April Outturn 2022

NEW RELEASES WILL BE ONLINE AT MIDDAY AEDT, FRIDAY 1ST APRIL

Outturn Tune in: Friday 1 April Issue 03, 2022

MUSIC & MALTS

Take a symphonic journey into the regions of whisky with April’s Music & Malts

FIND YOUR MUSICAL MALT AT SMWS.COM.AU

Contents The Staples Andrew Derbidge........................................................................... 3 Atomic Blastoff Matt Bailey......................................................................................... 6

High Fidelity Adam Ioannidis............................................................................ 21

OUR BOTTLINGS YOUNG & SPRITELY Cask No. 52.38 In Seine dram................................................................................ 14

SPICY & SWEET Cask No. 91.29 Cherries, sweets, berries and treats................................ 14

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS Cask No. 85.66 Cheery, cherry fairy cakes.................................................... 15

OLD & DIGNIFIED Cask No. 50.115 Still life............................................................................................... 16

SOCIETY EXPERIENCES Events in your state.................................................................... 12 Classical Composer Casks Virtual Tasting................... 13

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JUICY, OAK & VANILLA Cask No. 78.45 (Malt of the Month) Vanilla passion .............................................................................. 8

OILY & COASTAL Cask No. 42.58 Subtle complexity........................................................................ 18

PEATED Cask No. 53.382 Brawny and briney...................................................................

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HEAVILY PEATED Cask No. 10.207 Wa-wa-woom!............................................................................. 18

CELLARMASTER’S NOTE

The Staples Immerse yourself in any serious activity, interest, or pursuit, and you’ll learn quickly that your new-found hobby is more than just a journey; it’s also a procession and a progression.

Starting as a novice and wading in the shallow end, it is only through practice, application, and experience that you progress to higher levels of skill, knowledge, prowess, and expertise. You can then subsequently survive in the deep end.

T

his is a truism for so many things – think of pretty much any sport, game (from chess to sudoku), field of study, or interest.

It is particularly true of all things culinary, especially cooking. Think to home cooking and the learning we go through as we try and master certain cooking techniques or work with certain foods or cuisines. It’s a long and educational journey as we progress from the basics through to the more advanced techniques or food items. It’s through cooking that we are introduced to the concept of the staples. These are the fundamentals; the foundations; the building blocks. As the very name implies, they are the things that pin and hold everything together.

One must arguably understand and master the staples if one is to successfully embark on the more advanced and exotic.

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Not surprisingly, whisky also has its staples. And I’m not necessarily referring to the liquid here. Rather, I’m thinking of the staples we hear about and discuss as we further our knowledge and familiarity with the drink we love. If you’re closer to the novice/beginner end of the spectrum, then there are some staples you should explore and learn about….it’s by graduating through these staples that you’ll come to understand whisky on a deeper level and, ultimately, enjoy and appreciate your dram more.

So what are whisky’s staples? In no particular order:

GLASSWARE

How different styles and shapes of glassware impact your appreciation and discernment of a whisky.

MALTS AND BLENDS

The flavours and characters of the different grains, and the end results we get when we isolate them or blend them in different ways.

REGIONALITY

Understanding the traditional differences amongst the regions (e.g. Highland versus Lowland), considering production methods and the resulting styles. (Many people argue regionality is now an outdated or obsolete concept, but you gain an understanding of a distillery’s legacy and traditions when you understand how the regional definitions may have shaped it when the brand was being built 50 or 100 years ago).

ADDING WATER

When to, how to, and why to do this.

PEAT

Islay peat versus “mainland” peat; peating levels (ppm); and understanding the difference between peat and smoke.

SHERRY CASKS AND BOURBON CASKS

and the different styles/flavours they produce.

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ALCOHOL

From 40% to “cask strength”. Furthermore, understanding the magical figure of 46% and its significance for chillfiltering.

AMERICAN OAK AND EUROPEAN OAK

and the resulting aromas and flavours they produce.

goes beyond the basics, and that the above list could perhaps be culled to, say, five. And it is by that very dilemma that whisky demonstrates what a magnificently complex drink it is.

For something that is made with just three ingredients – barley, yeast, and water – it offers one hell of a rabbit hole to dive down and explore. Here’s to learning and, importantly, here’s to enjoying.

WORLD WHISKIES

Understanding how and why Scotch differs to, say, Irish whiskey, American whiskies, Japanese whisky and, of course, Australian whisky!

WHISKY PRODUCTION

Malting, milling, mashing, brewing, distilling, and maturing.

Andrew Derbidge ~ Director, Cellarmaster & NSW Manager

There are arguably further topics/items that some seasoned campaigners would argue are staples; others might suggest that a list of 10

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AMBASSADOR’S ARTICLE

Atomic Blastoff

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SCAN THE QR CODE for this months Music & Malts Spotify playlist

B

y the time you’re reading this, we’ve already had the Whisky Champs (or are about to) and I’m looking forward to perhaps a day off after all that…

The best part about 2022 so far has been how quickly everything has kicked back off. You don’t realise how much you miss the tangible when all you’ve been doing for the better part of two years is hosting events via Zoom calls and Teams meetings. This year has also started with a proper bang for myself as I’ve taken on the role of Branch Director for the SMWS, and taken out the Gold for Whisky Personality of the Year at the Australian Whisky Awards 2021! A massive shout out to any members and friends who took a moment to vote for me, it really means a lot and I’m extremely gracious for the recognition this provides for all the work I’ve done in both local spirits with our 147 & 148 bottlings, but also the wider member proposition.

