NEW R WILL B ELEASES AT MID E ONLINE D FRIDAYAY AEDT, NOVEM 18TH BER
Outturn DIVE IN: From Friday 18 November Issue 10, 2022
DIVE INTO SUMMER!
Take a deep dive into our bumper festive
gifting guide and massive November Outturn. Your jump into flavour awaits!
DIVE IN ONLY AT SMWS.COM.AU
Contents OUR BOTTLINGS MALTS OF THE MONTH Cask No 68.78...................................................... 6 Cask No 4.306...................................................... 8
DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS
GIN
Cask No 68.78........................................................6 Cask No 80.32...................................................... 34 Cask No 12.62....................................................... 36
Cask No 35.287............................................. 35
Cask No 12.62......................................................36
Cask No 65.7..................................................38
YOUNG & SPRITELY Cask No 79.6........................................................ 16
SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW Cask No 39.220........................................... 15 Cask No 13.85.............................................. 15 Cask No 150.2.............................................. 15 Cask No 5.91................................................. 15 Cask No 9.217...............................................16
SPICY & SWEET Cask No 48.141..................................................... 16 Cask No 78.57........................................................ 19 Cask No 19.63........................................................ 19
SPICY & DRY
RUM Cask No R13.4............................................... 44
OLD & DIGNIFIED
THE VAULTS COLLECTION Cask No 65.7........................................................38
Cask No GN3.21.................................................. 44
JUICY, OAK & VANILLA Cask No 108.38................................................... 20 Cask No 63.88...................................................... 20 Cask No 135.35.................................................... 20 Cask No 44.144.................................................... 20
BUNDLE OFFERS FRUITY, SPICY, JUICY........................................32 Cask No. 63.79 Cask No. 19.63 Cask No. 46.120
OILY & COASTAL Cask No 93.179.................................................... 40
CAMPFIRE COALS..............................................32 Cask No. 66.204 Cask No. 16.55
LIGHTLY PEATED Cask No 4.306........................................................8 Cask No 3.325...................................................... 40 Cask No 4.304...................................................... 40
FANTASY FLAVOUR TRIO...................................33 Cask No. 26.186 Cask No. 140.4 Cask No. 73.125
PEATED Cask No 93.178.................................................... 43 Cask No 42.75...................................................... 43
DEAR SANTA…I'VE BEEN GOOD!........................33 Cask No. 12.54 Cask No. 35.295
Cask No 18.38....................................................... 19
Cask No 53.399................................................... 43
Cask No 13.93........................................................ 19
Cask No 16.55....................................................... 43
NOTES FROM OUR TEAM
Let's get festive Matt Bailey................................................. 3 Your ultimate guide to Outturn magazine: where flavour begins Adam Ioannidis....................................... 10
The Captain's Balcony sets sail Adam Ioannidis...................................... 42
YOUR SOCIETY
Events Celebrate the close of 2022................
22
Festive gifting Society Membership..............................
25
Virtual Tasting Christmas casks......................................
23
Your club, your comment The year that was...................................
26
Society Advent Calendar 25 casks of Christmas...........................
24
Member offer Smokus Fruticosus................................
45
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AMBASSADOR’S ADDRESS
Let’s get N festive Whew. What a year. Seriously. I probably say this every year, but every year is such a rollercoaster that constantly challenges, changes, and creates incredible experiences.
ovember for us is the bumper edition of Outturn for all your stocking stuffers and holiday drams to keep you going. Yes, there is going to be a December ‘top up’ Outturn again, but November is when we really REALLY pull out all the stops and drop all the goodies. It’s also a great month for reflection. A great month to look back at all the member experiences and feedback, and see where we can improve, grow, and do more for our members every month. It’s a time for looking ahead as well. With an eye to 2023 and what we have planned — it’s a milestone year again, but this time for the WHOLE club, not just the Australia branch. We're coming up to 40 years of the club globally, which will mean some rather special casks to celebrate this milestone with.
ABOVE: My first visit to SMWS Bath St, Glasgow, just earlier this year.
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ABOVE: The Vaults. Where it all began.
2023 is 40 years. 40 years since Pip Hills and some mates got together to share the love of single-cask, caskstrength whisky. Lots to look forward to here, and as I’ve said more times than I care to recall, there’s never been a better time to be a member. But before we head into 2023, it’s time to look at 2022, and what a ride we’ve been on. At the time of writing, we’ve hosted over 75+ events this year already, and that’s just the in-person ones! We started the year a bit bleak on the
calendar with the looming last of the lockdowns from Covid still lingering, so January and February were a bit lean on Society experiences, but by the time March rolled around we were truly back into the swing of it. In March we launched our biggest membership drive ever with our ‘March is for Members’, which oversubscribed by some margin, but live and learn. March this year was also the triumphant return of the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championships (aka the ‘Whisky
Champs’), which saw Vanessa Wilton take out 3rd place, Simon Cook win 2nd place, and Seamus Carroll take out the top prize and honour of 1st place at the Champs this year! And yes, before you ask, Champs will return… Other highlights this year included getting back to Scotland in April to catch up with the international team, start really mapping out the next few years at The SMWS, and even squeezing in a few distilleries I’d not visited before, like Glenkinchie and
BELOW: The stills at Glenkinchie distillery.
"2023 is 40 years. 40 years since Pip Hills and some mates got together to share the love of single-cask, caskstrength whisky."
4
ABOVE: The team at Bath St, Glasgow sharing a laugh.
Holyrood distillery. Glenkinchie had the most incredible visitor experience that really played around with flavour and sensory appreciation (heard that before somewhere?) and Holyrood had some of the most experimental and wild new make distillates. Ever tried a 180+ hour ferment of Japanese Sake yeast? Whether this produces a better end result (being whisky) is yet to be seen, but fascinating at the very least, and great to see this kind of innovation taking place. This year we also teamed up with three new Partner Bars: Beneath Driver Lane in Melbourne, The Captain’s Balcony in Sydney, and more recently, Terrarium in Perth with longtime collaborator David Stucken, who’s now also our new WA State Manager, so lots going on there. We’ve kicked off our Blues & Malts nights with Beneath Driver Lane, Outturn Preview Tastings at The Captain’s Balcony, and Gathering launches with Terrarium. This year has been busy! Then in May, we kicked off the Scottish whisky festivals simultaneously with the UK with six new single malts from the different whisky festival regions across Scotland. The Highland festival ‘Hazelnut bubblegum’ was an absolute standout for me, especially as I was on a Spicy & Dry kick at the time! Then in June, our little focus tastings at Whisky & Alement resumed post-Covid with a deep dive into the ‘heresy history’ of the Society with our experimental malts and blends over the years. Rolling into July, August, and September we saw the whisky shows and festivals return finally. We presented at the Feis Ile show in Melbourne, the Oak
Barrel Whisky Fair in Sydney, and then Whisky Whisky with the Supping Club in Brisbane. No rest for the wicked! Nothing beats getting out and about again, connecting with members, and rediscovering what the love of whisky really looks like in person. So now we find ourselves at the pointy end of the year. The moment when we get to fill our stockings, load the trolley up for Christmas or whatever you like to celebrate over summer and enjoy each other’s company. For this bumper November Outturn, we’ve really wrapped up some goodies, experiences, good reads from members and more. We’re also dropping the hottest membership offer of the year: join the club and every new member and referrer gets a free, yes, FREE bottle of our latest experimental malt, Smokus Fruticosus. Flip to that page to read all about it. In the meantime, get your marker out or start your screenshots for your favourites to grab on Outturn day, Friday 18 November at midday AEDT. Here’s to 2022, and here’s to looking forward to 2023! Cheers
Matt Bailey ~ Branch Director
Q+A with Courtney Page Welcome Courtney Page to our November Bumper Outturn! Courtney is one of the most in-demand artists working in Australia across film, TV, animation and more. We’re honoured to have worked with her for our cover design for this special edition of Outturn.
Where did your journey in art and illustration begin? When I was about 2 years old. My parents have told me I’d spend hours at the table drawing. Some things never change! What do you love most about the creative process? The beginning, when I’m researching, imagining and dreaming up all of the possibilities. What do I get to create that didn’t previously exist? What do I want to take from my own world and turn into reality? The very beginning is exciting and magical. What inspired the original artwork for Outturn in this issue? I was thinking about nostalgic and celebratory summer fun. A whimsical and juicy summer scene, when everything is more wonderful and worth celebrating (with whisky!). I was also inspired by collage artists and old school advertisements that are a bit extra, cheesy and cheerful. 5
THE HIGHLAND BEAST T MALTHE OF NTH MO
Certain distilleries go from relatively unknown entities that predominantly go into blending, to superstars loved by malt whisky enthusiasts in what feels like a relatively short time. Distillery 68 feels like that to us. It is still rarely seen as a single malt, but what is being produced at this Highland beast of a distillery is simply incredible spirit. Toasty, malty, and, in this case, stunningly festive. As part of our wood policy of managing amazing spirit into our casks, Cask 68.78 ‘Smoking bananas in a Frankincense den’ is wood supplied to us by our partner Herfe. A custom 'designer' cask — American oak will contribute sweetness (vanilla, coconut) as it is high in oak lactones, whilst the European oak will contribute more spiciness, astringency and colour due to being higher in tannins. Toasting generates the sweet, spicy, rich, smoky flavours in both types of oak. Sweet, nutty lactones are naturally present in untreated oak. A rich, nutty spirit into a rich, nutty cask in our Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits profile — definitely one for the Christmas table!
