baby back barbequed ribs, while sweet tobacco combined with the bitter botanicals found in sherry Vermouth…read more
£62.30

93.154 – Barbecued Surrealism
57.4% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 13yo ~ Campbeltown
WARNING! Not for the fainthearted! First ensure you are wearing necessary protecting Kevlar drinking armour because someone has detonated a sour cream landmine. Solvents, molten bicycles and fragments of sheep are scattered everywhere. Old steam puffers fitted with Warp technology have melted on the shoreline. An inverted wormhole is spilling out liquified farmyards from an alternative dimension….read more
£75.00

68.54 – Make Mine A “Papa Doble”
57.9% ~ 2nd Fill Heavy Char #4 + Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Highland
‘We prepared a Jamaican rum punch; pineapple, orange, plenty of lime juice, grenadine syrup and, of course, rum – funky navy strength high ester rum. Wait for the taste neat, a blasting beast of spice and fermented fruits – think Hampden (not Park and football but Estate and rum!). Diluted we made a ‘Papa Doble Daiquiri’, named after Ernest Hemingway’s favourite cocktail, use half the sugar content (if indeed any) and double the booze….read more
£64.20

Small Batch – Sweet, Smoked Salmon Jerky
60.3% ~ 2nd Fill & Re-Charred Ex-Oloroso & PX Hogshead ~ 7yo ~ Islay
The most bleedin’ obvious first – plenty of smoke! A huge campfire on the beach using driftwood from an old wooden boat, smoked almonds, smoked salmon and roasted pears with walnuts and honey. Sensationally sweet and smoky on the palate – a beauty and a beast! Difficult to describe but here we go; char-grilled tuna with ‘Brinjal Pickle’, made with aubergines and traditional Indian spices followed by cinnamon caramelised apple rings….read more
£67.50

53.370 – Salt N Sauce
56.6% ~ 1st Fill Shaved, Charred & Re-Toasted Barrique ~ 10yo ~ Islay
A big and uncompromising initial aroma of pickled ginger, black olives, smouldering silage and singed orange peel. We then found notes of Marmite on brown toast and some puffs of boiler smoke. Reduction brought with it an autumnal kitchen baking up a storm, roasted peanuts, smoked marmalade and gutsy, oily smokiness. On arrival in the mouth we noted brown sugar, fig chutney, heather ale, liquid smoke seasoning, charred lobster and exotic mixed pickles….read more
£70.00

53.368 – Quantum Pummelling
57.7% ~ 1st Fill Shaved, Charred & Re-Toasted Barrique ~ 10yo ~ Islay
The nose opened with a punnet of red grapes sloshed with red wine vinegar. Then smouldering heather, damp soil, foliage, prawns on a BBQ and freshly landed mackerel. Wild strawberries, smoked mint leaf and fire embers. Water unveils wet seaweed, cold smoked meats, polish cabbage strew with smoked sausages and chilli-infused chocolate. The palate when neat starts sweetly with a butter texture and notes of preserved lemon….read more
£70.00

10.208 – Tarte Flambee and Seafood Paella
62.0% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Moscatel Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Islay
A golden, slightly red-brown colour, like that of the gemstone ‘tiger’s eye’, caught our attention first before the aromas of assorted Italian cured meats, cherry liqueur-infused marzipan and sweet smoked paprika powder cast their spell on us. A real treat on the palate neat, like biting into a herby hot dog garnished with sweet onion relish….read more