SMWS Outturn June 2024 goes live on Friday 7th June 2024
Flavour Epiphanies – 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 June 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 May 2024 outturn).
Flavour Epiphanies June 2024 Outturn bottles:
4.355 – Gorgonzolas Burning!
63.0% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 13yo ~ Highland ~ £75.00
We began by serving honey-glazed gorgonzola baked on a charred pine plank and decorated with fresh mackerel and toasted marshmallows. The palate offered applewood-smoked cheddar with raisins and plums. Dank, minty, eucalyptusy serrano ham joined the party shortly afterwards, plus valerian root and barbecued spare ribs. Water offered alum block, vanilla, salted popcorn and crab meat served on waffles topped with toasted almonds… read more
5.135 – Jammy and Jazz
59.9% ~ 1st Fill American Oak STR Barrique with New Toasted Heads ~ 12yo ~ Lowland ~ £76.00
The panel found this to be an entertaining nose, studded with dates, cloves and nutmeg, with underlying aromas that suggested hessian, putty and prunes in syrup. Jaunty, vibrant and inviting… With water we found such things as rosehip tea, lemongrass, sawn mahogany wood and cherry cola syrup. The first neat sip revealed a very jammy and sweet profile, with plenty of marzipan, heavy cask influence with lots of wood char notes, BBQ sauce, graphite oil and nice notes of treacle and herbal bitters… read more
6.63 – Cafe Terrace, Sunny Afternoon
56.1% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Hogshead ~ 16yo ~ Speyside ~ £104.00
After 13 years in ex-bourbon wood this was enhanced in a first fill American oak PX hogshead. The nose had fruit with leather undertones: black grapes, ice cream sundae with cherries, and blackcurrant jam on a treacle scone, all in a leather bag. The palate brings cola, pretzels, dried fruits and tobacco evoked a sunny afternoon on a cafe terrace. The reduced nose combined honey, golden syrup and cinder toffee sweetness with cinnamon and ginger cake with additional walnuts, black tea and roast ham… read more
9.268 – Apple Snow in Summer
56.6% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 14yo ~ Speyside ~ £78.00
The shy nose peeped out from behind haystacks, wearing dried flower garlands and smiled upon us with a sunny exposition of banana split, lemon curd, honey cake and French fancies. The palate started out with simple sweetness (puff candy, honey, white chocolate) but opened up to a complex finish of rhubarb, fresh oak, black tea, nutmeg and chilli flakes. The reduced nose continued to tease us with its delicate fragrances – lemon bonbons, fruit salad, apple orchards, nougat, meringue and sweet peas… read more
12.85 – Fragile and Unvarnished
59.4% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 10yo ~ Speyside ~ £64.00
A lovely take on this typically very fruity make, with a lighter-touch second fill cask. The nose opened with jasmine flowers, white tea, sandalwood and dusty pollens – with a hint of oatmeal and honeyed porridge detected as well. We found this light, playful and elegant. With water we got a surprising vegetal side emerging, with white asparagus, then an earthy potting shed, cigarette papers and vase water. The palate when neat was all about straw, baled hay, yellow flowers and pink lemonade, with a delicate and intricate sweetness at play… read more
18.52 – I Challenge Thee…To A Duel!