SMOKING BANANAS IN A FRANKINCENSE DEN
REGION
Highland
CASK TYPE
1st fill barrique - custom toasted American & European oak
AGE
13 years
DATE DISTILLED
18 August 2008
$169 (DOWN FROM $199)
OUTTURN
254 bottles
Limit of one bottle per Member
ABV
60.8%
AUS ALLOCATION
54 bottles
DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS CASK NO. 68.78
RA EXT URED MAT
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After nine years in ex-bourbon wood we put this into a customised first-fill barrique (70/30 split American/European oak with toasted heads). The resulting nose wowed us with kirsch, dried apricots and dates, prune and Armagnac tart, oloroso, marzipan and dark chocolate. The intensely exotic palate gave retro-nasal wafts of smoking bananas in a Frankincense den, cinder toffee, sirop de Liège and Black Forest gateau. The reduced nose found pomegranate molasses and PX, gingerbread, eucalyptus and mulling spices, Serrano ham on rye bread, vanilla and cocoa powder. The palate evoked further smoky fruitiness, like brandy butter on Christmas pudding, fig rolls and plum jam; the finish teased us with ginger, tannic oak and camphor.
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OUTSTANDING OLD ORKNEY Last November, we were able to offer up a Premium Malt of the Month, and this November we’re lucky enough to do it again! Introducing Cask 4.306 ‘Tarred and feathered’. Something magical happens to this Orkney spirit when it gets this old: those old leather and heather smoke notes emerge and the tropical fruit from this remarkable spirit shines. A bit like our Malt of the Month, this Premium Malt of the Month was also an exercise in expert wood policy and process to create the end result. Placed in our Lightly Peated profile and distilled back in 2000, this is something rather special to crack open around the Christmas lunch table, just keep a careful eye on that one Aunty that pours a rather heavy one after first taste: this cask is properly moreish!
TARRED AND FEATHERED LIGHTLY PEATED CASK NO. 4.306
$399 (DOWN FROM $449) T MALTHE OF NTH MO RA EXT URED MAT M MIUING E R P T TL BO
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REGION
Highland
CASK TYPE
Refill bourbon hogshead
AGE
20 years
DATE DISTILLED
19 September 2000
OUTTURN
338 bottles
ABV
55.2%
AUS ALLOCATION
54 bottles
A vivid, pure and beautiful aroma of beach foam, pure heather flowers, crushed seashells, ink, sea air and lemon rind. Fresh, vital and wonderfully evocative. Reduction brings out soft waxes, umami pasta water, anthracite embers, gorse flowers and lanolin. Curls of fragrant, Orcadian peat smoke linger over everything. The palate initially revealed brine, green olives and lemon juice with underlying notes of natural tar and herbal mouthwash. Water brought out lightly smoked olive oil, white truffle, black pepper and citrus piths. A waft of warm kiln air maintained richness and a tense but subtle peaty flavour. At 17 years of age, we combined selected hogsheads from this distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks.
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Your ultimate guide to Outturn magazine
where flavour begins WORDS BY
ADAM IOANNIDIS
If you’ve just joined The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, congratulations on taking your first steps into the wider world of flavour. As you may know, we specialise in single-cask, cask-strength whisky that puts flavour first. Flavour is key here at The Society and should be your guide when choosing bottles.
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I
f you’re a new member you may be wondering “what is Outturn?” — and that’s a fair question. Put simply, it is the yield of our monthly cask releases available to our members. We offer up anywhere between 12 and 15 casks a month for our members to purchase. However, rather than a list or spreadsheet of what’s on offer, we catalogue said casks into a monthly magazine entitled ‘Outturn Magazine’ which we publish a week before our releases go live for all our members to enjoy.
No1
So, Outturn is a magazine?
Yes, Outturn is a magazine, but we also use the word in its literal meaning — referring to the actual release of casks for the month. Our outturn is what we’re releasing (the monthly yield), and these casks are featured in Outturn Magazine. Outturn Magazine is released exactly one week before “the outturn goes live” — which is when the casks go on sale. This is always the first Friday of the month — sometimes referred to as “first
Friday” or, “Outturn day”. (This is with the exception of THIS issue, of course. Our November bumper issue always goes live mid-November and features a higher yield of casks than the regular outturn). Casks always go on sale at midday AEST/ AEDT. For example, the July 2022 Outturn preview was published and sent to members on Friday the 24th of June at midday AEST. The Outturn casks went on sale for members on the 7th of July at midday AEST — the first Friday of the month.
This gives members a full week to peruse the magazine, read the tasting notes, discover the content and pick out what they want to purchase on Outturn day from our website.
No2
How do I navigate Outturn?
As you may have realised by now, our bottle labels are a little different to your regular commercial whisky brands' labels. As part of our commitment to concentrate on flavour above all else, we do not state the distillery which the original new-make spirit originated from. We instead have a coding system. The diagram overleaf is a great way to decipher our bottle labels. Most of the information on the label is expressed in Outturn Magazine, but you will find the full, unabridged tasting notes, as well as the Australia branch’s allocation of the cask (neither of which are expressed on the bottle). The full tasting notes and assigned flavour profile are the two easiest and recommended ways to discover a new cask and find out what you can expect from such a bottle. Outturn is a key part of The Society, but it’s so much more than just a catalogue.
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Understanding the label The total global Outturn of bottles from the single cask.
The condensed expert tasting note of what to expect.
The cask ID: the first number is the distillery code (26) and the second number is the approved cask by our expert tasting panel (136). So this is the 136th cask from this distillery bottled by the Society.
The flavour profile colour strip.
The date the whisky was distilled.
The name of the whisky is an indicator of the flavour and gives the cask a name!
The region of the spirit.
The age statement of how many years in oak it is.
The type and previous fill of the cask.
The proof/ABV of the spirit
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No3
Where can I read Outturn?
You can find the current (and previous) issue of Outturn on our website. Unlike Unfiltered Magazine, Outturn is available to the public to read so you don’t have to be logged in to access it. You’ll also be able to find the direct link to the latest issue in your inbox exactly one week before the casks go on sale. (Remember, the Outturn is released on the first Friday of every month at midday AEST/AEDT, but a preview of the magazine is released seven days prior). Outturn is optimised to be easily accessible (and readable) on any digital device, so you can read it on your phone, tablet or computer! Our Partner Bars also receive physical editions of Outturn for perusal whilst you’re enjoying a dram at the bar. It’s worth mentioning that Whisky & Alement in Melbourne and The Captain’s Balcony in Sydney receive either the full Outturn selection or select casks from it before they go on sale, giving you an opportunity to sample some of the casks before they’re released. The Captain's Balcony also hosts an Outturn preview event weeks beforehand giving members (and nonmembers) the opportunity to sample some upcoming Outturn releases in a guided tasting setting.
ABOVE: Members at our Queen St members' lounge, Edinburgh, Scotland.
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No5
In addition to acting as a catalogue of upcoming casks, we also publish articles authored by our team (as well as occasional special guest writers); this content could be anything from an anecdote regarding a featured cask or distillery in the outturn, a retrospective piece on the whisky industry, general musings on the club, or even SMWS cocktail recipes that members can replicate at home — and that’s just scratching the surface. There is all sorts of different content to discover in Outturn Magazine and every month is unique.
As our Australian membership grows across the country and demand becomes higher, so too does our allocation from our bottling plant in the UK. We’re constantly receiving thousands of bottles of delicious, full-flavoured whisky to meet the growing demand. As of 2022, we have expanded the Outturn offering with supplemental weekly releases. Beyond the first Friday of each month, the following Fridays will also feature new cask releases which are emailed directly to your inbox the afternoon before. This allows for a greater selection of casks to be released and spread throughout the month and amongst our members.
Content by the team
"Beyond the first Friday of each month, the following Fridays will also feature new cask releases which are emailed directly to your inbox the afternoon before."
Weekly releases
No6
Is there a physical copy of Outturn?
Yes, we print a limited number of physical Outturn copies that members can opt-in to receive by simply contacting our head office (info@ smws.com.au). We prefer the digital approach, however, as it grants us greater flexibility — it can be read anywhere, and also includes links to cask previews we’ve recorded for our YouTube channel, as well as other content on our site.