That wider member proposition is some of the work we put in behind the scenes here at SMWS: A forensic view of how to improve the

member experience, the way we share the story, and the people we meet along the way.

April is again Music & Malts, Part 2! Our two-month Music & Malts has thus far been a melodic and harmonic success, and this month we welcome the first (formal) article written by our newest team member, Adam Ioannidis, who is quite the audiophile himself and finds some interesting pairings to discover.

We’ve also again created a Spotify playlist to enjoy throughout the month, which was picked out while Outturn was selected. Scan above to have a listen and find your perfect pairing.

Read on, tune in, and have a listen to April!

Matt Bailey ~ SMWS National Ambassador

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VANILLA PASSION

Feel the passion! We welcome back distillery 78 to the Society with a bang. Wooden washbacks, brewer’s yeast, and a slow distillation run making for a very desirable, delicious malt whisky.

Once a key component of Long John blends, and more recently (and quite controversially) part of some blended Japanese whiskies, there’s a reason this distillate is so desired by blenders and bottlers: it’s damn good! We’re super excited to have this single cask, cask strength, delicious 78 to share around for members this month, with plenty to go around at a quaffable price of just $169.

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

11 years

DATE DISTILLED

3 September 2009

CASK NO. 78.45

OUTTURN

178 bottles

ABV

63.7%

REDUCED FROM $200

AUS ALLOCATION 74 bottles

VANILLA PASSION JUICY, OAK & VANILLA

$169

Limit of two bottles per Member

T MALTHE OF NTH MO

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The nose is deeply compelling and as balanced as a ball on a bicycle – lovely rich fruit cake with marzipan and cherries, and orchard fruits in a polished wooden bowl.

The palate has a delightfully thick and creamy body – peanut butter, honey and almond tuiles; pears and pineapple extravagantly bathed in creamy vanilla custard.

The reduced nose finds chocolate-covered caramel wafer, bread and butter pudding, cinnamon on pear and clotted cream. The palate combines juicy fruits (lychee, physalis, apple, rhubarb) with maple Danish, milk bottle sweets and vanilla toffee; sweet spice tingles of gingerbread, hotcross buns and aniseed balls on the finish.

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MUSIC & MALTS YOUR JOURNEY

We asked members on our Facebook group to show some of their favourite music & malt pairings throughout March so far, and this is what came back! Here’s to those magical moments.

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SOCIETY EXPERIENCES WOLLONGONG

MELBOURNE

WHISKY DINNER IN THE GONG

WHISKY & LIVE BLUES TASTING!

A full-flavoured and diverse selection of rare and special single cask single malts followed by an amazing culinary abundance of the finest fare. Music to our palates!

Live blues music, a tasting flight from the Society, and our own booths at Beneath Driver Lane. In Music & Malts month that sounds incredible to us!

FRIDAY 8 APRIL, 6PM FOR 6.30PM

THURSDAY 28 APRIL, 6PM FOR 6.30PM

Novotel Northbeach Hotel 2/14 Cliff Rd, North Wollongong

Beneath Driver Lane 3 Driver Ln, Melbourne

ADELAIDE

BRISBANE

FESTIVAL CASKS ADELAIDE

SIP & SPIN: AN AFTERNOON OF WHISKY AND MUSIC

First cab off the rank, the whisky festival season is upon us! Join Jenny & the South Australian contingent for a night exploring the festivals of Scotland.

FRIDAY 6 MAY, 6PM FOR 6.30PM Gilbert Street Hotel 88 Gilbert St, Adelaide

While away a Sunday afternoon sharing a symphony of flavours from the finest single cask, single malts paired with an eclectic collection of great tracks at Mrs J. Rabbits Speakeasy!

SUNDAY 10 APRIL, 1.30PM TO 4.00PM Mrs J. Rabbits Speakeasy 23 Logan Rd, Woolloongabba

FOR OUR LATEST EVENT LISTINGS AND TO BOOK ONLINE VISIT SMWS.COM.AU/EVENTS

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Classical Composer Casks VIRTUAL TASTING

TUNE IN LIVE ON WEDNESDAY 20TH APRIL, 7PM AEST Our virtual calendar continues into April with Music & Malts! March was all about the Rock ’n’ Rollers of Rum. April is all about the ‘Classical Composer Casks’. Whiskies and spirits that are classically stunning, always reliable, but can reveal so much under the surface and from repeated listening.

2.126 - SMITH’S QUADRILOGY: THE SWEETEST MEDICINE

From Bruckner to Beethoven, Meale to Mozart, there’s an exploration of classical music and fine single casks to be found in this rare virtual tasting.