60.0% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 15yo ~ Speyside ~ £85.00
At first we got initial notes of Jamaica ginger cake, cedarwood cigar boxes, liquorice, pipe tobacco and damp dunnage funkiness. We also found some sleek aromas of coconut husks, slightly salty old sherry vibes and fruit loaf. With water, the damp, earthy and mulch cellar notes were enhanced, along with further aromas of graphite oil, crushed walnuts and petrichor. The neat palate opened with big flavours of walnut wine, old furniture and leather – like being slapped in the chops with an old leather driving glove. With water we found dates in syrup, brown bread spread with treacle and more notes of tobacco laced with eucalyptus… read more
19.94 – Petals and Pistachios
57.9% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 19yo ~ Lowland ~ £125.00
An alluring arrangement of roses, carnations and coconuts welcomed the senses before layers of milk chocolate, gooseberries and resinous pine needles began to build complexity. The elaborate amalgamation ventured deeper on the palate as ginger and pineapple merged with Turkish delight, toasted pistachios and oak sawdust in a leather pouch. A few drops of water brought digestive biscuits, marzipan and rice pudding topped with cinnamon into the mix. A sweet fragrance remained but now of elderflowers, eucalyptus and mint leaves…. read more
28.103 – Limoncello, Lavender and Love Hearts
61.2% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 8yo ~ Highland ~ £57.00
The nose delighted us with lashings of limoncello, sherbet and verbena, plentiful pear drops, green apples in a basket and musty-dusty hay barns. Unsurprisingly, we found cloudy lemonade, lemon barley sugars and orange zest on the palate, along with the spritzy, punchy, lively fizz of a vintage champagne bellini, followed by ginger beer spice and oaky tannins on the finish. The reduced nose developed some unexpected floral elements and puff pastry cream horns…. read more
35.341 – Sunny Memories
60.6% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 10yo ~ Speyside ~ £55.00
An easy and immediately playful nose opened with juicy fruit bubblegum, pineapple cordial and pine needles. We also noted cotton candy, soft fudge, modelling glue and caramel wafers. When reduced the nose opened up to reveal yellow flowers, turmeric, dried apricot, pollens, overripe plums and jasmine tea. The neat palate had spiced vanilla panna cotta up front along with honeycomb, linseed oils and sweet children’s cough medicines. With water we found barley sugars, peppermint, juicy ripe fruits, golden honey, lemon thyme…. read more
36.217 – Heaven and Earth
59.2% ~ Two 1st Fill PX Hogsheads ~ 17yo ~ Speyside ~ £97.50
The aroma sent us into orbit with green asteroid belts (fizzy apple laces), strawberry stars and heavenly chantilly cream. The taste then brought us back to earth with classic chelsea buns, cinnamon candied almonds and hot spiced mulled cider. After reduction we made rose cardamom burfi and pongal (Sri Lanka’s version of rice pudding made with jaggery). On the palate, we tucked into lavender honey ice cream, pecan pie with maple cream and, in the finish, a ruby red grapefruit marmalade… read more
38.42 – Cigars in Sweetie Jars
50.3% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 31yo ~ Speyside ~ £495.00
In an antiquated sweet shop, jars filled with delicious treats lined the shelves, the smell of polished oak merging with scents of sour apple sherbet, peppermint toffees and mint chocolate truffles. Pineapple and peach slices then joined fragrant ginger chai tea, finished with camomile petals and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Water released a complex assortment of apricots, nectarines and gooseberries served with chantilly cream, along with the evocative aroma of cigars dipped in sticky syrup. A spiciness now appeared as mace and cloves mingled with the sweet smoke of apple, mango and guava shisha tobacco… read more
41.173 – Flamenco Floorboard Fantasy
56.0% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Butt ~ 15yo ~ Speyside ~ £85.00