No7
Your guide to flavour
Now that you’ve got a grasp on the basics of Outturn, what’s involved, and how to navigate it, you’re ready to take on Outturn day! We recommend reading our must-read guide to Outturn on our site’s blog — Whiskywise — for some great tips on scoring the bottles you’re after on Outturn day as well, so you’re prepared when the bottlings are released.
If you have any further questions about Outturn, your membership, cask recommendations, or anything Society-related — please do not hesitate to send us an email at info@smws.com.au or give our bespoke dram-cierge service a call on 02 9974 3046. Good luck, and welcome to The Society! 13
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YF AIR
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SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW CASK NO. 150.2
RA EXT URED MAT
$225
FRUIT FLAVOUR BOMB SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW CASK NO. 39.220
$185
REGION
Ireland, County Cork
REGION
Speyside
CASK TYPE
1st fill rye barrel
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
AGE
7 years
AGE
12 years
DATE DISTILLED
12 December 2013
DATE DISTILLED
12 February 2009
OUTTURN
248 bottles
OUTTURN
165 bottles
ABV
58.3%
ABV
61.2%
AUS ALLOCATION
60 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
CASK NO. 13.85
CASK NO. 5.91
$235
SF
SI THE BA
$180
SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW
K
E ATU R E D I
CHO
COL AT
REGION
Highland
REGION
Lowland
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
AGE
13 years
AGE
18 years
DATE DISTILLED
13 September 2007
DATE DISTILLED
27 January 2003
OUTTURN
191 bottles
OUTTURN
170 bottles
ABV
58.9%
ABV
55.4%
AUS ALLOCATION
48 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
24 bottles
A joyous combination of custard cream biscuits, creamed coconut and honey married with the evocative aromas of a dunnage warehouse nestled among lavender fields. The palate was pure fruity bliss, a social mingle of mango, apricot and peach before plums and blackcurrants invited pineapple and watermelon into polished oak casks and wood char. A fine fragrance returned with water that mixed ladies’ perfume with fresh coconut and elderflower. Apricot jam joined dark chocolate and black forest gateau with earthy notes of pine forests before light cream poured over tinned peaches in syrup and vanilla ice cream arrived with tropical fruit and ginger.
N GS
SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW
LIP-SMACKING AND SEDUCTIVELY LUSCIOUS
IRIN
SMILING FROM WITHIN
The nose was a one-armed-bandit jackpot of fruits – plum, pears and pineapple, lemon tart and fruity rum punch; also combining brown sugar and syrup with oak, balsamic and clove. The palate whispered of cardamom and chilli but sang full-throatedly of juicy exotic fruits, gummi bears, lemon peel and honey. The reduced nose became more citric – Key lime pie and lemon drizzle cake, sherbet straws, perfumed pear and cut flowers scattered over oak floorboards. The reduced palate was a flavour bomb of lemon zest, kumquat and lime sweets, rhubarb rock and Haribos; the finish entertained us with jasmine tea and kiln-dried oak.
A
This was simply a breath-taking aroma; church incense, rose petals, orange oil, dried heather, bergamot, nutmeg – no need to continue. The taste neat was certainly as exciting with cocoa, cayenne and espresso roasted walnuts as well as starfruit curd with tropical fruits. After careful reduction, at first the scent of fresh herbal notes like thyme and fennel soon followed by vanilla, coconut, rum and raisin. On the palate now like an orange chocolate truffle, rich and creamy dark chocolate with additional pure orange oil and crunchy pistachios. After four years in a 1st fill bourbon barrel, this whisky was transferred into a 1st fill barrel which previously matured rye whiskey.
PA
SIMPLY BREATH-TAKING
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Rosewater, pink wafers and candy floss floated roseate reveries; then we came down to brown with toasted coconut, Danish pastries, ginger Edinburgh rock, orange boxes and pencil cases. The initial palate had fruit pastilles, bramble jelly, ripe berries and apricot custard Danish – all deepening in time to pencil shavings, jalapeno and ginger pieces in dark chocolate. The reduced nose found lemon bonbons, honey on straw, floral aromas and suggestions of new leather. The mouth-coating palate gave satisfying swirls of barley sugar, marzipan petits fours and iced ginger biscuits, then a lingering lick of cinnamon and clove Oddfellow sweets – lipsmacking and seductively luscious.
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WELCOME BACK DISTILLERY 79!
ROUGH AND JUMBLE YOUNG & SPRITELY CASK NO. 79.6
An unusual distillate that is fun, raw, gristy, and a little medicinal. Distillery 79 is the lesser-seen Highland gem that does carry a core range, but is rarely seen. Open-top mash tun, long fermentations, and slow distillation make for a fascinating malt. Cask 79.6 is one of two new appearances from a long-established code that hasn’t been seen at the SMWS since November 1991! Think about that! Very cool ‘code revival’ here.
$170
SPRING IS IN THE AIR
IT PEELS GOOD
SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW CASK NO. 9.217
$235
REGION
Highland
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
AGE
9 years
DATE DISTILLED
2 April 2012
OUTTURN
234 bottles
ABV
60.8%
AUS ALLOCATION
36 bottles
Immediately it was apparent that this was a firm, robustly malty and well-structured dram built around its base ingredients. Lots of naked, raw gristy barley, a seam of biscuity sweetness and touches of petrol and vapour rubs. Water added pollens, cigarette papers and menthol tobacco. A lovely cereal and medical balance. The initial palate was all on chalky medicines, limestone, gauze, mouthwash and crystallised ginger. Some waxy baking paper, brown bread and some green acidity providing freshness. Reduction unveils caraway, aniseed, toasted fennel and cough mixtures. Robust, fun and highly unusual highland whisky.
SPICY & SWEET CASK NO. 48.141
$150
REGION
Speyside
REGION
Speyside
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
AGE
17 years
AGE
9 years
DATE DISTILLED
11 September 2003
DATE DISTILLED
7 November 2011
OUTTURN
210 bottles
OUTTURN
208 bottles
ABV
56.2%
ABV
56.1%
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
30 bottles
The nose is a welcome waft of fragrant spring air– golden syrup, mashed banana, barley sugars, honey, fresh linen, flowers and lemon furniture polish on varnished oak. The palate’s main message is sweet lemon – lemon drizzle cake, sherbet lemons and lemon curd, with additional rainbow drops and meringues; the lingering finish has tobacco strands, ginger biscuits, chilli chocolate and liquorice sweets. Leafy notes hit the reduced nose – dandelions, nettles, basil, lemongrass and black tea. The palate now combines iced gem, foamy banana and almond croissant sweetness with hints of apricot, orange, juniper and quinine – memories of Thai curry to finish.
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The nose announced itself with a juicy burst of lemon, lime and fruit jelly sweets while olive oil and melting butter coated the zing of lemon peel. The palate was equally as juice laden with soft papaya and lime curd on fresh crepes dusted with icing sugar. With a dash of water came hazelnuts and biscuit sweetness with apples and esters suggesting Caribbean rum. Lemon peel and apples remained on the palate but were now joined by Scottish black bun (fruitcake baked in pastry) with singed raisins. The gums tingled as vanilla moved us towards toasted white oak before hints of heather ale continued on the finish.
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A real favourite at Whisky Fair 2022, Cask 18.38 is everything we love about this oldschool distillate. Savoury biscuits, whisky from yesteryear — a clean and delightful sharer. Soft waxes, an old tin of Brasso, chewy old malt that is a real ‘naked’ version in a bottle. Fantastic.
EY WHIS
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WANDERING WESTWARD SPICY & SWEET
CRUMBS BY THE JAM JAR SPICY & SWEET
CASK NO. 78.57
$185
CASK NO. 19.63
WATCH
our review on our YouTube channel
$250
REGION
Highland
REGION
Highland
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
AGE
12 years
AGE
18 years
DATE DISTILLED
3 September 2009
DATE DISTILLED
17 February 2003
OUTTURN
159 bottles
OUTTURN
167 bottles
ABV
62.4%
ABV
58.6%
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
A lovely initial nose that suggested to us olive oil mixed with flower honey, rich, textural and wonderfully inviting with further notes of soft waxes, mineral oils, menthol resins and dried exotic fruit chunks. Reduction brought out barley sugars, orange and coriander marmalade, toasted fennel seed and bergamot. The mouth was naturally sweet and oily in texture. Many notes of pollens, fruit curds, lime sweets, hessian, apples baked in calvados, flower honey and vanilla custard. With water we got heather ales, malt loaf, exotic fruit teas, hardwood resins, soft wood spices and cough mixtures.
