SMWS Outturn August 2025 goes live on Friday 1st August 2025
Whisky With A Map In Hand – The Scotch Malt Whisky Society releases (outturn) several single cask bottlings of Scotch, Whisk(e)y, Rum and Gin, to name a few, usually on the first Friday of every month.
See below the full list of bottles being released for the July 2025 outturn. If you are not a member, Don’t worry you can join the SMWS here but be quick several of the bottlings sell out as quickly as the day they are released.
(Here is a quick link to last month’s SMWS Outturn: SMWS July 2025 outturn).
Whisky With A Map In Hand August 2025 Outturn bottles:
8.52 – Marble Chalice
59.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Speyside ~ £59.00
Bitter lemon soda cascaded down a cedar plank towards a marble chalice full of watermelon. The nose was fresh, woody and effervescent. To taste, we enjoyed a cream cracker loaded with bubblegum and nettle jelly, citrus curd and crystallised fruits. Water offered a cup of delicate white tea on the nose, stirred with a chamois leather-clad silver spoon dipped in malt extract and lemon and oregano syrup… read more
11.53 – Ticks the Boxes
61.9% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Highland ~ £55.00
Initially the Panel detected jelly beans, pineapple, star fruit, and camphor and menthol balm – all very in keeping with this distillery’s usual fruit-forward profile we agreed. With some water this developed very encouragingly with mango coulis, pineapple yoghurt, fruity compote, coffee beans and grapefruit. The neat palate was nicely peppery and green, with grassy, citrus and muddled fresh herbal notes, plus an encroaching sweet, creamy vibe…read more
18.70 – Fruit Gummies at High Tea
56.9% ~ Re-Fill HTMC Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Speyside ~ £70.00
We began by pouring cold pear juice over the morning newspaper, rummaging through a bag of fruit gummies and dusting the air with lavender talc. A mellow cocktail of pear, evaporated milk, vanilla pudding and cherry pie delighted our palates. With water, the nose turned to sugar snap peas, tea cakes and crème caramel. The palate offered sugared almonds, honeyed nuts and a delicate hint of ginger… read more
35.410 – Don’t Hurry This One
55.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Barrique ~ 19yo ~ Speyside ~ £100.00
Initial nosing revealed roasted red peppers, mango salsa, hints of cocoa infused with chilli, freshly brewed black coffee and prune eau de vie. A splash of water gave the Panel a more fruit-forward side, with candied citrus peels, marmalades and lemon curd, then unlit cigars in a humidor and crushed walnuts. The neat palate was quite punchy, bringing herbal cocktail bitters, wormwood, clove oil and resinous pinewood notes. These were all held in place by a big, spicy backbone… read more
39.319 – The Honey Farmer’s Flame
57.1% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Moscatel Barrique ~ 13yo ~ Speyside ~ £75.00
Woven with burnt honeycomb and apple sauce, the nose was accented with black sesame seeds, treacle tarts and peanut butter. The palate opened with peanuts and was followed by runny marmalade stirred with a cinnamon stick, fruity chewing gum and lemon curd. Water served the Panel a slice of hot buttered toast on the nose, with a cup of Vietnamese coffee, parma violet liqueur and a sprinkle of sawdust…. read more
46.160 – Full Scottish Desayuno
58.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bodega PX Barrique ~ 11yo ~ Speyside ~ £60.00
The sweet-scented nose delivered figs, dates, sultanas and chocolate raisins, toffee fudge ice cream, maple syrup and coffee liqueur. The palate was a rather delicious melange of pastel de nata, jam sponge and fig rolls, with spicy hits of sugar-coated fennel seeds, crystallised ginger and nutmeg. The reduced nose suggested breakfast – honey and marmalade, orange juice and sugary espresso dregs….read more
52.50 – Saltwater Symphony
55.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 11yo ~ Highland ~ £68.50
The nose gave individual Panel members suggestions of apple turnover, clover honey and candle wax, but we all got onshore sea breezes, oilskins, crab claws and fishing boats. This was understated but undeniably maritime. The palate, quite bold of body, had sugared almonds, bubblegum and strawberry tarts, leading to digestive biscuits and rosemary crackers, before finishing with aniseed, lemon rind, balsamic and oak… read more
