SMWS Outturn July 2025 goes live on Friday 4th July 2025
Whisky With An Outdoor Adventure – 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 June 2025 outturn).
Whisky With An Outdoor Adventure July 2025 Outturn bottles:
1.294 – Textbook
56.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Speyside ~ £92.00
The Panel found the nose initially dominated by leafy sherry notes and warming wood spices. We agreed this one displayed a classical, slightly salty and earthy oloroso influence with additional notes of camphor, dunnage earthiness and plum cake. Some water brought out sultanas, Dundee cake and game meats with a hint of sweet stout. Neat, the palate was back to the wood spice profile and also displayed unlit cigars, treacle, rum ‘n’ raisin ice cream and hints of cinnamon… read more
4.394 – Patisseries and Perfumeries
61.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 15yo ~ Highland ~ £92.00
The fragrant scent of violets and roses merged with the delightful bouquet of fresh panettone and salted bread from next door. Flaky croissants were still hot from the oven, ready to be filled with lime marmalade, honey or even chunks of crystallised pineapple. Adding water accentuated the floral notes as orange blossom and potpourri came to the fore. Handmade wafers were served with vanilla ice cream and brambles tumbled into raspberry sorbet…read more
5.141 – Tropical Paradise
60.2% ~ Re-Fill Ex-Rum Barrel ~ 11yo ~ Lowland ~ £60.00
The playful nose combined jasmine, vanilla and peach, desiccated coconut and brown sugar, and cinnamon on barbecued banana. The palate had strawberry bubblegum and cherry cola sweetness, curiously intermingled with herbal and woody impressions. The reduced nose went from ylang ylang perfume to a newly opened sweet shop and then to freshly made doughnuts. The palate was a tropical paradise of coconut, strawberry and lime, plus dolly mixtures, more bubblegum and bourbon biscuits… read more
10.290 – Journeying, Convening, Tumbling
53.2% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Hogshead ~ 11yo ~ Islay ~ £85.00
We took a capsule of crispy seaweed, filled it with hard toffee and salt crystals, dipped it in beechwood tar and tumbled it over sand dunes. After our nasal meanders, the palate immediately had the Panel convening around a beach fire eating smoked pigeon pie from a coal scuttle and chewing on sticks of Brighton rock dipped in caramel. Water gave the nose lighter, fruitier notes of apple and ginger tea, lemons baked in clay and coastal air. The finish was buttered toast sprinkled with crispy fried seaweed, served on a hessian napkin soaked in blackberry compote… read more
11.61 – Will Spark A Conversation
60.1% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Butt ~ 9yo ~ Highland ~ £62.50
This sample was all over the place nosing neat. We got chilli milk chocolate, dried figs, maple syrup, thick treacle, rich raisin purée and burnt pie crust. On the palate we tasted a sharp sourness which was not unpleasant but certainly surprising. We had a throw-together salad of rocket, beetroot, walnuts, croutons and feta with a honey balsamic vinaigrette. Following the addition of water, we opened tins of peaches and pitted black cherries as well as bags of salt and vinegar crisp…. read more
12.90 – In An Apothecary’s Drawers
55.9% ~ 1st Fill #4 + Char Hogshead ~ 16yo ~ Speyside ~ £95.00
The nose delivered red vermouth, crusted port, amarena cherries and cassis with hints of anise-flavoured liqueur, hessian and willow. The lip-smacking palate balanced sweet, sticky dates, figs and cherry pie with candyfloss sticks, black tea and an apothecary’s drawers. The reduced nose evoked a room with curtains of red and black liquorice, carpets of nettles and sage, and various freshly made jams on a rosewood table. The still potent palate arm wrestled our taste buds with muscles of raspberry, redcurrant and pomegranate….read more
19.107 – Tropical Fudge
53.3% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 22yo ~ Highland ~ £155.00
Begin by soaking madeira cake in a light-roast espresso, add some crumbly brown sugar, vanilla, a spoon of marmalade, and stir in some toasted almonds. We found the nose and the palate to share these core components, with an addition of black cherry and coconut to the palate being layered with cacao and nutmeg latterly. A drop of water elevated coconut, and added a runny raspberry jam and crushed barley to the nose. Fruity and buttery on the palate, pineapple and mango sorbet… read more
36.224 – Cashew-Coconut Chocolate Tartlets