THE HAPPY PONDERER
The nose was immediately appealing, a delightful amalgamation of roses, carnations and butterscotch with fruit biscuits, apricot jam and toasted nuts. After an initial explosion of chilli heat on the palate, waves of fruit salad, apple crumble and toffee popcorn arrived drizzled with sticky syrup while the finish was much drier with herbs and pine sap. With a dash of water came aromas of green grass with toasted cereals and dry straw. Mango and melon delivered juicy fruits while custard was served over now singed apple crumble and malted biscuits. A theme of juicy fruits and syrup continued on the palate but now with the addition of stone fruits, cocoa nibs and nut husks on the dry finish.
CHALK AND PEPPER
SPICY & DRY
SPICY & DRY
CASK NO. 18.38
$185
CASK NO. 13.93
$180
REGION
Speyside
REGION
Highland
CASK TYPE
2nd fill bourbon hogshead
CASK TYPE
2nd fill bourbon barrel
AGE
13 years
AGE
9 years
DATE DISTILLED
18 September 2007
DATE DISTILLED
25 October 2012
OUTTURN
236 bottles
OUTTURN
232 bottles
ABV
61.3%
ABV
64.6%
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
36 bottles
A pure, punchy and wonderfully naked example of this underrated and charismatic distillate. The nose showed initial notes of fresh paint, metal polish, soot coal scuttles and more fragrant notes of soft waxes, gorse bushes, balsa wood and oily canvass. Water brought out chalky notes, pithy lime zest, herbal medicines, dried mint, camphor and white mushrooms with a petrichor earthiness. The neat palate was superb upon arrival. Full-on rich, fatty, oily textural distillate driven whisky. Buttery cereals, sweet grains, caramelised oatmeal, camphor, lamp oil, lanolin, medical vapour rubs and lemon cough drops. With reduction, we got sweeter medical notes, bacon frazzle crisps, hessian, pumpkin seed oil, white truffle and umami paste. Superb!
A typically big, bold and yet rather dry and austere profile initially. We got chalky qualities such as clay and white pebbles, along with canvass, digestive biscuits, turmeric and dried flowers. Some water brought deeper notes of cooking oils, camphor, new leather and a wee touch of creme caramel. The mouth initially displayed a robust oiliness of texture, along with medicines and dry waxes. Reduction enhanced these waxy tones and added tart citrus jellies, sooty notes, herbal toothpaste and warm peppery heat.
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SWEET CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
GREEK YOGHURT AND FRENCH WINE
JUICY, OAK & VANILLA
JUICY, OAK & VANILLA
CASK NO. 108.38
CASK NO. 63.88
$175
$225
REGION
Speyside
REGION
Speyside
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
AGE
13 years
AGE
19 years
DATE DISTILLED
7 September 2007
DATE DISTILLED
9 May 2002
OUTTURN
191 bottles
OUTTURN
182 bottles
ABV
60.6%
ABV
52.3%
AUS ALLOCATION
30 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
Honey-sweetened homemade vanilla pudding, warm croissants and brioche as well pineapple, apple, ginger and mint sorbet on the nose neat. Lovely and sweet on the palate with juicy pineapple, lemon drizzle cake, toffee and gooseberry fool while in the finish, a sweet chilli ginger stir-fry. Plenty of old-fashioned sweets on the nose after we added water; milk bottles, Moffat toffee, Spangles and candy cigarettes made of chalky sugar next to heavily buttered popcorn. Luscious, fruity and mouthcoating like a handful of fruit-flavoured Pez pieces, knickerbocker glory and banana split with a strawberry topping and chocolate syrup – sweet childhood memories.
$175
DN
JUICY, OAK & VANILLA
YF AIR
SY
CASK NO. 135.35
EXTRA TEXTURE
E ATU R E D A
THE
JUICY, OAK & VANILLA
SF
T
A
STELLAR STUFF!
Some panel members found themselves on the beach with coconut scented sun cream, melted ice cream, strawberry fondant creams and peppermint creams whereas others moved straight on to the terrace overlooking the sea to enjoy a glass of perfectly chilled Sauternes’ wine with almond and lemon tarts as well as meringue. A drop of water and the aroma became even more intense, honeyed apricot, butterscotch, coconut, mango, honeysuckle and toasted baking spices. On the palate so smooth and so sweet like a Greek yoghurt honey cream served with wedges of juicy fresh, sweet peach or clotted cream on scones.
EY W HIS
CASK NO. 44.144
K
RA EXT URED MAT
$210
REGION
Highland
REGION
Speyside
CASK TYPE
New oak heavy char #4+ hogshead
CASK TYPE
2nd fill red wine barrique
AGE
12 years
AGE
14 years
DATE DISTILLED
6 November 2008
DATE DISTILLED
23 October 2006
OUTTURN
255 bottles
OUTTURN
213 bottles
ABV
54.5%
ABV
62.1%
AUS ALLOCATION
24 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
54 bottles
RA EXT URED MAT
The complex nose combined sultanas, ripe figs and marmalade with Demerara, marzipan and rum-flavoured chocolate, polished wood, putty and split logs. The toothsome palate contained chocolate ice-lolly sticks and barley sugars, spiced cherries, aniseed gobstoppers and five spice roast belly pork; coffee bean, cardamom and curry to finish. The reduced nose had ice-cream, maple syrup and waffles in an artist’s studio (or maybe an apothecary’s?) The palate now delivered poached pears with honey and clove, breakfast pancakes with black coffee and cigar box hints; stellar stuff! After nine years in ex-bourbon wood we put this into a heavily charred new oak hogshead.
20
The nose was initially punchy and aromatic, full of rosewater, metal polish, young Gewürztraminer, heather honey, apple upside-down cake and zingy gooseberry tart. Some soft, luxurious waxes and baked pineapple circulating underneath. Water brought out the warmth of English mustard powder, posh olive oil, chamois leather, red liquorice, old rope and mineral notes like clay and flint. The neat palate offered marzipan, balsamic onions, sheep wool oils and umami paste. Unctuous, savoury and full herbal medical touches. Water brought sweetened herbal teas, spiced vanilla cake, old school shilling ales and mechanical oils on an old hessian rag. Wood spices and roasted nuts in the aftertaste. Matured in a bourbon hogshead for 12 years before transfer to a 2nd fill red wine barrique.
We’ve managed to score a recent slew of these older 63s, and this is as exuberant and earthy as the other recent gems. Floral spirit from this substantial granite distillery is hugely desirable from blenders and rarely seen as a single malt, so indulge in this incredible value, substantially fun and tropical jolly cask.
21
EVENTS MELBOURNE
WOLLONGONG
WHISKY ABBEY
TRIPLE CHRISTMAS TREAT
Come say hello to the SMWS at Whisky Abbey this year!
An end of year festive treat with an amazing dinner matched to local brewery beers and delicious Society drams.
NOVEMBER 12-13
Abbotsford Convent. Tickets through Whisky Abbey.
FRIDAY 25 NOVEMBER
THE NEVER-ENDING CASK: 10 YEARS LATER
ADELAIDE
Celebrate 10 years of the never-ending peated cask plus other angles of peat in the pipeline.
M2 Kitchen, Wollongong.
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
Tickets through Whisky & Alement.
Our last Adelaide hurrah for 2022, come along and see the year out with Jenny, Alan, and a special farewell and new beginning for our SA chapter.
MELBOURNE XMAS PARTY
THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER
THURSDAY 24 NOVEMBER
Our final hurrah for our members and friends, an outdoor party for all to attend.
SATURDAY 10 DECEMBER Venue TBA.
ODDS & ENDS Our curated mini tastings at W&A conclude with one last one on the 15th of Dec for an evening of 'odds & ends', spirit that both Alex & Matt have been wowed over this year. Rarities from the Vaults, oddities from the year, and goodies coming up in 2023 perhaps?
WEDNESDAY 14 DECEMBER
Whisky & Alement (tickets through SMWS).
22
Seven Stars Hotel, Adelaide.
SYDNEY, HOBART, CANBERRA, PERTH
Keep your eyes peeled on our events page online!
TO BOOK To book in for an event, please visit our website at
SMWS.COM.AU/EVENTS
CHR
SKS
A S M CA T SI
VIRTUAL TASTING * 0 $12H SET EAC
There’s something fun and festive about those kinda drops you want to savour over the Christmas table or holiday period at home. For some, that might be a bright and bouncy ex-bourbon cask, or that richly sherried malt on the table, and for others, it might be that special peated offering you’ve been wanting to find an excuse to crack open. That’s what November’s Virtual Tasting is all about! An opening ale, some salty snacks, and six new casks to share around.
M MIU E PRE OF TH T MAL ONTH M
26.193
SILKY, MILKY, FRUITY BOOTY
100.33
41.142
35.295
CHAMOY JAM-PACKED WITH MYTHICAL FROM MEXICO DARK FRUITS AND MAGICAL
53.394
4.306
SMOKE AND MIRRORS
TARRED AND FEATHERED
JOIN US WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER, 7PM AEDT *Join us for a team tasting of special single casks, from brisk and bouncy, to rare and wonderful, all bundled up with a cleansing ale to start the night included in each pack. Beer, tasting snacks, and 6x full-size 30ml drams to share around and get festive with.