59.98 – Walk Past a Tapas Bar
54.7% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Highland ~ £80.00
Ten years in ex-bourbon wood preceded a further spell in this second-fill oloroso hogshead. The sherry influence is present but teasingly delicate. The nose gave us candyfloss, crema catalana, toasted almonds, orange peel and ‘walking past a tapas bar’. The palate had positive impact and plenty of fruit – dried figs and marmalade, pineapple, mango and raspberry brownies, finishing with molasses, cheroots, cinnamon and clove… read more
60.50 – Colour Coordination
57.0% ~ 1st Fill Australian Tawny ~ 11yo ~ Highland ~ £70.00
After eight years in ex-bourbon wood, we transferred this whisky into a first fill Australian tawny cask. The hue is a giveaway and the Panel were unsurprisingly colour coordinated on the nose (suggestibility perhaps?) – ‘Cripps pink’ apples, red laces, redcurrants, strawberry jam, rosé wine and almond blossom. The palate opened floodgates to sweet, delicious flavours of nougat, toasted coconut, golden syrup and blossom honey, berry granola and boiled sweets… read more
66.258 – Wood-Smoked Walnut Gateau
51.2% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Shiraz Barrique ~ 26yo ~ Highland ~ £195.00
Heather honey and rosemary-infused olive oil melded seamlessly with the toasty aroma of fermenting beer, creating a fragrant ointment to be drizzled over fresh kelp. A layer of coal tar was artfully added to the mix before being served on sunflower seed crackers adorned with fresh thyme and caraway seeds. With a splash of water, the vibrant fruitiness of juicy brambles on black forest gâteau, seabuckthorn jam and a glass of sticky shiraz dessert wine emerged… read more
71.110 – Fresh Out The Oven
61.2% ~ 1st Fill EX-Oloroso Barrique ~ 13yo ~ Speyside ~ £74.50
Chocolate muffins straight out of the oven, the charred topping of a crème brûlée, orange candied jelly fruits and ginger biscuits. On the palate, toasted crumpets with raspberry preserve, flapjacks with red berries, warm cinnamon swirls, caramelised honey almonds and, in the finish, chilli flakes on a chicken breast with sweet barbecue sauce. With the addition of water we opened the oven again, this time taking out a sourdough loaf with a lightly burnt crust next to a Chinese five spice and blackberry-glazed ham… read more
78.90 – Tempura Gateau Train Ride
57.9% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 10yo ~ Highland ~ £72.50
As we sat in the carriage of an old steam train, a glass of cold-brew coffee cascaded over a glossy magazine and a leather satchel full of sultanas, cassia and chunks of Turkish delight. Stewed exotic fruits danced on the palate, balanced by a robust chewing tobacco, dates and black forest gâteau topped with singed raisins. Water gave both the nose and palate calligraphy ink, bramble jelly, enoki mushroom tempura and treacle tart, fudge and ginger… read more
85.109 – Seriously Scrumptious
56.3% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bodega PX Barrique ~ 16yo ~ Speyside ~ £92.50
We were met by a super fresh, fragrant scent of cut grass, vanilla and orange blossom perfume, honeydew melon, pure squeezed pineapple juice and coconut water. Sweet and creamy on the palate, we tucked into white chocolate, lime butterscotch, peach-flavoured fruit tea and almond cream-filled croissants, with a crisp green apple in the finish. After reduction the freshness had a steely edge of slightly unripe stone fruits that was soon superseded by pine resin, toasted coconut and Madagascan bourbon vanilla pods… read more
93.225 – Shoreline Fisticuffs
59.2% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 10yo ~ Campbeltown ~ £69.50
The neat nose revealed a taut, brittle and highly mineralic profile – with lovely, tense elements of chalk, fresh linens, beach pebbles and sea-air freshness. We found further impressions of creel net rope, plus some lovely olive oil and waxy combinations too. Water brought out a savoury and salty element, with crushed oatcakes, pressed gorse flower and camphor. The neat palate was sweeter than expected up front, with many lemon bonbon notes and herbal teas full of honey… read more
