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Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada December 2020 Outturn

Posted on November 7, 2021

by Evan

Between writing up 25 blog posts for our 2020 KWM Whisky Calendar I decided to take a break - by tasting the seven new bottles in the SMWS December Outturn!

December is here and a new Outturn has been unleashed on us by the Scotch Malt Whisky Society of Canada, which means it is time to talk about the seven new SMWS bottles that have graced us with their presence. For me, that means it is time to taste more whisky! I look forward to tasting the bottles and writing up these blog posts each month. I wish I could share in tasting them together with you all, and hopefully, we can get back to doing that soon. For now, here are my thoughts on the December lineup.

39.194 - This is the first Linkwood we have seen in a while, and with a name like TIME FLIES AND FRUIT FLIES I am expecting some nice sweet notes within the glass. Let's see: The nose is fruity and floral with cherries, raspberries, lemon tarts, spearmint and chamomile, a touch of grapefruit peel, golden delicious apple, and white pepper. and hand lotion. On the palate, I get a creamy and spicy built followed by a burst of fruit. Buttercream, sweet yellow kiwis, pineapple chunks, applesauce and coconut water. This is a bright and delicious starting dram.

6.37 - Next up is a 10-year-old from Macduff distillery, which is more commonly known as The Deveron in official bottlings. WITH AN UNBATTERED EDGE shows a touch of green/unseasoned oak on the nose along with wedding cake fondant, blanched almonds, and jasmine. To taste it is sharper than the 39, with a touch of salt on the finish. The palate gives lemonade, ripe golden pears, pickled ginger, yogurt-covered pretzels, lychee, and polished oak.

89.11 - With an awesome name comes A KRAFTWERK ORANGE. I am going to have to crank up Autobahn to taste this Tomintoul! As the song opens and the car door closes with a thump, I and start to notice aromas of marmalade on buttered and toasted Wonderbread (Wunderbread?), oatmeal with golden raisins and a touch of honey, dried apricots, and late harvest Riesling. As the tempo slows on the song and the German chorus extolls the virtues of that magnificent highway I start to taste. The buttery and creamy mouthfeel also gives notes of drizzled honey on top of whipped cream that sits on a creme brulee. Macadamia nuts, cashews and black pepper on the finish. This is a subtle yet rich dram. I am only at minute thirteen in the song so I could keep drinking this one, but there are more to taste so I had better hop to it! AHHH TOHHH BAHNNNN

10.192 - Onto this Bunnahabhain, which is titled DEEP & COMPLEX & SWEET & EARTHY. I am left empty, wishing this name also referenced a German Pre-Industrial Proto-Electronic band. The nose gives black walnut bitters, black tea, black truffles, and a dash of iodine. Maybe they could have gone with a Rolling Stones reference and called it Paint it Black? The palate is rich and coating with notes of tobacco, mushroom soup, plums, dates, fennel seed and a touch of Nutella. The Cask finish works nicely on this one.

1.215 - Wow - a Glenfarclas. And a sherried Glenfarclas at that. It is a sherry cask finish, but still! On the nose FORMIDABLE CHOCOLATE shows Glossette Raisins, After Eight chocolate mints, Terry's Chocolate Orange (notice a trend here?), dates, blackberry jam, rooibos tea, and a touch of polished leather. And chocolate. The palate is rich and sherried with a dash of reduced balsamic, molasses, fig jam, hot chocolate, and a bit of nutmeg. I think the cask finish takes over the spirit a bit much in this one, but for a sherry lover, it will fit the bill.

66.136 - It almost doesn't seem like an Outturn if there is no Ardmore, and luckily December has obliged us with BURN HEATHER AND HONEY. On the nose are your typical Ardmore notes of fresh malt and oatmeal and earthy smoke, but Woah, this also veers into a more pungent style with roofing tar, fresh asphalt and... Blueberry pie. What a twist! To taste it shows prunes, black licorice, bacon drippings on a cast iron pan, and maple syrup. This is possibly the tarriest Ardmore I can recall since we tried THE DIRTY UNCLE (or WARM, AVUNCULAR MASCULINITY as the SMWS called it) back in March of this year.