GRAB YOUR VIRTUAL TASTING KIT AND JOIN IN THE FUN! SMWS.COM.AU/SHOP 23
2022 ADVENT CALENDAR
FROM OUR DOOR TO YOURS THIS CHRISTMAS 25 Casks of Christmas Countdown to Christmas with our celebratory collection of cask treats from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in this beautifully presented box. Whatever your flavour preference, you'll find something in this colourful collection to suit your tastes, and you might even spot some extra special surprises along the way. And there’s a special web page to find out more about each day's dram, and share your thoughts with fellow members using #25casks but be good - only one per day! Jump in, pop a dram each day, and enjoy the world’s most unique advent calendar. Makes a perfect gift too! Stocks are strictly limited so don't delay!
9 9 3 $
24
GIVE THE GIFT OF
SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP Give the gift of Society Membership with our Ultimate Membership Discovery Pack! For this special bumper Outturn offer, we're proud to offer up a full gift membership with $160 extra value, completely free! This ultimate gift membership package includes: • A full membership to the SMWS valued at $120 • Our incredible membership discovery pack valued at $299 • A complimentary / bonus 5 x mystery dram pack for both you and your giftee valued at $79 each • A full video tasting of the 5 x mystery dram pack • Access to all Society bottlings • Access to our Unfiltered Magazine • Members rates on all events • + all the other benefits of membership included.
SMWS.COM.AU/SHOP
$349
OVER
$5F 0VAL0UE O
All prices include GST and exclude shipping
25
OUR MEMBERS
Your club, your comment It’s all well and good for us to say how good 2022 has been, but it's sometimes better to hear it from the members’ mouths instead! We reached out to a few members and asked them to answer “What has the Society meant to you in 2022, or what has been your highlight of the year so far?”. Here’s what they said:
26
To me, The Society is all about the events, catching up with members and learning about new codes outside of my wheelhouse. The highlight of 2022 was Champs! Champs is an absolute must for any member. Slainte! Cal Taylor, VIC Member At this point, the SMWS has well and truly become an integral part of my life in whisky. This year, having The Society in my life has meant: Cosy nights in on the couch, memories made at some of my favourite venues and exploring new ones, samples flown back and forth between friends interstate, toasts made to significant moments, a dram shared with newly found friends, excellent events partaken in, testing my palate while tasting blind, indulgent chocolate pairings, the facilitation of our local whisky club, sneaky hipflask drams while out and about, the only good thing about watching the grand final match, a whisky shared with best friends too long between visits, and a welldeserved whisky at the end of a long whisky fair. The community and the memories made through the exploration of unique and exceptional single cask whiskies are something pretty special. Thank you to the SMWS team for being part of my whisky journey this year. I look forward to more in 2023! Ally Bhana, TAS Member
I feel like SMWS in 2022 continues to go from strength to strength. Live events are back, monthly virtuals are a great addition to the post-lockdown offering, and there are always fun drams in the Partner Bars and stocked online. Plus, we finally got Whisky Champs! Through all the changes, though, the beating heart of The Society has still been the conviviality between the members and 2022 has been no exception. Whisky is best shared, Society whisky doubly so. So to my fellow members, my friends, I say thank you and Slàinte Mhath! Rob Acres, VIC Member 27
“Supping Club has a great relationship with SMWS. Matt and his team have been fantastic supporters of ours, collaborating with us on private member tastings and being amazing brand partners at our two major whisky expos, Whisky Whisky.”
Shaun Restorick-Barton, QLD Member
Being a member of SMWS has been a real joy for me, but in 2022 The Society became even more interesting and relevant to my social life in Brisbane as a whisky appreciator. We began to see an increased SMWS collaboration with other local whisky clubs here. I thoroughly enjoyed Matt’s presentation of outstanding SMWS whiskies at the Supping Club, or the Macallan night at the Queensland Malt Whisky Society’s Nundah Sept, where a beautiful distillery 24 was featured. This was in addition to the regular SMWS presence at whisky shows and expos here in Brisbane and it is exciting indeed! Reza Arab, QLD Member 28
I’d long been curious about the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and its tradition of not naming the distilleries that its spirit came from. From the outside, the flavour profiles, florid tasting notes and obfuscation seemed something of a conceit. How wrong I was. A Society membership was the Christmas gift that kept on giving and along with a bottle of 48.127 ‘Inspiration and relaxation’ was a step into a new world of whisky appreciation. Over several years, I’d developed an interest in single malt whisky and tended towards the bold and punchy flavours of peated Islay malts and rich, sherried Speyside drams. After all, more flavour is a good thing.
There hasn't been more reason to be excited about The Society in the year 2022. Following a small tease of events at the end of 2021, 2022 led into the 20th anniversary of the Australian Society and an avalanche of events! For myself it has been the amazing events I've attended with multiple friends coming from these events, it's introducing family to The Society and gaining a deeper bond together through whisky, and the weekly released videos on youtube and live virtual tastings! As always there are a number of bottles each month that fancy everyone, for myself, it was 93 Changes faster than a chameleon, a fantastic exploration into whisky and its endless qualities. Furthermore, Distillery 46 has produced some amazing bottles that have gone under the radar. The Society brings me much joy and happiness and I'll forever be excited for more to come each month — joy since the moment I joined! Matthew Naimo, VIC Member
This year’s epiphany was how delightful a less obviously “flavourful” dram can be. I’ve been blown away by subtle Light & Delicate and Sweet, Fruity & Mellow malts as much as I have by intense Peated or Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits casks. In fact, the Light & Delicate 42.63 ‘Pleasure garden’ is up there amongst my favourites alongside 100.25 ‘La pomme qui chant’ (redolent of rye and orchard apples) and the challenging 135.37 ‘Pickle me timbers’ (full of preserved lemon and burning oil). Of course, those are just a few examples. A year in The Society has shown how light spirit, refill Bourbon casks and even grain whisky can be wonderful things and be as or more enjoyable than the big flavours I also love. Here’s to a fabulous 2022 and to an even better 2023. David Gilks, ACT Member 29
For me, this whole year has been a massive reminder that the true joy of whisky is in the sharing. After a couple of years with too much time spent at home, it was great to get to more events, meet more fellow members, and share some incredible drams. It's been a fantastic whisky year. Franz's whisky matching dinner at Red Lantern kicked the year off with a bang. I had to reconsider so many assumptions about how whisky could pair with food and it kinda broke my brain a little. There were a lot of mind-bending combinations that night but I'm still going back to 66.176 'Je suis bucheron et je vais bien'. A delicious textural dram, and a bottle name that I sing in my head every single time I pick it up (thanks, Pythons). A few weeks after that I celebrated a milestone birthday with 73.25 'Smokey fruit', a snapshot of Speyside and Society history distilled in 1982. It was bizarre to think of the journey the bottle had been on, and how many hands it might have passed through, before ending up with me. It was beyond a pleasure to be able to open this bottle up and share it with family and friends. I wish I could say I had aged as gracefully and well since 1982, although I'm arguably almost as well-rounded by now. Whisky Champs (my first!) was both delicious and a straight shot of reality: I did terribly and may in fact be the first competitor to get a negative score. But I can't think of any other event I've been to this year with so many people bringing so much energy and excitement. I walked home grinning from ear to ear. 30
In September it was great to get back to Whisky Fair. The Society Lounge was incredible and so were the drams. I had slipped Suzy my orders for 53.399 'P.R.E.C.I.S.I.O.N' and 93.179 '1970's movie dram' before even finishing my sample pours. Without a doubt some of the best bottlings I had all year. But my dram of the year? It's got to be 26.189 'Ambrosia'. I'm always amazed at older whiskies that still retain the brightness of flavour signatures of their younger counterparts, and this was right up my alley: the signature 26 texture, finish and flavours (pine needles!), but with — somehow — a depth of flavour that many 30-year-old commercial expressions would aspire to. A great whisky, and one I can't wait to open and share around. The reality is, there are so many highlights from 2022, big and small. Society tastings at The Captain's Balcony hosted by Matt Wooler; sharing bottles with friends on my balcony, shiveringly cold and wrapped in blankets while Sydney suffered through its rainiest "summer" on record; meeting so many new and old members at whisky fair; nerding out with Murray Hassan on Society history; introducing work colleagues to The Society with some drams at Whisky & Alement, or just quietly enjoying my last few mouthfuls of 134.1 'Exotic rainforest fruits' while reading a book. Society whiskies have been at the core of some great moments this year. Slainte! Liam Smee, NSW Member
A big highlight was the evening with John McCheyne — it was great to hear his stories and anecdotes and he was really friendly & approachable and gave us lots of tips for our trip to the UK last month. A big benefit of The Society has been having access to so many weird and wonderful drams that we wouldn't know existed otherwise! Alex Thompson, VIC Member
“It is truly impossible to pick out a single highlight over the last 12 months. How can you pick a single highlight with all the star-studded releases including our first releases from distilleries 11, 18, 23, 26 or 39 in many years, or the live and virtual tastings including the virtual Rock n Rum tasting, and the virtual tasting including the Maestro of Chocolate Krsna Raj in the Malt and Chocolate tasting, or the virtual pub, to the live 20th Anniversary tasting?
