Artist Collective 3.6 Ardmore 9 Year
$129.99
Described by the producer as deep, malty and mineral, this 9 year old Ardmore has been bottled at 43% after maturing in 7 ex-Laphroaig Bourbon casks. Only 18 bottles are coming to KWM. Artist Collective is an independent bottling line from La Maison du Whisky. Each label features art work commissed by LMDW inspired by the whisky in question.
Producer Tasting Note
Nose: creamy and empyreumatic. On the first nose, gum arabica envelops an oily, floral (violet, dandelion, daisy) peat. On a chromatic front, a background of candied lemon and juicy pear brings beautiful golden tones. Allowed to breathe, malted barley grains, medicinal notes (mustard poultice, camphor) and ash accentuate the feeling of warmth emanating from the aromatic palette. Gradually, placed on the same slate, exotic fruits (banana, pineapple) and aromatic plants (sage, verbena) appear.
Palate: lots of eloquence and vitality. The milky attack (coconut, fromage blanc) reveals an impressive herbaceous freshness (cut hay, mint). The peat is perfectly integrated into the heart of the taste palette. Nestled between fresh fruits (pear, peach), sweet almond and lavender honey, it overflows with mineral salts and rooty particles (gentian, ginseng). The leguminous (leek, courgette) end of the palate is incredibly rich.
Overall: long, chiselled. From cocoa bean to roasted coffee bean, infused verbena to cut lucerne, fleur de sel to tarry flavours, and wildflower to seaweed, the start of the finish reveals a host of new tones. With lots of zest, it naturally heads towards the seaside, becoming salty and medicinal. On the retro-nasal olfaction, aquatic plants (samphire, reed) ripple in the breeze of an invigorating cold wind. The expressive and rustic empty glass brings a stable to mind (straw).
About the Artist Collective Range
"Since the dawn of time, artist collectives have been a place of exchange, inspiration and creativity. In the same way, each of the single malts found in our Artist Collective range draws the richness of their olfactory and gustatory palettes from the marriage of various casks. Devoted to diversity, every region and every style of Scottish single malt, peated and unpeated, are represented. Within this range we also find 43%, 48%, 57.1% (100 proof) and cask-strength bottlings. To illustrate the labels of the six bottlings in our first collection, La Maison du Whisky has called on contemporary artists from very different backgrounds. Each of them brings their own very personal touch that echoes the richness of the single malts selected!"
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 26.164
$152.99
THE DARK GOES OUT
From the Highlands, this 7 year old comes in at 63% after maturing in a 1st fill ex-bourbon barrel.
Flavour profile: Oily & coastal
Distilled on: 16 October 2013
Outturn: 226 bottles
SMOS Director`s Sp. Bunnahabhain 44 Year
$1,649.99
Bottled from a single cask (presumably a sherry butt) of Bunnahabhain aged 44 years before bottling at 42.4%. Whiskies in the Director's Special range are personally selected by Sukhinder Singh, as being exceptional. 91.67pts Whisky Base!
Benromach 15 Year
$131.99
The new Benromach 15 Year, in sharp new packaging, is made from malts matured in First Fill Bourbon and First Fill Sherry casks before bottling at 43%.
Benromach 2009 Cask Strength
$104.99
Limit 1 Per Customer!
Batch 04 of the Benromach Cask Strength is a 2009 vintage, matured in ex-Bourbon and Sherry casks before bottling at 57.2%.
Producer Tasting Note
Aroma: Rich dark forest fruits with clove and cinnamon spice, followed by sweet raspberries and dark chocolate aromas.
Palate: Sherry soaked fruit and subtle smoke lead to a hint of zesty orange peel. Red apple flavours develop alongside subtle cracked black pepper.
Finish: Full bodied and long finish with sweet smoke and red berries.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 39.196
$131.74
ENRICHED GERANIUM
This 13 year old Speysider is 59.1% after maturing in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead.
Flavour profile: Light & delicate
Distilled on: 24 July 2006
Outturn: 311 bottles
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 46.88
$274.99
A CURIOSITY OF FLAVOURS
This 22 year old Speysider spent 20 years in ex-bourbon wood before being transferred into a 2nd fill Spanish oak PX hogshead, and comes in at 53.1%.
Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits.
Outturn: 232 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "Slightly restrained, the nose slowly divulged barley sugars, chocolate profiteroles, maple candy and bourbon biscuits – digging deep, we found earthier elements (pipe tobacco, rhubarb, nutmeg, cappuccino, seasoned oak). The palate offered sugar-coated fennel seeds, clove-flavoured brown sugar, camp coffee and roasted parsnips – ginger, cumin and cardamom on the finish.
The reduced nose gave us creamy toffee, Crunchie bars, dark chocolate with cherry pieces and coffee and walnut gateau. The palate now had blackcurrant cough sweets, liquorice, moist tobacco leaf, ripe gooseberry and a dry, seasoned oak finish. After 20 years in ex-bourbon wood we put this into a 2nd fill Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez hogshead."
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 135.21
$134.29
CHEEKY AND REEKY
From the Highlands, this 14 year old is 53.3% after maturing in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead.
Flavour profile: Lightly peated
Distilled on: 18 March 2005
Outturn: 277 bottles
Scotch Malt Whisky Society 63.63
$134.99
FUNKY OLD BODEGA - 1 Per Member!
From a 2nd fill sherry butt, this 7 year old is 66.2%.
Flavour profile: Deep, rich & dried fruits.
Outturn: 602 bottles.
Panel's tasting note: "Unashamedly lavish aromas of raisins and sultanas plunged into the oily opulence of walnuts, olives and Serrano ham whilst a background funk encapsulated strong black tea and the warm air of Jerez. A mouth-coating swirl on the palate engulfed us in a world of root beer and strawberry wine with heavy juniper berries, prunes and leather as a tingle arrived from wasabi peas.
Water revealed hidden secrets in a bodega as dark chocolate melted over Brazil nuts with brown sugar and liquorice. A heightened complexity now drew us into soy sauce and balsamic glaze with truffle oil and brandy butter. Touches of salt remained on the tongue with a lasting warmth that suggested cognac, calvados and even dark navy rum."