33.138 - Step aside Glenfarclas and Bunnahabhain, this is the lottery bottle that everybody seems to want. If Ardbeg bottled its own water it could sell it in half bottles for 500 pounds sterling and it would still sell out in minutes, I swear. I would still hold off for the Committee release instead of getting the regular strength bottling, though! Anyhow, here are my notes on A THIGH-SLAPPING DRAM. Nose: Chalky and chocolaty with baker's chocolate, cherry flavoured Certs, Teriyaki flavoured beef jerky, pineapple, HP sauce and cigar smoke. Palate: Espresso coffee, hickory, smoked meats, tomato paste, lemon juice and lavender... Okay, I get the fervour for this one. It is like Uigeadail meets An Oa on steroids. But come on! It's not like this is a 42...

And with that bit of flamebait, it is time for me to sign off!

Cheers,
Evan
[email protected]
Twitter and Instagram: @sagelikefool

Read below for the December of 2020 Canada Outturn, in the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's words

39.194 - TIME FLIES AND FRUIT FLIES
This 13 year old Speysider was matured in a refill hogshead and is 57.8%.
Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla.
Outturn: 270 Bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "For a refill cask there is a surprising initial hit of fresh oak, Juicy Fruit chewing gum and dried banana chips. Lots of mango, pineapple, apple schnapps and fresh pears. Additional notes of toffee and coconut husk pop up as well. A wonderfully attractive aroma so far. With water the age starts to show and there's polished wood, dusty library books, dried exotic fruits and hints of pine forest petrichor and coconut oils.
In the mouth there's a massive wave of fruity intensity. Bold and mature beyond its years. Rancio, gentle waxiness, hot buttered scones, barley sugars, ginger sweets and hay lofts. Reduction evolves things towards honey and lemon tea, caramelized oatmeal, Belgian waffles drizzled with golden syrup and pink wafer biscuits. Marvellous stuff!" $156

6.37 - WITH AN UNBATTERED EDGE -
This 10 year old Speysider was matured in a 2nd fill barrel and comes in at 56.5%.
Flavour profile: Light & delicate.
Outturn: 200 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "The nose opens on baking parchment and yellow wild flowers. Lots of white pepper, ink, damsons, buttery cereals and brown bread. Some daffodils heavy with pollen, bashed up custard creams and wild heather. Water unveils corn starch, fresh linen, dry leaves, vegetable soup, green wood and herbal infused teas with a splash of mineral oil.
The palate is also herbal, lots of dried mixed herbs with tangerine peel, white flowers, chamois leather, river reeds, vase water, gorse and pear eau de vie. Reduction brings sweetness in the form of vanilla foam, butter bean hummus, wormwood, hawthorn, hot draff and motor oil." $131

89.11 - A KRAFTWERK ORANGE -
This 7 year old Speysider comes in at 64.1% after maturing in a 1st fill hogshead.
Flavour profile: Spicy & sweet.
Outturn: 237 Bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "An inviting initial nose of dusty malt bins, barley sugars, lemon cough drops and putty greeted the Panel. Some softer tones like cafe latte, ground almonds, coffee and walnut cake and caramelizing muscovado sugar followed on. An impressive heft and complexity we noted. With reduction we got notes of bitter marmalade, olive oil cake, delicate tobacco leaf, satsuma peel and orange travel sweets. The lighter scent of geraniums in a potting shed.
Neat, the palate was nutty, rich, and rather heavy for this particular distillery. Peanut brittle, caraway, toasted sunflower seeds and toffee popcorn were all noted. Scotch broth with a burlap garnish! Water enhanced the herbaceous aspects and added corn starch, rapeseed oil, gorse flowers, hot wort and freshly made muesli with dried fruits." $132