Being able to enjoy an amazingly diverse catalogue of whisky/spirits with an equally diverse group of people. You will never know who you will get chatting to at in-person events or over the virtual tastings but we are all connected by our love of the liquid in the glass — where you bond over a shared enjoyment of spirits that are universally loved by all and heatedly discuss spirits that may be a bit more divisive. The beauty of The Society is that no matter what you like there will always be something for you and there is in most cases an opportunity to try something you maybe never have before. In all, it is the amazing spirits and the equally amazing people you get to share it and the experiences with.
Of course just to mention the tastings, Outturns and tales from Matt Bailey and Andrew Derbidge et al would unfairly leave out the camaraderie, banter between the members and the sharing of new tasting experiences with other members. I look to many more memorable experiences in the future.” Dov Berns, QLD Member
Corbin Mondy, WA Member 31
BUNDLE OFFERS FRUITY, SPICY, JUICY
$575
10 available
Three contrasting flavour profiles come together to make this spectacular and delicious trio. Limit of one bundle per member
PEACEFUL VINEYARD WALKS SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW CASK NO. 63.79
SAVE
$60 LE
D AS A BUN
CRUMBS BY THE JAM JAR SPICY & SWEET CASK NO. 19.63
A DARK AND TROPICAL PATH JUICY, OAK & VANILLA CASK NO. 46.120
CAMPFIRE COALS
$325
12 available
A super special peated duo for round the campfire. Limit of one bundle per member
FELT ROOFING A SPACESHIP PEATED CASK NO. 66.204
GRUBBILY MAGNETIC PEATED CASK NO. 16.55
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SAVE
$35
LE
D AS A BUN
BUNDLE OFFERS FANTASY FLAVOUR TRIO
$530
10 available
Fragrant on the nose, rich in character and lip-smacking on the palate, each of these three bottlings brings a fantasy of flavour to explore. Limit of one bundle per member
POLISHED AND REFINED SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW CASK NO. 26.186
SAVE
$75
LE
D AS A BUN
THROWS YOU CURVE BALLS SPICY & DRY CASK NO. 140.4
A MULTIPLEX OF LUSH JUICY, OAK & VANILLA CASK NO. 73.125
$1,195
DEAR SANTA…I'VE BEEN GOOD!
8 available
Your dream Christmas selection to enjoy during the Festive Season. It's You Time - spoil yourself…and your whisky-loving friends! Limit of one bundle per member
DELISHABLY DELECTABLE DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS CASK NO. 12.54
SAVE
$225 LE
D AS A BUN
MYTHICAL AND MAGICAL OLD & DIGNIFIED CASK NO. 35.295
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A KICK UP THE OLD BODEGA DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS CASK NO. 80.32
$180
REGION
Speyside
CASK TYPE
1st fill Oloroso hogshead
AGE
11 years
DATE DISTILLED
15 March 2010
OUTTURN
296 bottles
ABV
58.8%
AUS ALLOCATION
60 bottles
RA EXT URED MAT
The neat nose suggested Crème Brûlée, clean sherry, fruits of the forest yoghurt and apple and sultana chutney with a good dose of spice. Water brought out many interesting aromas including cola cubes, madeira cake, candied orange peels, caramelized oatmeal and cinder toffee. A big and charismatic dram so far we though. To taste we initially got butterscotch sweetness, then Guinness cake, raisins, orange Muscat and a firm kick of wood spice. With water it became nuttier, with notes of heather flowers, old school IPA and millionaire shortbread. Previously matured in a bourbon hogshead for 9 years before transfer to a 1st fill oloroso hogshead.
34
WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF OLD & DIGNIFIED CASK NO. 35.287
$775 REGION
Speyside
CASK TYPE
2nd fill Pedro Ximenez hogshead
AGE
29 years
DATE DISTILLED
25 October 1991
OUTTURN
69 bottles
ABV
51.1%
AUS ALLOCATION
24 bottles
RA EXT URED MAT M MIU PRE T TLING BO
We visited the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art in Jerez and walked through the immaculate stables. The aroma of polished leather boots and saddles mingled with the light breeze of sweet fragrant orange groves. We sat outside and enjoyed a cigar out of a well-waxed wooden box, and after a sip of water, we got served jamon serrano extremely thinly sliced direct off the bone. Fabulously rich, sweet, juicy and velvety – “what dreams are made of” it is that which we imagine or fantasise about. After 27 years in an ex-bourbon hogshead we transferred this whisky into a second fill PX Sherry hogshead, which previously matured whisky from Society cask 5.69.
35
STRAIGHT FROM THE SKY Read the tasting notes from our expert panel on this one. Then re-read them. A sherried whisky you’ll never forget would be the perfect summary of Cask 12.62 in this case. Every so often we see the kind of whisky that displays that rare balance of being both very obviously old and stately, but at the same time tropical and lively. A whisky that strafes that balance of being both clearly displaying the age statement, but holding onto its youth in the background. This is that whisky. It's had a long time in full sherry maturation so the age and grace of that level have held on — but, at the same time, there's that classic ’12’ distillate of mango and lychee, all wrapped up in a sublime ‘heaven-sent’ experience.
36
HEAVEN-SENT DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS CASK NO. 12.62
$975
REGION CASK TYPE AGE DATE DISTILLED OUTTURN ABV AUS ALLOCATION
Speyside 1st fill Pedro Ximenez butt 31 years 7 September 1989 514 bottles 57.9% 30 bottles
RA EXT URED MAT TS AUL ION V E TH LECT COL
An aroma of incense of the most valued scented aloeswood which noblemen of the ancient Japanese imperial court called ‘Kyara Kongo’ and translates into ‘Diamond Kyara’ filled the room. On the palate somewhat heavy and dark but at the same time fruity and light as we envisaged watching the show ‘How the Andalusian Horses Dance’, an equestrian ballet accompanied by Spanish music in the Royal Andalusian School in Jerez. With a drop of water, we imagined the beating wings of a hummingbird, gracile, filigree, a playful elegance and seemingly without the slightest effort. A heaven-sent enjoyment you will not easily forget. After twenty-nine years in an ex-oloroso butt, we transferred this whisky into a first fill PX butt.
37
TIMELESS BRILLIANCE Some whiskies are fun and fruity, some whiskies are dark and peaty, and some are fun summer quaffers with friends. Cask 65.7 ‘Timeless and magnificent’ fits into its own category. A whisky that stops time, requires deep contemplation and transports your senses into another century of maturation. This distillery had a spotty history of closures, never really found its footing as a single malt, and is long since demolished now, so it's unlikely we’ll see any single casks beyond this one. Founded in the same year as Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee of 1897, it supplied many blends. It never had a formal core range as a single malt, but in the years since its closure in 1998 and subsequent demolition in 2013, it has attracted something of a cult following. Upon tasting Cask 65.7, you’ll see why. It's got that delicate soda bread, poached pears in Sauternes, apple tobacco, and a relaxed elegance you rarely see these days.
THE
SY
DN
38
E AT U R E D A
YF AIR
SF
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A
This was a highlight of the premium bar at Sydney Whisky Fair 2022, and is now available by the bottle in our bumper November Outturn.
EY WHIS
K
TIMELESS AND MAGNIFICENT OLD & DIGNIFIED CASK NO. 65.7
$1,250
REGION CASK TYPE AGE DATE DISTILLED OUTTURN ABV AUS ALLOCATION
Speyside 2nd fill bourbon barrel 30 years 28 November 1990 188 bottles 52.9%
TS AUL ION V E TH LECT COL
18 bottles
Nosing this one neat one of the panellists was reminded of the line “it washed away in a tide of longing” from the song “In the shadow of our pale companion”. Aromas were those of pears poached in Sauternes, cardamom and ginger as well as salted milk-chocolate liquorice caramels. Delicate on the palate yet full of character like Japanese Umeshu plum wine matured in Mizunara oak. A drop of water and a heady and old fashioned rosescented perfume emerged next to apple tobacco and vanilla-scented wax candles. On the palate a smooth, relaxed, refined elegance coming from a tradition that spans aeons.
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Full maturation, 17 years old, Islay brilliance. If you were to create a cask that oozes grace, composure, and that perfect picture of what standing on Islay with a dram looks like, it’s this cask. We love this one. We’ve had a few 3s this year which has been fantastic, but we saved this one for November to share far and wide. Stunning composure and class.