We transferred this from an oloroso butt to a first fill PX butt (Spanish oak) after 10 years. The sherry influence hit our noses with balsamico drizzled over figs, lemon zest and leather shoes dancing on floorboards where cigarette ash and wine have been spilled. The palate combined the rich sweetness of treacle tarts, red liquorice, dried fruits and pomegranate molasses with mulled wine spices. In reduction, the nose balanced vanilla custard slice with darker notes of black tea, pumpernickel and molasses… read more
42.84 – Melliflous Menthol
55.9% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 15yo ~ Highland ~ £89.00
One Panellist described the neat nose as ‘quite fresh and windy’ while another found themselves smoking a menthol cigarette on the deck of a boat and standing next to a person wearing floral perfume. On the palate we detected a buttery sweetness and melted toffee, but at the same time this was thick and oily, like maple chilli lime-grilled shrimps. Following reduction, we found creamed, dried cod served on a slice of crusty bread as well as olive oil and hot butter in a cast-iron frying pan… read more
44.178 – Sliced and Diced
59.4% ~ #4+ Char New Oak Hogshead ~ 18yo ~ Speyside ~ £117.00
This brought back childhood memories for one Panellist of charcoal-grilled schaschlik kebab – skewers of cubed pork loin, beef, smoked bacon, peppers and courgette served with a curry tomato sauce and crusty French bread. The taste was simply sensational! Liquorice, dried prunes and raisins, treacle tart and mince pies mingled before a finish of creamy hot chocolate. Diluted, it was another dish: Chinese-style pancakes filled with crispy aromatic duck, cucumber, spring onions and a drizzle of hoisin sauce… read more
46.140 – Say it with Flowers
59.2% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 12yo ~ Speyside ~ £65.00
We were presented with a stunning arrangement of coconut and almond white chocolate truffles combined with a bouquet of flowers. On the palate it was smooth and silky at first, like a vanilla yoghurt with fresh fruits, nuts and a sprinkle of mint, followed by a big hit of aniseed spice, before moving nicely into fragrant rosewater territory. Water added malted milk biscuits, tablet and fudge on the nose while the taste was that of salted caramel and sugar-coated cashew nuts…read more
46.145 – Castanets and Cowboy Hats
54.5% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 15yo – Speyside ~ £85.00
Rich aromas of Seville orange marmalade, pears poached in claret and scumptious carrot cake blended into caramel wafers, dipped in honey and served with toffee, ginger biscuits and fragrant cigars. A big and spicy palate moved from ginger and nutmeg to Turkish delight, cinnamon and leather with milk chocolate-coated oak staves. Adding water released oaked chardonnay wine with a lovely buttery complexity that complemented coconut husk, mango and toasted pineapple served with dry sherry… read more
53.450 – Touched by a Bear’s Paw and Claw
58.2% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Hogshead ~ 13yo ~ Islay ~ £92.00
What a bouquet of aromas – teak oil, smoked walnut wine, sambuca with black liquorice flavour plus roasted pears, plums and peaches. To taste, a “muckle” (very large) hit of smoke like a steaming hot roasted red pepper, sweet potato and smoked paprika soup. After reduction, the scent turned into smoked blueberry pancakes and honey on burnt toast. On the palate, it conjured up images of not only a a bear’s paw – a European Christmas biscuit, with powdered almonds, nutmeg and dark chocolate… read more
53.457 – Coal Shards on Clotted Cream
57.2% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 9yo ~ Islay ~ £79.00
A sticky blend of milk chocolate and toffee was dunked in treacle, encrusted with coal shards and placed under our noses. To the palate, the dram was smoked peanuts in caramel, hoisin sauce and root beer. The introduction of water wrapped this whisky’s aroma in smoked bacon, glazed it with raspberry jam and placed itself firmly on the barbecue. The palate was now chocolatey, with burgundy wine and that same smoky, nutty character, albeit now joined by ointments and clotted cream, and served on rye bread… read more
55.93 – Retronasal Tasting Menu
56.1% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead & 2nd Fill STR Barrique ~ 14yo ~ Highland ~ £55.00