59.5% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Speyside ~ £69.00
The aroma was that of cashew-coconut chocolate tartlets, peanut maple fudge bars and hazelnut chocolate brownies next to balsamic strawberries served with a slice of pound cake. On the palate, we found an explosion of fruit flavours such as mango and kumquat but at the same time an almost overwhelming hit of spice, comparable to biting unexpectedly into a peppercorn. After we had reached for the water, the scent of lightly burnt mango and apple strudel with coconut and vanilla custard filled the room… read more
41.182 – Sweet Harvest Festival
53.1% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Hogshead ~ 12yo ~ Islay ~ £69.00
At first nose autumn greeted us with grain sacks from late harvests, apple wine and lemon peel as if to make a toddy to wash down coffee cream choux buns. On the palate things started off with pick ‘n’ mix sweets followed by a meaty and fruity impression of sage stuffing meatballs with cranberry sauce, and a glass of lambrusco spiced with cinnamon and dried ginger for good measure. With a bit of water the Panel were met by an array of sweet treats on the nose: caramel, foamy shrimps, raspberry jam, and madeira cake with a nice cup of rosehip tea… read more
44.194 – Smell for Leather
61.2% ~ 2nd Fill US Oak Ex-PX Hogshead ~ 17yo ~ Speyside ~ £125.00
The Panel detected initial notes of leather, runny honey, camphor and the familiar fat waxiness of this worm tub-influenced distillate. We also found some lovely earthy notes, tobacco leaf and a very slightly salty sherry character too. Water brought out some wood sap, along with sultanas, crushed ivy, clay and notes of aniseed, golden syrup and plum jam. The palate was initially wonderfully fat and and meaty, with impressions of bacon jam, hot cross buns and salted liquorice all noted… read more
52.49 – Audacious and Adventurous
56.0% ~ 1st-Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 11yo ~ Highland ~ £68.50
We borrowed a descriptor from the perfume industry: aquatic – a smell that reminded us of a mountain or a forest stream mingling with the spicy fusion of white pepper and basil. The great mouthfeel was “like a storm on the ocean”, a salty oiliness infused with apples, ginger and cloves, while in the finish we found a plum and thyme tart. Following reduction, we built a balsa wood raft with sweet raspberries spread across a bed of hay in the background… read more
53.494 – Sea Monster for Hire
58.8% ~ Re-Fill #4 Char Hogshead ~ 11yo ~ Islay ~ £80.00
The neat nose bristled with carbolic acidity, brined green peppercorns, anchovy paste and crushed aspirin. Overall an austere and powerful profile, the Panel agreed. Water made it really very tarry, but also sharper with more sea air and coastal power. We also noted green olives and pickled lemons. The neat palate was very big and oily in mouthfeel, with immediate flavours of raw, dirty peat, along with puffer smoke, more anchovy paste and soy sauce… read more
55.99 – All-Round Sweet and Sensual
58.3% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX STR Barrique ~ 11yo ~ Highland ~ £65.00
The nose found crème brûlée and raspberry sauce on chocolate ice cream, but the main impression was clean and floral – honeysuckle, rose, orange blossom and holiday hotel bougainvillea. On the palate, thyme, basil and rosemary herbals faded before a sweeter sensuality of blackcurrant cordial and lozenges, plus apricot and orange. On the nose with water, coconut macaroons and tea cakes kept up the sweet strain but the floral now veered towards tropical fruits… read more
58.60 – Full-Bore Franzbrotchen
53.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 14yo ~ Speyside ~ £80.00
We nosed a warm franzbrötchen laden with cherry jam, crushed blackcurrants, lemon zest and rhubarb crumble. The palate was equally rich, unveiling nutmeg-spiced strawberry syrup, liquorice and raspberry liqueur, lime and wood resin. Water gave the nose accents of orange bitters, pine nuts and candyfloss dusted with custard powder. The finish was lighter on the palate, delivering sugar snap peas dipped in light soy, mace-spiced honey and rhubarb seasoned with cracked black pepper… read more
59.92 – To Top It Off
57.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Highland ~ £69.00