EXUDES ELEGANCE LIGHTLY PEATED CASK NO. 3.325
$330
REGION
Islay
CASK TYPE
2nd fill bourbon barrel
AGE
17 years
DATE DISTILLED
10 February 2004
OUTTURN
198 bottles
ABV
57.5%
AUS ALLOCATION
54 bottles
“Immediately exudes elegance”, chalky sweetness, heathery purple smoke, lavender and violets – “aromatherapy in a glass”. Gentle honey glazed sweet smoke on the palate neat, followed by heather honey and lavender blackberry jam on toast leading to a serene moment as we dug into our Wakame salad with shaved pineapple, pine nuts, sliced teardrop tomatoes and mango slices. Water released the perfect infusion to augment the calm as we imagined a ‘purple smoke’ rising from a mug of lavender tea. The taste was now so smooth. Tropical fruits combined with a dark chocolate-seaweed ice cream using nori sheets giving it an unmistakable earthiness and minerality.
$310
CASK NO. 93.179
A
DN
$180
YF AIR
OILY & COASTAL
E ATU R E D A
SY
CASK NO. 4.304
RA EXT URED MAT
SF
THE
LIGHTLY PEATED
1970’S MOVIE DRAM
T
A PROPER BBQ DRAM
EY W HIS
K
REGION
Highland
REGION
Campbeltown
CASK TYPE
1st fill STR Pedro Ximenez barrique
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
AGE
16 years
AGE
8 years
DATE DISTILLED
18 January 2005
DATE DISTILLED
21 March 2013
OUTTURN
262 bottles
OUTTURN
224 bottles
ABV
58.3%
ABV
60.4%
AUS ALLOCATION
54 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
We imagined carrying peat slabs in a wicker basket across heathery moorland as we took a break and shared a robust intense red wine (100% Grenache) out of a leather Bota curved wineskin. Bursting with cherry and black fruit flavours and tempered with smoky notes of spice and pepper - a proper BBQ dram! Following reduction, the scent was what we imagined a Spanish style rum that was matured in ex-smoky Islay whisky barrels would smell like, sweet but also plenty of smoke from roast lamb. After fourteen years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a shaved, toasted and re-charred 1st fill PX barrique.
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The nose evoked oily rags in a ship’s engine room; then off to the mess for Tom Yum soup and creamy pasta with smoked ham, mushrooms and parmesan. The palate had pickled ginger and wasabi, medicinal smoke, smouldering coals and hot stones; think male bonding, a shaman’s tepee and ‘A Man Called Horse’. The reduced nose found orange oil, Germolene, artichokes in brine, cherries on a shovel and old school desk ink-wells. The palate combined pickled herring and ginger with willow twigs dipped in honey and biting Peter Fonda’s Easy Rider jacket – the finish supplied liquorice, tar and creosote: funky, fun and flavoursome.
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“THEY DON’T MAKE ‘EM LIKE THEY USED TO!” PEATED
COASTAL CONVOLUTIONS PEATED
CASK NO. 93.178
$180
CASK NO. 42.75
$199
REGION
Campbeltown
REGION
Highland
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
CASK TYPE
Refill bourbon hogshead
AGE
8 years
AGE
14 years
DATE DISTILLED
21 March 2013
DATE DISTILLED
29 March 2007
OUTTURN
234 bottles
OUTTURN
256 bottles
ABV
60.6%
ABV
58.4%
AUS ALLOCATION
54 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
As the night drew in, we lit a peat fire on the pebble beach handing round the hipflask and gazing in amazement into the starry heaven. We then started to barbeque stout brined, crispy chilli brown sugar pork belly over the smouldering peat fire. Following the addition of water, the aroma turned oilier reminding us of cured herring fillets with onion and cucumber in a vinegar marinade as we drank a Porter beer from a bygone era with sweet roasted malt and musky yeast aromas which evoked memories of pubs with nicotine-stained walls and smoky log fires – who said “they don’t make ‘em like they used to?
P.R.E.C.I.S.I.O.N PEATED
A brilliant nose that initially suggested creosote on a fence, peat smoke drifting through hay bales, creel nets and carbolic acidity. Myriad seashore and coastal notes. Water shifts things decisively towards the farmyard with tractor engines, oily rags, hot peaty draff and boiler fumes. The palate had a wonderful initial mouthfeel with well chiselled smoke tangled up with citrus peels. Also surprisingly sweet with sweet peat smoke. Water added a menthol dimension, along with liquorice, coal dust, burnt toffee and bonfire embers.
GRUBBILY MAGNETIC PEATED
CASK NO. 53.399
$185
CASK NO. 16.55
$175
REGION
Islay
REGION
Highland
CASK TYPE
Refill bourbon hogshead
CASK TYPE
Recharred hogshead
AGE
10 years
AGE
10 years
DATE DISTILLED
27 April 2011
DATE DISTILLED
25 November 2010
OUTTURN
288 bottles
OUTTURN
294 bottles
ABV
58.9%
ABV
60.9%
AUS ALLOCATION
54 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
42 bottles
A typically excellent initial aroma of fragrant beach bonfire smoke, wood embers, citrus curds, iodine, sandalwood and bath salts. Fresh, pin-sharp, coastal and brilliant. Water brought soft coastal herbal notes, white flowers, dried seaweed and miso paste. In the mouth we got antiseptic, petrol, aged dry Riesling, pancetta frying on a hot cast iron skillet and TCP. With water came ash-rolled exotic fruit chunks, savoury game meats, smoked malt vinegar, dried herbs and iodine with a wonderfully pure, crisp, peat smoke-infused finish. Yet another reminder of why we adore this distillery.
Our noses found sweetness (golden syrup, barley sugars, foamy shrimps), then smouldering campfires, hotdogs, spiced fruit punch and smoke drifting from the Battle of Trafalgar (one panellist was there). The palate served us charred steak with tarragon and rocket, chilli prawns on wooden chopsticks and burnt raisin fruit cake; possibly also inner tubes, chimney scrapings and chewing tobacco. The reduced nose again had sweetness (coconut macaroons, Caramac, jammy dodgers), pine wood crackling in a wood-burning stove, cigarette smoke and Dubbin on leather hiking boots. The reduced palate was still slightly grubby, but with magnetic quality – Eccles cakes, apple strudel, pepperami and humidors.
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BIZARRE, BONKERS AND BRILLIANT! RUM
FULL OF LIFE GIN
CASK NO. R13.4
$675
CASK NO. GN3.21
$135
REGION
Trinidad
REGION
Hawick
CASK TYPE
1st fill bourbon barrel
CASK TYPE
2nd fill bourbon barrel
AGE
23 years
DATE DISTILLED
16 January 2020
DATE DISTILLED
1 January 1998
OUTTURN
271 bottles
OUTTURN
222 bottles
ABV
49.3%
ABV
61.8%
AUS ALLOCATION
18 bottles
AUS ALLOCATION
30 bottles
We have learned to expect all sorts from this (unfortunately) closed distillery. Here we go again - liquorice, spice, black treacle and pineapple glazed ham, phenols, an old wooden sea chest and not to forget, washable colour glue available as Granny Smiths apple, banana mania yellow, mango tango pink and Pacific blue! The palate certainly did not lag behind with oily rags, an old metal toolbox, herbal cough mixture but also wave after wave of cherries, sugar cane and vanilla sweetness. Adding water and we awoke the serpent power, phenolic, tar, camphor, dandelion and burdock and when we tasted it, the sweetness grabbed us by the neck and took us down into the abyss.
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This is a fresh, clean, vibrant gin – the nose gets laundry flapping over bright flower meadows and juniper bushes; also, zesty orange peel and sherbet lemons, blackcurrant, coriander, orris root and liquorice. The palate is sweetly perfumed, juicy and mellow, reminding us of sherbet straws and Moffat toffees, with additional hints of root beer and pine. Some of us, slaves to routine, added water and found it turned quite soapy (bubble bath, fairy soap, Timotei shampoo) but one sensible panellist added tonic and described it as ‘a delightful, fresh, vivacious and characterful gin’ – adding ‘whoever takes water in gin?’ – wise guy!
E V I S S MA BER MEM ER OFF
NOVEMBER FRUTICOSUS MEMBER OFFER OUR MOST POPULAR MEMBERSHIP AND REFERRER OFFER IS BACK! Join The SMWS between Monday the 14th of November at midday AEDT and Friday the 18th of November at midday AEDT, and every new membership and referral will receive a complimentary bottle of Smokus Fruticosus. Our latest expertly-blended malt at 50% ABV, comprising of whisky exclusively from Orkney and Islay, is yours if you join The Society on any membership type, but only until stocks last. Smokus Fruticosus is a 2023 special experimental release, so this is your chance to get in early and receive a bottle before it’s released. This special offer kicks off on Monday 14th November and is limited to the first 100x memberships — this includes all newcomers and referrers. Just 100 bottles available - when they're gone, they're gone! Offer is limited to the first 100x members/ referrers through the door. Limit of one referral bottle per Member. Not to be used in conjunction with any other coupons/offers. Bottle is not redeemable for cash or any other bottle or offer. Promotion runs from Monday 14th November at midday AEDT until Friday 18th November at midday AEDT or until stock runs out. This offer does not apply to Gift Memberships. The referring Member must have joined the Society before 1st November 2022.