We stepped into the glasshouse for a retronasal menu of orange oil, honeysuckle, teak and cinnamon-dusted apple pie. The incursion of a sprinkler system was swiftly embraced – our dram having developed well with water – delivering black grape, plum, milk chocolate and Italian meringue. The starting point for this small batch was two bourbon hogsheads of single malt Scotch whisky. One cask was transferred at 12 years old to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead… read more
60.35 – Bienvenue a la Patisserie
57.6% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 10yo ~ Highland ~ £64.00
Mouths watering, the Panel entered a pactisserie, with its enticing aromas of lemon meringue pie, banana bread and honey-glazed apple doughnuts, as well as roasted chestnuts and pecan snowballs. On the palate, we first bit into a warm piece of apple cinnamon tart and honey on buttered crumpets before a grassy, peppery note with the intense citric fruit flavour of grapefruits and lemons appeared. Following reduction, we poured a glass of cloudy lemonade and had a croissant filled with sweet apricot jam… read more
63.50 – Summer Soiree
56.0% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Speyside ~ £50.00
Bursting with aromas of red grape juice made from freshly pressed grapes, sun-filled pink grapefruits, Thai lemongrass and dark Manuka honey whilst on the palate neat we were served a fizzy cocktail made with gin, grapefruit juice, thyme vanilla syrup, elderflower liqueur and soda water. After dilution, on the nose, sweet candied pineapple and sliced chocolate covered caramel apple whilst on the palate now a rocket salad with red cherry tomatoes… read more
64.150 – Al Fresco, In The Sun
56.4% ~ 1st Fill Ex-PX Barrique ~ 14yo ~ Speyside ~ £80.00
Things opened with the rich, thick air of cured and smoked hams and cheeses, sliced madeira cake and nuts, some of them smoky. These were joined by apple peel, caramel and baked stone fruits. The palate was awash with fruity syrups, dates, custard tarts, coriander and beurre noisette, with a mentholic sorbet to finish. Having introduced water, red apple leapt forward, joined by lemon zest and baked sultanas on the nose… read more
66.250 – Beautifully Balanced
55.0% ~ Re-Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 25yo ~ Highland ~ £195.00
The Panel were greeted by a delightful, gentle, sweet wood smoke – possibly a couple of burning magnolia trees in full bloom – plus the scent of a chamomile lawn crushed beneath bare feet. Delicate and so beautifully balanced, this was breath-taking, like an arabesque in ballet. This position always dazzles the judges, and rest assured this dram dazzled the Panel. We all agreed it was better neat, as one Panellist imagined grilling nectarines over a beach wood fire with pecorino and honey… read more
70.57 – Essence of Deliciousness
56.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 15yo ~ Highland ~ £88.00
We tweaked the tried-and-true combination of ham and cheese by using gorgonzola dolce, Black Forest ham, caramelised onions and grilled rye bread. It was mouth-watering and lip-smacking, evoking an exotic sausage stuffed with a mixture of cheese, spices, mustard, herbs and plenty of seasonings. After reduction we were served patatas bravas, a Spanish dish of roasted potatoes tossed in a spicy and smoky tomato sauce, followed by lovely, sweet, camomile-smoked pear pastilles… read more
71.98 – Wood-Panelled Library
60.1% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 12yo ~ Speyside ~ £61.00
As we spread brandy butter on white toast, a vase of lilies and carnations was topped up with condensed milk. Sweetness abounded on the nose, and gorse flower-infused vanilla milkshake enveloped the tongue before, after a pause, light anise, gentle bergamot and a pinch of mace. To complement an oaky backbone, the introduction of water pulled forward an antique green leather armchair, sat in a library sporting timber-panelled walls. Beyond a nostalgic old varnish we found brambles drizzled with tea tree and lemon oils… read more
77.75 – Cheroots in an Oloroso Bathtub
55.20% ~ 1st Fill STR Barrique ~ 14yo ~ Highland ~ £88.00
