05/12/2019 December outturn at the SMWS

PS is there, of course, as are DW and HT. JS joins me -- well, I join JS, technically.

35.238 23yo d.1995 Sweet dreams (53.6%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 197b): nose: sweet notes of marzipan, custard cream, perfume, perfume-burner, actually, and cherry-scented lipstick. Perhaps the back nose holds resin as well. The second sniff brings up roasted leather. Mouth: warm, it adds ginger to the nose's custard. The second sip is mellower and fresher, with pine sap and a drop of camphor. Finish: warming, with a metallic touch too. More pine sap flows in at second sip. 7/10

9.171 26yo d.1992 A double buttered old crumpet (52.8%, SMWS Society Cask, Refill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 175b): nose: a combination of hawthorn and jasmine. Quince jelly appears later. Mouth: bitter marmalade, with lots of orange peels. It turns quite bitter at second sip -- and gently spicy, with white pepper on the tip of the tongue. Finish: a slap of marmalade, then it turns discreet. Very. It dies down almost instantly. Not particularly noteworthy, this one. 6/10

46.83 26yo d.1992 Spicy berries and sour cherries (54.5%, SMWS Society Cask, ex-Bourbon Hogshead finished in 1st Fill ex-Port Barrique, 167b): nose: leather, bovril, a tannery and an ounce of ink, blotting paper. The second sip focuses on compote (apple or apricot). In fact, it is a sack of apples -- a hessian sack of apples. Mouth: well, the leather cavalcade goes on with shoe polish, leather saddles -- scratch that, it is shoe soles. The whisky leaves a pinch of ground green chilli on the inner-lips. Finish: it turns really old school and hints at a 1950s distillation (I know), with a mix of shoe polish, dried fruit and a softly-meaty touch. It seems absurd to say, but it reminds me of very-ancient Springbanks or Strathislas. Would love to try this again. 8/10

36.168 19yo 2000/2019 Fruity, earthy and exciting (56.6%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Moscatel Hogshead, 272b): nose: all over the place. There is some rubber, crushed pine cones, pine sap and burnt wood. Mouth: soft, gently fruity, with preserved quince and berry jelly, as well as a pinch of "green" spices (whatever that means). Finish: some spices, little fruit here, some pine sap, some crushed herbs, candied angelica, maybe even star aniseed. Decent Benrinnes, not the best. 6/10

G6.9 38yo d.1980 Listening to the frog chorus (46.5%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill Toasted Hogshead, 147b): nose: roasted pineapple aplenty. This is fruity, soft and scented like a gentle, fancy soap. Perhaps smoke from a Turkish bath? Mouth: very-milky chocolate, deluxe chocomelk (JD will get the reference). At second sip, it turns more herbaceous. Finish: thick and chocolate-y, full of chocomelk alright, Bailey's, though it never becomes sickly. Gorgeous stuff. It knocks the 46 off top spot, tonight. Or does it? Coming back to the 46, I am not so sure. 8/10

66.159 12yo 2007/2019 Lots of nice things (61.9%, SMWS Society Cask, 1st Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 208b): nose: earth and mud, squashed raspberry, crushed bay leaves and cardboard. Mouth: ink on plasticine, putty, silicone joints -- how bizarre! A hint of waxy fruit appears behind all that, with plums and, well, plums. Mirabelle plums, maybe. Finish: watercolour, plump plums, greasy earth, clay. Nice. 7/10

PS: "You've added something I hate and made it better. You've actually hate-fucked this whisky into acceptability."

29.266 8yo 2011/2019 Converting vegetarians (60.9%, SMWS Society Cask, 2nd Fill ex-Bourbon Barrel, 249b): I try this with water only. Nose: beetroot being processed for sugar. Childhood memories, innit. Moist earth, watercolour (purple, if it is any help), cured bacon, roasted on a camp fire, Frazzles, pencil shavings. Mouth: PS added too much water to this. Diluted mud, diluted squashed blueberries (a lot of it, funnily enough) and a bit of melted candlewax. Finish: huge, it has smoke stacks, char-grilled skewers, scorched earth, drying and full of watercolour, really. This is my style, tonight. 8/10

PS: "I've been ruined for Laphroaig by you bastards. The main problem with this one is that it's 32 years too young!"

Some good things, here. It was crowded, though.

Lots of nice things
vs.
Bad-Boy CD doing nasty things