SMWS Outturn February 2024 goes live on Friday 2nd February 2024
Nobody Does It Better – 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 February 2024 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 January 2024 outturn).
Nobody Does It Better February 2024 Outturn bottles:
RW6.3 – Cinnamon Sauna Smoke
59.2% ~ New Charred Oak Barrel ~ 5yo ~ Finland ~ £75.00
In a traditional sauna workshop the aromas of sticky sap from fresh pine and birch mingled with wood glue and leather polish. Then sweet smoke reminiscent of burning pencils wafted over a lunchbox of hard pears and salted liquorice. On the palate, wood transferred to birch water infused with thyme, cinnamon and spruce tips while olive oil burned on a hot barbecue. A dash of water brought out burnt caraway seeds and juniper wood, with a hint of cough syrup and spirit…. read more
GN6.7 – The Heretical Hot Toddy
48.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 2yo ~ Edinburgh ~ £48.50
A simmering sauce of citrus and sandalwood summoned notions of bergamot petals and grapefruit before highly scented sprigs of mint and rosemary were flung into the mix. Next to the tincture came liquorice root and fresh ginger, followed by a squeeze of fresh lemon and a spoonful of runny honey. Adding a dash of water released chopped coriander before the zing of lemonade and sherbet did their thing, adding a lively layer to the underlying mint, lime and ginger beer… read more
9.292 – Thou Art A Saucy One!
53.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 20yo ~ Speyside ~ £145.00
The nose was immediately chock full of aged sauternes, flower nectars, pure honeycomb and delicate medicinal touches such as lemon cough drops and lanolin. The Panel felt this one bore many resemblances to examples of this great distillery from the early 1970s. Water brought a waxier and oilier feeling to the nose, enhancing the complexity and adding crystallised honey and camphor. The palate was wonderfully rounded, waxy and syrupy. It was sweet but with integrated wood spices and lovely flavours of preserved exotic fruits…. read more
41.177 – Dancing With Summer
56.6% ~ 1st Fill PX Hogshead & 1st Fill Oloroso Quarter Cask ~ 16yo ~ Speyside ~ £95.00
Our noses glided through an antique shop in summer; furniture polish and fruit loaf danced through the air. To the palate, barley sugar candy and warm toffee offered sweetness, and a deep and full texture. Introducing water gave orange, lavender, honey and menthol tobacco. The starting point for this small batch was two bourbon hogsheads of single malt Scotch whisky…. read more
48.166 – Two-Part Harmony
60.1% ~ 2st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 11yo ~ Speyside ~ £63.60
A lovely and hugely inviting aroma was full of honeycomb, beeswax, sweet dessert wines, custard, heather honey and new world IPAs. A clear and clean cask influence but with plenty of that lovely worm tub distillate character this make is famous for came through as well. Water brought a more medicinal side along with herbal teas, cedar wood cigar boxes and menthol chewing gum. The neat palate was rich with vanilla custard, lemon cordial, pineapple jelly and spiced vanilla pudding… read more
53.462 – Catching Combo
55.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Hogshead ~ 15yo ~ Islay ~ £109.90
A powerful nose, the sweetness of honey-glazed baby back ribs combining with the scent of the sea, smoked oysters, clams and cockles made this a fascinating combination. The palate was smooth and silky with chocolate and vanilla before we got honey and mustard-glazed ham as well as honey-roasted carrots and parsnips. Careful when adding water, as the aroma moved to a dark chocolate crème brûlée with spiced smoky pistachios… read more
68.122 – A Cafe In Jerez
59.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Barrique ~ 15yo ~ Highland ~ £95.00
The nose evoked a café in Jerez; chilled dulce sherry and coffee, polished wood tables, mantecados and polverónes, salted almonds, raisins, dried figs and jamon serrano. The palate was robust but balanced – dark toffee, muscovado, candied orange in dark chocolate and raspberry sauce over vanilla ice cream weighing in against old oak and cigarillos. The reduced nose encountered gingerbread, molasses, coffee grounds and nutty aromas (with the wind in from Africa)… read more
76.150 – Glory Be To The Patisserie
54.9% ~ Refill Ex PX Butt ~ 32yo ~ Speyside ~ £825.00
Golden rays from heaven radiated through the pâtisserie window and illuminated waxed lemons, ripe apples and a punnet of juicy strawberries that rested on soft chamois leather oven gloves. As the sun lowered in the sky, bright beams glanced over blackcurrant jam on warm scones, sugary rock and creamy vanilla. The sun set further with a drop of water, the now orange light glowing on blocks of dark chocolate with spicy cloves, caramelised walnuts and toasted chestnuts… read more
85.92 – Fires The Imagination
58.9% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Butt ~ 13yo ~ Speyside ~ £80.00
This one got our thinking juices flowing, with just a few examples including a motorbike gang member’s leather jacket, sour dough pizza marinara and Turkish delight shisha tobacco mix. The taste was truly an experience. Eating a slice of sourdough bread served with herb butter, blue cheese and wild boar salami in the shade of an olive tree on the Mediterranean coast was how one Panellist described it. After reduction we prepared a chocolate espresso martini with dark chocolate cream liqueur, cold espresso and vodka as we sat by the Bosporus Strait overlooking the bridges that connect the orient with the occident… read more
95.98 – Focaccia Fudge
59.7% ~ 2nd Fill Toasted Hogshead ~ 10yo ~ Speyside ~ £62.00
Lightly burnt toast, cooled and loaded with salted English butter: the nose took us to the breakfast table initially, then to dessert, as panna cotta, flambéed bananas and vanilla emerged. The palate was full of strawberry bubble gum and fudge, laced with anise, cinnamon and soft brown sugar. Water brought a damp limestone pavement, lichen and banana to the nose, along with hay bales being soaked in an autumnal downpour… read more
105.43 – Lushness Balanced With Freshness
54.9% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 17yo ~ Speyside ~ £105.60
The aroma was that of opening a bottle of cold, refreshing cloudy pressed apple juice as well as removing the lid from a jar of dusted toffee-centred lemon bonbons. On the palate, we found a slice of white chocolate and raspberry blondie, coconut shortbread cookies, a gooseberry fool and slices of sweet honeydew melon. Following reduction we got a ploughman’s lunch – a platter served with a variety of cheeses, fruit and salad, as well as chutney and walnut kernels… read more
135.55 – Billions of Battered Barnacles
56.3% ~ 1st Fill HTMC Hogshead ~ 16yo ~ Highland ~ £91.40
The aroma was battered haddock – the fish, not the captain! We also got a heavy meat reduction with cranberry sauce, as well as chocolate chip walnut cookies. On the palate, we were served wild goose breast roasted with apples, raisins and an orange glaze; sweet and tangy at the same time. After the addition of water it was all about fruits and nuts, with a roasted beetroot, candied walnuts and goat’s cheese salad… read more