Oloroso sherry splashed on to natural stone tiles as we lay back, took a bite of soft orange sponge cake and lit another cigar. Through the open window a gentle breeze mixed aromas of smoked hay with the fragrant notes from the local bakery a delicious amalgamation of salted almonds, fresh bread and apricot jam pastries. Floral notes arrived with water as Turkish delights joined hawthorn blossom and orchards. The tobacco smoke danced over the bathtub of oloroso made spicy with a handful of coriander seeds and tart orange skin…. read more
78.68 – Las Bodegas de Fort William
58.7% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Oloroso Hogshead ~ 10yo ~ Highland ~ £68.00
An immediately assertive nose full of personality. We found ginger wine, sultanas, brown bread, treacle, aged leather, pipe tobacco and dark chocolate. With time it evolved towards heather flowers, walnuts and rancio, before water brought dried flowers, mango chunks, walnut oil, marzipan and cough mixtures – this is a big, no-nonsense sherried west Highland whisky. The palate was superbly oily and fat; full of sweet waxes, dark fruit cordials, aged armagnac, rustic earthiness and hints of balsamic glaze and crystallised exotic fruits…. read more
78.72 – Fat Haggis
58.7% ~ 2nd Fill Sherry Hogshead ~ 8yo ~ Highland ~ £60.00
We loved the immediate and clearly robust distillery character that came through on this one. It was perfectly balanced with the sherry cask influence as we detected aromas of mechanical and cooking oils, orange cocktail bitters, spiced marmalades and hessian. Some water brought out cinnamon swirl pastries, baked apples, bouillon, camphor and herbal cough medicines. The neat palate opened with a wonderfully fat and leathery vibe, with notes of ointments, treacle, citronella waxes and a lovely, soft earthiness…. read more
80.47 – Childhoord Baking Memories
56.8% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Hogshead ~ 11yo ~ Speyside ~ £55.00
We donned our apron in granny’s kitchen. From the old wooden cabinet, our nose was greeted by custard powder before chopping rhubarb picked fresh from the garden. Zesting a lemon, we combined the ingredients into the finest of trifles, with a splash of something boozy. On the palate there was mandarin, oat milk and spice, with a silky mouthfeel from mango and honey. Water transported us to a hothouse full of flowers and pebbles, with nectarines and white grapes joining the lemon and mandarin…. read more
93.209 – A Musing Moment
58.5% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 9yo ~ Campbeltown ~ £65.50
Imagine a big family party on the beach with a bouncy castle, marshmallows, cotton candy, gummy bears and foamy bananas for the children, while for the adults there are sweet-smoked salted macadamia nuts, smoked barley wine and crisp vanilla pear white wine sangria. On the palate, tuck into smoked duck and spiced jam canapés followed by campfire hotdogs served with a marinara sauce. With a drop of water, the descriptors went wild – a pirate’s wooden leg washed ashore…. read more
94.35 – Waxes and Workshops
57.4% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 14yo ~ Highland ~ £78.00
We found this one displayed plenty of thick and syrupy waxiness up front. We got big impressions of ice cream wafers, hessian, carpentry workshops, olive oil mixed with runny honey and pressed wild flowers. Some rich heather ale notes also. Reduction brought hints of hot toddy, honeydew melon, putty, tool box rags and camphor. The neat palate opened with a lovely sweetness, then further notes of camphor, some pollen, crystallised honey, waxes, ink, tea tree oil and lemon verbena, plus a few dried flowers and hints of milk chocolate…. read more
112.115 – Firm and Fruity
59.9% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 8yo ~ Highland ~ £57.00
A typically expressive and exotic profile, as we’ve come to expect from this terrific and under appreciated make. Freshly laundered fabrics and linens were noted first, before a big detonation of citrus curds, tropical fruit jams, bubblegum and various things like lychee, apricot jam and dried papaya. Lovely stuff! With water we found some slightly more aromatic elements such as sandalwood, heather flowers, delicate sooty touches and flower pollens. The palate opened with pure exotic fruit pulp, fruit salad goo and hints of limoncello, crushed nettles and New Zealand sauvignon blanc…. read more
