SMWS releases — November 2024

In short · Glenfarclas (Speyside), 12 years.

“The nose was a flash flood of fruity fun – green apple, limeade, fruit salad chews and jam, with lesser notes of birch twigs, nettles and rose in the slipstream.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Highland Park (Islands), 12 years.

“A delicately salty nose made us think of pure ozone, coastal wildflowers, trampled greenery, beach pebbles and bath salts, alongside wee notes of angelica root and sooty…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Highland Park (Islands), 14 years.

“Eight-year-old single malt, in selected casks from this distillery, was combined and then developed further in various casks.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Highland Park (Islands), 25 years.

“The Peat Plants Collection is the first quartet in The Creators Collection.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Auchentoshan (Lowland), 20 years.

“A complex fruitiness danced between fermenting apples and cognac before dipping into ginger beer and tiptoeing over to orange skin in an old fashioned cocktail, updated…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Glen Grant (Speyside), 19 years.

“Awakened by the smell of unsmoked bacon rolls on a mahogany plank, a fresh pint of amber ale and beeswax candles, we proceeded swiftly on to dessert.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Bunnahabhain (Islay), 10 years.

“A robust, thick and richly peated aroma displayed both oiliness and waxiness – suggesting a highly textural dram ...…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Tullibardine (Highland), 10 years.

“Fragrant aromas of lavender, carnations and cherries merged with honey drizzled over raspberry jelly and tutti frutti ice cream before olive oil soaked into oak staves…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Laphroaig (Islay), 25 years.

“The Story The Peat Plants Collection is the first quartet in The Creators Collection.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Glen Moray (Speyside), 10 years.

“We were baking lemon butter biscuits, vanilla scones, caramel shortbread and cinnamon-flavoured rice cakes next to wintergreen meringues.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Glen Moray (Speyside), 16 years.

“The sumptuous nose was immediately evocative of shoe leather, brown bread, toasted sunflower seeds, espresso and cocoa powder.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Linkwood (Speyside), 10 years.

“The nose evoked an ice cream parlour on a sunny day – ice cream cones with raspberry sauce, vanilla custard slices, honey on banana, dark chocolate and crème brûlée…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Linkwood (Speyside), 10 years.

“A fresh and floral aroma greeted the Panel with descriptors such as pear drops, lemon cleaner, liquorice-flavoured lozenges and a potpourri of violets and apple blossom.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Dailuaine (Speyside), 14 years.

“Sticky pork ribs served with honey-roast carrots were followed by a blackberry baba and spiced mascarpone cream.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Craigellachie (Speyside), 16 years.

“After 12 years in ex-bourbon wood, we put this into a first fill American oak PX hogshead.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Craigellachie (Speyside), 18 years.

“The neat nose was superbly focused on scented hardwoods, dried sultanas, chopped dates and figs soaking in Armagnac.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Glenlossie (Speyside), 31 years.

“The warm and deeply nostalgic nose was filled with rhubarb and apple crumbles, boozy trifle, quivering fruit jellies and lovely notes of marzipan, fruit scones slathered…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Caol Ila (Islay), 33 years.

“The sweet fragrance of hibiscus tea, violets and sticky heather honey found perfect harmony with the citrus zing of spruce tips and whisps of smoke from burning lavender…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Caol Ila (Islay), 33 years.

“The Story    The Peat Plants Collection  is the first quartet in The Creators Collection.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Aberfeldy (Highland), 10 years.

“We imagined a chutney made from sticky sweet figs, juicy apples and apricots on a cheese and dried cured meat platter.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Mannochmore (Speyside), 15 years.

“The pockets of a new waxed cotton jacket were stuffed full with raisins and soft brown sugar and doused in that most well-known 5th-numbered perfume.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Ardmore (Highland), 12 years.

“The nose was a laurel wreath on which gentle peat smoke was intertwined with butterscotch and malt extract.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Ardmore (Highland), 26 years.