AHHH TOHHH BAHNNNN

10.192 - DEEP AND COMPLEX, SWEET AND EARTHY
This 9 year old from Islay comes in at 60.8% and after 7 years in ex-bourbon wood we transferred this into a 2nd fill moscatel hogshead.
Flavour profile: Juicy, oak & vanilla.
Outturn: 243 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "The initial nose of desiccated coconut and pipe tobacco gradually opens to lemon meringue pie, apricot flan and rosebay willowherb in wasteland, with background hints of wood, liquorice and tar. The deep, complex palate combines sweet and earthy notes; butterscotch, dark chocolate, caramelized bananas, Eccles cakes and ginger snaps, with tarry ship’s timbers and salty pork scratchings.
Water shifts the nose to straw, dried seaweed, celery, pepper, Tunnock’s Snowballs and new fence timbers. The palate becomes easier and sweeter – coffee and walnut fudge, toffee, brandy snaps and dried dates. After 7 years in ex-bourbon wood we transferred this into a 2nd fill moscatel hogshead." $169

1.215 - FORMIDABLE CHOCOLATE -
This 15 year old Speysider comes in at 58.7% and after 13 years in a bourbon barrel, we transferred this whisky to an Oloroso hogshead.
Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits.
Outturn: 278 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "A deep and dark nose ventured through dimly lit wine cellars towards wooden crates packed with walnuts, bananas and dried orange skin. Pineapple sizzled on the hot plate of a steam engine as a thin layer of soot coated tea leaves and tobacco. Then truffles and dark chocolate brought an oily weight that grew with ginger and sage towards a punchy crescendo.
Water illuminated wine notes of oily Rieslings and Tokaji dessert wine whilst sweet elements ventured into toffee and candyfloss. A lively and tingly sensation lasted onto a huge finish that combined chocolate and mushrooms with leather, oak and crushed black pepper. After 13 years in a bourbon barrel, we transferred this whisky to an Oloroso hogshead." $156 SOLD OUT

66.136 - BURNT HEATHER AND HONEY -
This 12 year old Highlander came from a refill hogshead and is 58.4%.
Flavour profile: Lightly peated.
Outturn: 310 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "We found various things on the nose – chalky sweets and dulce de leche; dried flowers and hay; slate, oily rags and salt and pepper chips – eventually wisps of light smoke. That smoke was stronger on the palate, etching the tongue with pan-fried red chilies, wood ash and camphor, all wrapped in honey and barley sweetness.
The reduced nose balanced burnt heather stems and wood fire embers with dark toffee, marble cake and marzipan. Now we tasted butterscotch, petits fours and brown sugar on porridge, some earthier notes (truffle, dried mushrooms, cured meats) and light smoke - char and tar - especially on the finish." $159

33.138 - A THIGH-SLAPPING DRAM -
AVAILABLE TO MEMBERS ONLY BY LOTTERY. ENTRIES ACCEPTED UNTIL NOON, TUES. DEC. 8TH AND MEMBERSHIP MUST BE IN GOOD STANDING AT TIME OF DRAW.
This 12 year old from Islay was matured in a 2nd fill Oloroso butt and comes in at 60.9%.
Flavour profile: Peated.
Outturn: 615 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "Nose - brandy snaps, cafe noir biscuits, dark toffee, liquorice, treacle, molasses and crispy mackerel skin grilled over peat. Palate - visceral sweet smoke, burnt twigs, raisins, dark chocolate and Lapsang Souchong tea - a mouth-filling, lip-smacking, cockle-warming, thigh-slapping dram.
The nose turns sweeter with water - maple syrup and brown sugar - but there's a coal fire in a wood-panelled room or a bucket and spade on the beach by a tarry driftwood bonfire. Now the palate balances maple candies, treacle toffee and sugar-coated fennel seeds with pipe dottles, medicinal notes and tying leather thongs with your teeth - you can provide the back story." $375 - LOTTERY BOTTLE

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You can more information on these as well as other SMWS bottles by visiting our website.
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This entry was posted in Store, Whisky, Tastings, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, Tastings - Online Tasting

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