112.144 – Almost Angelic
57.7% ~ 1st Fill EX-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Highland ~ £55.00
The initial whiff of nail polish remover soon faded as fruits galore – gooseberries, kiwi, green grapes, melon, apples and banana, all doused in strong peach schnapps – came to the fore. This was mouth puckering, like a spicy Thai chicken stir fry, with the sweet fruitiness of mango and serrano ham in the finish. The addition of water caused some perplexion as the aroma changed completely and we found ourselves walking down a fragrant jasmine blossom-framed garden pathway on a moonlit night… read more
121.118 – Undulating Unctuousness
61.1% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Sherry Hogshead ~ 9yo ~ Highland ~ £64.50
This was a really wonderful nose, full of robust aromas of polished leather, pipe tobacco, camphor and precious hardwoods full of resins. We also got sultanas, raisins, prunes and dark, boozy fruit cake. A great sherry profile, we all agreed. With water it evolved beautifully, revealing chen pi orange peels, five spice, tangerines and highly resinous and herbal complexities. When neat, the palate showed immediate, superb sherry influence. It was rich and balanced, with old-style weight and earthy depth… read more
122.73 – Captivating and Enthralling
59.5% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 12yo ~ Highland ~ £74.00
Looking at the comments from the Panel members, the aroma neat was hard to pin down: rubber and glue, polish and caramel, but also overripe pineapple, red apples, key lime pie and rosehip tea. On the palate, overripe bananas were being barbecued, as grilled pears were served with honey and chilli powder, while in the finish we found butterscotch and toffee. Following reduction, canapés of savoury choux buns filled with chervil and chives arrived, along with rosemary and thyme… read more
138.26 – Top Banana
56.9% ~ 2nd Fill Charred Barrel ~ 6yo ~ Taiwan ~ £89.00
A heavenly mix of dried cherries, nuts and berries mingled with fragrant bergamot, rose petals and pipe tobacco. It wasn’t long before banana fritters arrived in a crispy batter, served with tangy green apples and a fresh fennel salad. As an accompaniment, a small glass of fine armagnac was just the ticket. Adding water placed the ripe bananas centre stage, amid an arrangement of tropical delights that included mangoes, lychees and eucalyptus leaves on coconut rice… read more
149.19 – Out With The Gherkin, In With The Brine
61.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Highland ~ £84.00
The neat nose was immediately crisp and pure, with vibrant peat smoke, beach pebbles, smoked cereals, mineral salts, smouldering pine wood, and delicate farmyard and bonfire inclusions. Water brought dunnage earthiness, smoked oatmeal, salted porridge and medical notes of bandages, hessian and green peppercorns in brine. The neat palate was petrolic in texture and heavily medicinal; lots of notes of bandages, gauze and mercurochrome were detected… read more
G15.40 – Well-Packed Satchel
61.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 10yo ~ Highland ~ £50.00
The nose was a mug of hot strawberry tea, stirred with lemongrass and sweetened with pine resin and pear. We found the palate richer than the nose suggested, as chocolates and raspberries intertwined with sesame oil, honey and crumble mix. Water gave a burst of lemon sherbet on the nose, plus the woody perfume of a new leather satchel and redcurrant jelly, while the palate… read more
Fife Peaty Potion
50.0% ~ Matured in a Combination of 1st Fill Bourbon Barrels and Oloroso & Pedro Ximenez Butts ~ 7yo ~ Lowland ~ £45.00
Hailing from a forward thinking and truly modern Fife distillery, this unique small batch single malt is a delicious peaty potion. We elected to blend two styles of single malt produced there, one unpeated and the other heavily peated. We married the resulting blend in first fill PX and oloroso sherry butts for around 18 months before bottling at a lovely point in the maturation where oranges, raisins and fragrant smoke meet. The neat nose was wonderfully vibrant, full of medicinal tinctures, smouldering heather, zinc oxide and lanolin cream… read more