“The Story    The Peat Plants Collection  is the first quartet in The Creators Collection.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Glenburgie (Speyside), 13 years.

“We hung linen, one breezy, warm summer’s afternoon, on the washing line in a garden with a freshly mown lawn adjacent to a pine forest.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Ben Nevis (Highland), 11 years.

“One Panellist was immediately transported to the stables and tack room of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Glen Elgin (Speyside), 13 years.

“It was heaven in a glass for any serious fan of raisins, dates and dried figs, wrapped in cured ham and served with toffee apples and Christmas pudding.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Auchroisk (Speyside), 12 years.

“The first impression on the neat nose related to the colour – yellow, banana, pineapple and dry hay on a scorching hot summer’s day.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Strathmill (Speyside), 13 years.

“The nose had sweet depth with a soupçon of savouriness – walnut fudge, manuka honey, mochi rice cakes and hints of balsamic glaze and chicharrónes.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Knockdhu (AnCnoc) (Speyside), 9 years.

“On the nose, a flamenco dancer in leather boots was making the oak floor shake – we clapped along while enjoying dates, figs, walnuts and serrano ham.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Isle of Arran (Islands), 8 years.

“A sweet, oak-smoked mackerel pasta with chili and lemon greeted the Panel.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Chichibu (Japan), 8 years.

“Green pine wood crackled and hissed in harmony with sizzling bacon, mackerel fillets and whole lemons on a barbecue deep in the woods.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Loch Lomond (Highland), 19 years.

“A big, juicy and intense fruitiness dominated this neat nose.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · St. George’s (The English Whisky Co.) (England), 12 years.

“Sweet aromas of cloves and antiseptic merged with burnt crab, smoked kippers and vanilla pods smouldering in the smoke of wet driftwood in a peat kiln.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Nantou (Taiwan), 5 years.

“Our Panel piggies snuffled, gruntled and asked for more.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Balcones (Texas, USA), 3 years.

“With a resounding crack, the polished leather of the cricket ball ricocheted from the freshly oiled willow bat.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Ardnamurchan (Highland), 8 years.

“The scent of freshly cut grass combined with a wisp of a minty coastal sea haar and sweet coal smoke, making this a very intriguing and complex proposition.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Domaine d’Espérance (France), 18 years.

“An intense, sweet, warming aroma reminded us of a morning skiing in the Alps before we had lunch in a mountaintop hut, ordering apple strudel made with raisins, cinnamon…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · FEW Spirits (Illinois, USA), 4 years.

“Luscious creamy butter melted into walnut oil before trickling over Japanese plums and greengage fruit mixed into soft couscous.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Loch Lomond (Rhosdhu) (Highland), 9 years.

“Enticing aromas of shortbread, ginger biscuits and orange merged with sweet bourbon liqueur and green notes of eucalyptus and herbal stock.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Glasgow Distillery Company (Lowland), 1 years.

“An Arcadian array of aromas cheered us immediately – grapefruit, lemon and bergamot, bog myrtle, juniper and pine, rosemary, tarragon and Turkish delight.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Worthy Park (Jamaica), 11 years.

“The initial aroma was that of very ripe bananas in a warm Jamaican rum and raisin banana cake, followed by toasted coconut, apricot jam and tea tree oil.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · Worthy Park (Jamaica), 10 years.

“The unusual nose had suggestions of exotic fruit, burnt fruit cake in an airtight plastic tub and Santa’s boots up the chimney.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

In short · FEW Spirits (Illinois, USA), 4 years.

“Straight from the bottle intense aromas of clove oil and cardamom swirled around bay leaves and black tea.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

“Sometimes you don’t see things coming and they hit you square in the tasting glass in the most surprising way.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS

“The Creators Collection is a new series that brings liquid storytelling to life with rare aged whiskies curated to create the ultimate whisky flights.…”Extract · full tasting notes at SMWS