A bowl lined with tobacco leaves and filled with warm custard comes topped with a decorative drizzle of soy sauce and a spoon laden with strawberry jam. To taste, melon segments were served on charred oak with a pinch of powdered cinnamon, fennel and pumpkin seeds, and accompanied with a glass of red ale. A splash of water pulled out notes of peaches, manuka honey, pineapple and cut grass. The palate was by now increasingly fruit-forward, with apples, oranges poached in earl grey tea… read more
71.113 – Desert Island Sponge Cake
48.0% ~ Re-Charred Hogshead ~ 29yo ~ Speyside ~ £199.00
Waves of exotic fruit merged with apricot shisha tobacco, weaving fragrant aromas into a tapestry of sweetness. Juicy lychees and peaches arrived in sticky syrup, topped with hazelnut liqueur and dried petals, before soft brioche released gentle and toasty sensations in the mouth, blending with orange blossom honey and chewy chunks of dried mango. A little water delivered thick layers of sponge cake, piled high with ripe pineapples, coconut shavings, and roasted chestnuts and almonds… read more
85.104 – Elegance in a Vintage Car Showroom
56.1% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 15yo ~ Speyside ~ £85.00
Grape must and crushed bergamot were subsumed by hessian sacks and deposited in a vintage car showroom – a fitting fragrance for the location. The cask pedigree was made immediately clear on the palate; full of oak tannins, dried figs, strawberry jam and a touch of eucalyptus. Water offered to sweeten the nose and emphasise bergamot, while the palate became especially elegant, with very gentle leather, honey and almond notes. After 10 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead… read more
95.92 – Nectarous Enticements
62.0% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 13yo ~ Speyside ~ £69.00
The sweet, fruity nose offered enticements of danish pastries (with apricot and custard), ripe melon, banana toffee, candied pineapple and clover honey. The palate had sweet, sticky madeira molasses cake; chocolate, hazelnut and nougat caramel cups; cloudy apple juice with elderflower and, eventually, after-tingles of oak, crystallised ginger and peppermint. The reduced nose was clean and fresh, with lemon, candied angelica, tropical fruits and newly chopped wood, as well as yet more sweet treats… read more
95.100 – Spice Surprise
57.2% ~ 1st Fill Oloroso & New Oak HTMC Hogshead ~ 16yo ~ Highland ~ £92.50
The neat nose was redolent with fruit scone mix, vanilla essence and aromatic notes of cherry blossom, white chocolate and sweet earthiness. With some water we found hazelnuts in browned butter, apple rings and Turkish delight. The neat palate delivered a surprising prickle of chilli jam, along with orange zest, star anise and fruity hot sauce with lime juice. The reduced palate displayed a wonderfully rich texture, with flavours of butterscotch sauce, salted almonds and fig chutney… read more
121.119 – I Then Produced my Rapier
62.3% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Highland ~ £59.00
Like stepping into bright sunshine, this nose was immediately vivid with rich, crisp, pure, maritime peat smoke. A very coastal dram, it was full of lemon juice, seawater, shucked oysters and a brittle, blade-sharp peat profile. We all loved it. With water it revealed seaweed crackers, beach sand, lemon thyme and umami qualities such as soy sauce and lightly smoked olive oil. The palate was directly maritime and peaty. Big vibes of rock pools and medicine, with plasters, gauze and mercurochrome impressions all noted… read more
149.14 – Cheeky!
62.2% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Highland ~ £79.00
We found a wonderfully bright, citric and mineral profile on first nosing. The Panel noted many lovely aromas of barley sugars, freshly starched fabrics, gorse flower, white tea and lanolin, with subtle waxiness in the background. With reduction it became even more aromatically detailed, revealing birch sap, dried rosemary, a sooty coal scuttle and menthol and camphor balm. The neat palate was sweeter than expected, with lemon bonbons, lemon barley water, olive oil, hessian and herbal teas with honey… read more
G15.39 – The Dentist’s Waiting Room
65.1% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 10yo ~ Highland ~ £55.00
The nose welcomed us into a dentist’s waiting room, delivering the scents of clinical contraptions, a new carpet and insulating tape enveloping a stack of warm electronics. Rejecting the offer of dental floss, our palates were instead served barbecue burnt ends and cornbread, with a side of pineapple on a hickory slab. Water gave the nose a splash of rum punch, a bowl of peanuts and a self-assembly figurine kit… 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