112.121 – Warm and Toastie
53.9% ~ HTMC New Oak Hogshead ~ 16yo ~ Highland ~ £95.00
This felt like folding a scarf around your neck for maximum warmth. The scent was that of a hot chocolate, with a good shot of kirsch and topped with cinnamon cream. On the palate, we found apple strudel, and whisky-spiked mulled ginger beer with honey. One Panellist, with very long arms, imagined hugging a redwood tree. After reduction we moved high up into the Alps. We sat in a chalet, with fog in the valley, blue sky up above and a mountain panorama to die for….read more
113.71 – Hothouse Reverberation
62.0% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 11yo ~ Speyside ~ £64.00
The nose had a bittersweet character, like tarte tatin, apricot danish and upside down pineapple cake; plus hints of camphor and menthol balm, white pepper, liquorice, gorse bushes and roses. Quite tart on the palate, it reverberated with wood, tropical fruit skins, sour apple sweets and chilli jam before a drying finish of paprika, cardamom and clove. The nose, with water, developed popping candy and watermelon sweets, lemons in a wooden fruit bowl and orchids in a hothouse…. read more
122.52 – Green Eyed Beastie
62.5% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 8yo ~ Highland ~ £57.00
The initial nose popped and fizzed with coconut shavings, green under ripe melon, crème Catalan, rum and raisin fudge and a wee hint of buttery shortbread. Water evolved it towards dusty hay lofts, sultanas, honeysuckle and snapped green twigs. We also noted white pepper, pine cones and vanilla foam with a hint of crème caramel. When neat the palate was punchy and peppery with elderflower, nettle tea, brown sugar and lime juice. Some impressions of fruit salad gunk, fermenting banana and lanolin too…. read more
137.15 – Wafts of Smoke
66.7% ~ 2nd Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 11yo ~ England ~ £90.00
Big, rich smoke greeted the Panel as, in the neighbour’s garden, beef jerky was being cooked over an open peat fire while we hung linen on the washing line. On the palate, even more smoke, as the neighbour started another open fire using damp turf and moss to grill peppered mackerel with soy, lime and ginger. Following reduction we thought it was like a peat reek in a bothy, with smoked paprika, chargrilled lobster meat and a whiff of medical ointments…. read more
140.15 – Cocoa Habanero
61.5% ~ #3 Char New Oak Barrique ~ 3yo ~ Texas ~ £85.00
Scented aromas of dried flowers merged into mashed banana as we poured over melted milk chocolate spiced with chipotle chili paste. It was cocktail time on the palate with the arrival of orange bitters and herbal liqueur dancing around habañero peppers on a bed of cask char. A little water introduced soft leather and aromatic tobacco as a sweet fragrance returned, this time as delicate honeysuckle petals. Juicy satsumas and ripe cherries tumbled into mounds of cocoa powder and flaked bitter chocolate…. read more
143.5 – Enchanted Cake
59.2% ~ #2 Char New Oak Barrel ~ 3yo ~ Seattle ~ £90.00
Lost in the depths of a dark forest we spied a flickering light from a cottage coated with gingerbread, fudge and muscovado sugar. Creeping closer we could see a pathway of honey-coated oats leading to a toasted oak front door with a cherry door handle. Delicious wafts of rye bread, mint and herbs merged with nutmeg and cloves in plumes of heady tobacco smoke from the chimney. After a dash of water we creaked open the door to be taken aback by an intense burst of baking spices, oak chips and smoky old fashioned cocktails…. read more
GN1.7 – Eau de Vie Grande Reserve
48.7% ~ 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon Barrel ~ 1yo ~ Glasgow ~ £52.00
We walked through a magical forest full of the aromas of fresh pine, bitter orange, green leafy geraniums, woody balsamic fir needles and a resinous fruity herbal spiciness. We made a break and enjoyed a sip from our thermos flask, one had hot nettle tea with honey and cinnamon, while others had a refreshing, cooling mint tea with a peppercorn juniper spice kick. Following reduction, we peeled an orange and cracked some black pepper before we enjoyed eau de vie de poire Williams Grande Reserve from Alsace matured in oak casks…. read more