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Through two rebrands and a pandemic, Sydney’s latest Partner Bar, The Captain’s Balcony, is now home to a staple SMWS experience and a fast-growing collection of bottles, local Unfiltered Editor Adam Ioannidis writes.
The Captain’s Balcony sets sail WORDS BY
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ADAM IOANNIDIS
ABOVE: Captain's Balcony owner Akash Deep (left) and regular SMWS host Matthew Wooler (right) at the bar where you can find the current Outturn and other SMWS goodies by the dram.
T
he Captain’s Balcony hints at being one of those bars you’d expect to find in Singapore whilst getting lost exploring the side streets. Nestled in the banking section of the Sydney CBD, the ground floor is narrow, but by no means cramped; a cosy, perfect environment to explore the dazzling array of whiskies and other spirits on display behind the bar, or, sitting on the bar, as just under a dozen SMWS bottles tend to do. From the moment you walk in, the nautical theme is present — from the gorgeous mural on the right wall of a Kraken reaching up from the depths of the ocean to capture a vessel, to the old-school diver’s bonnet on the whisky barrel greeting you at the entrance. Keep going forward past the bar and you’ll find the kitchen on your left and a staircase in front of you. If you ascend, you’ll find a second bar within a wider space where you can sit and relax by the fireplace, as well as a balcony that’s perfect for a dram or two. During
winter, the upstairs space is an ideal spot to relax; the exposed-brick walls impart a rustic vibe that hearkens back to a simpler time, it's a space where one can enjoy a nice dram and not have to worry about much else. “We opened in 2015 with ‘The Balcony Bar’, and then we changed the name again (Balcony Erskine Street),
and then we changed the name again. So in three years we changed the name three times”, tells Akash Deep, the bar’s owner, manager, bartender — you name it, Akash handles it. “We came in, stripped things down, kept what we needed to keep, and then re-did it, opened in two months. It was eight weeks. And then we ran it for six
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“My sales team rang me and said “Akash, there’s a tasting on, you love your whisky, you want to come down?” And then I went down and was like “what is going on here?” And it was all these green bottles lined up and I was like “I’d never seen this before”. I think I tried like six, man, out of I don’t know how many were there, and I was drunk. It was in 2012 or 2013. There was so much flavour, but it was full-on — cask strength stuff. “Man this is good”.”
The Offering
ABOVE: Captain's Balcony regularly get a very healthy selection of casks from each Outturn to share around.
months and then we just said like “oh, it’s not hitting the spot” and then we redid the refurb again in what, I think less than a year’s time? And then got it ready and since then, yeah, a bit of this and a bit of that. But I think this is the end product and we were pretty happy with it in terms of getting the name, place and what we do together.” Akash was no stranger to the industry, having worked in India
for several years handling brand activations and promoting new whiskies whenever they would enter the local market; organising large-scale tastings and introducing new audiences to a whisky is something Akash has some experience with, the latter of which is a continuing mission at The Captain’s Balcony. Akash’s first brush with The SMWS came well before even The Balcony Bar had opened.
Over 900 products with some 500 whiskies and a full kitchen — need I say more? The Captain’s Balcony is first and foremost a whisky bar. If you ask Akash or anyone behind the bar for a recommendation, they’ll probably recommend you a whisky. Of course, if you’re in the mood for another spirit or refreshing ale then you won’t be disappointed. The whisky offering, the sheer number of bottles behind the bar and the passion radiating from those serving you is where the bar really shines, though. If you’re big into your Japanese whisky or are looking to explore the territory, then you'll be in good hands as the region makes up one of their largest selections. “My wife, the other owner of this place, she likes Japan. So, she took me to Japan in 2015, the year we opened,
BELOW: Outturn Preview nights hosted by SMWS each month.
"Over 900 products with some 500 whiskies and a full kitchen — need I say more? The Captain’s Balcony is first and foremost a whisky bar."
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CAPTAIN'S BALCONY Full of character and an amazing team to boot, Sydney's whisky scene is always growing.
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"We also have one price, whether it’s members or public, it’s the same deal; you’re here to experience and discover it." MATT WOOLER
and I went there, sitting in a bar, and I was like “can I have a whisky and a soda” and that was what we used to drink. When I had a Yamazaki, man, that changed my mind. I was like “this stuff is good”. Since then, until now, we buy Japanese stock. We’ve never stopped.” A fast-growing part of the bar’s offering would be The Society drams; the bar is quickly becoming a Society beacon in the Sydney CBD. There is a dedicated SMWS menu pinned from the ceiling to the bar with every cask on offer along with the dram and halfdram price, not to mention the staple introductory Society tasting board, which gives newcomers a chance to sample the diversity of SMWS drams.
BELOW: Regularly sold out SMWS events and Outturn previews. Check our events page.
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BELOW: Some of the SMWS casks on offer.
"We have the special flight, we set aside those bottles that can’t be purchased separate, or the profiles can’t be purchased separate, they must buy the flight and therefore experience a flight of whisky as opposed to one. And it goes back to that problem of “a Macallan is not a Macallan in Society” well this is how different it is and look at them for what their uniqueness is and don’t come in next month and ask for another 24 because it’s not going to taste the same. It’s nothing like the same. You have to try a Dalmore and then you have to try a Society Dalmore, and then you know what’s going on.” — Matt Wooler As mentioned earlier the bar also runs a full kitchen service during the day and evening, so whether you’re dropping in for a lunchtime dram or after-work knock-off, you won’t have to worry about finding anywhere to dine afterwards.
The Outturn Tastings
One of the unique aspects of The Captain’s Balcony is their monthly Outturn preview tastings; every month the bar receives a selection of bottles from the upcoming Outturn and hosts a tasting before the Outturn releases to give members (and non-members) a chance to sample the casks before they commit to purchasing anything. Led by long-time member and part-time contributor to The Society (and events manager/Wednesday night bartender at The Captain’s Balcony) Matt Wooler, the initiative has been met with positive reviews so far. “We were actually looking to get this started last year,” Matt Wooler recalls, “around this time last year, but then the second wave of COVID came through and we shut down again, so we literally had an advertisement, we were selling and we were promoting and then we ended up having to cancel it because it all shut down again. And so we got started again earlier this year officially as a Partner Bar, and so then we said “we need to do an Outturn tasting every month, at least for the rest of the year, see how the Sydney audience responds to that concept”. And it’s been working out well.” Each tasting seats around 24 people in the upstairs bar. The exposed brick and frosted window also provide a
Your New Local The Captain’s Balcony is a superb spot for all things SMWS and if you’re looking to explore the wonderful and flavoursome realm of whisky. The bar is located at 46 Erskine Street, Sydney NSW 2000 and is open from Monday – Friday, 12pm until late, and from 5pm until late on Saturdays (closed on Sunday). Be sure to pop in and say hi to Akash and the team (and Matt if you’re dropping past on a Wednesday night) and have a bite to eat with your dram.
rather private experience even if the bar is right in the middle of the CBD. Akash and Matt place a massive emphasis on inclusivity for the tastings and beyond, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, if you’re a member or have never heard of The SMWS, the tastings are made to be as accessible as possible — one price for members and non-members. The goal is always to educate. Tickets tend to go on sale pretty early on in the month so
it’s worth keeping an eye out on SMWS Australia’s socials or The Captain’s Balcony’s socials for the latest updates and Eventbrite ticket link.
A big thank you to Akash and Matt for taking the time to sit down and have a chat about the bar, and a big thank you to SMWS Global Ambassador John McCheyne who was kind enough to sit in on the interview. 51
DIVE IN
SMWS.COM.AU
FESTIVE ORDERING For stress-free delivery in time for Christmas, we recommend placing your order by Friday 2nd December. For faster/priority delivery by Australia Post, select Express Post in the online store, or contact our office.
FESTIVE SEASON OPENING HOURS The Society’s office will be closed from Friday 23rd December, re-opening on Tuesday 3rd January. The online shop is always open. Orders placed online between Christmas and New Year will be dispatched on January 4th.
WE WISH YOU AND YOURS A HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE FESTIVE SEASON! 02 9974 3046 Mon-Fri 9.00am - 5.00pm AEDT
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Society bottlings are offered and sold through The Artisanal Spirits Company Pty Ltd, Liquor Licence LIQP770017428.