41.141 - WHITTLING OVER A BARBECUE

Sweet, Fruity & Mellow

39.215 - HIGHBALL DILUTING JUICE Juicy, Oak & Vanilla

36.177 - MAGICAL, TRANQUIL AND DREAMY Old & Dignified

Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits

3.324 - SPLIT PERSONALITY Lightly Peated

Tune in live on Facebook & YouTube on Wednesday 20th April, 7PM AEST. Or watch at your own leisure after.

GRAB YOUR VIRTUAL TASTING KIT AND JOIN IN THE FUN! SMWS.COM.AU/SHOP *Includes 5 x 30ml drams of the above bottlings, two tasting mats and full tasting notes.

Tune In live on Wednesday 20th April, 7PM AEST

JUST

$7EAC9H*

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IN SEINE DRAM YOUNG & SPRITELY CASK NO. 52.38

$160

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

7 years

DATE DISTILLED

27 August 2013

OUTTURN

256 bottles

ABV

58.5%

AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles This was a magical mystery tour! Sniffing it, we sailed sublimely up the Seine on an old-fashioned yacht and disembarked straight into a Parisian patisserie. After adding water, we left the crêpes, teacakes and custard-filled pastries behind and went into a barber shop – hair gel, moustache wax, spiced after-shave and leather razor strops.

The neat palate was just crazy – chilli chocolate, a racetrack by the sea, chewing leather, chewing wood; fruity, herbal and spicy all at the same time. In reduction we got lemon meringue pie and salted crisps, with tongue-itching oak, leather and Turkish coffee on the finish.

CHERRIES, SWEETS, BERRIES AND TREATS SPICY & SWEET CASK NO. 91.29

$175

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

2nd fill bourbon barrel

AGE

11 years

DATE DISTILLED

2 April 2009

OUTTURN

199 bottles

ABV

55.9%

AUS ALLOCATION 46 bottles An initial nose that showed lime, coconut water, raspberries, hints of coal scuttle, wood char, baled hay and heather honey. Beyond that there were also cherry stones and soft waxes. With water we found marzipan, orange zest in butter icing, new leather and polished wood. Some green banana, frangipane and chopped rhubarb. The palate was big, spicy and juicy with plenty of creamy coconut, flaked almonds, powdered sugar and muddled mint leaf. Some popcorn, maple syrup and a nicely punchy hit of camphor and eucalyptus oil. With reduction we found heather ales, pineapple, black pepper, muesli and Bakewell tarts.

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CHEERY, CHERRY FAIRY CAKES DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS CASK NO. 85.66

$190

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill Port barrique

AGE

14 years

DATE DISTILLED

5 July 2006

OUTTURN

275 bottles

ABV

56.8%

RA EXT URED MAT

AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles Maybe, just maybe, we were all influenced by the wonderful colour as aromas of freeze-dried strawberries, raspberry ripple fudge, cherry cola using real cherry juice and a glass of Rioja Crianza were mentioned. A real sweetness on the palate at first followed by mulling spices (cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves) as well as a ginger kick.

After reduction, a refreshing cherry fruitiness and a five-spice plum and marzipan tart tatin on the nose while to taste pink wafers, scones with clotted cream and cherry Bakewell fairy cakes.

After twelve years in an ex-bourbon hogshead, we transferred this whisky into a 1st fill Port barrique.

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STILL LIFE OLD & DIGNIFIED CASK NO. 50.115

$849

M MIU PRE T TLING BO

BRAWNY AND BRINEY PEATED CASK NO. 53.382

$195

REGION

Lowland

CASK TYPE

2nd fill bourbon barrel

AGE

30 years

DATE DISTILLED

26 January 1990

OUTTURN

72 bottles

ABV

52.0%

AUS ALLOCATION 12 bottles A slowly unfurling and deeply enticing initial aroma greeted the Panel. Initial notes included passionflower, heather honey, potpourri, drifting incense, toasted coconut and rose petals. Also dried heather, wormwood, bergamot, myrtle and linseed oil. Expressive and beautifully complex. Reduction gave us rosewater, carnations in vase water, dandelions, petrichor and hessian. Some rolling tobacco in an old leather pouch. The palate was almost pure concentrated heather honey to begin. Then a slow roll out of midget gem sweets, mineral oil, hardwood resins, varnished mahogany, kumquat and tea tree oil. Water added Lapsang Souchong tea, crystallised exotic fruits, pollens, juniper and camphor.

REGION

Islay

CASK TYPE

Refill bourbon hogshead

AGE

10 years

DATE DISTILLED

16 November 2010

OUTTURN

288 bottles

ABV

60.0%

AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles Hefty coastal aromas of smoked kippers, fishing nets and seaweed merged with salted chestnuts and cashews as they toasted alongside peppery haggis over hot barbecue embers. Not for the faint-hearted, the palette was thick and burnt as tarry ropes, treacle and liquorice coated burnt sausages, oily chorizo and honey glazed pork dressed with rosemary and tarragon. Water returned us to aromas of barnacles, smoked fish and muscles in a white wine sauce, however medicinal elements of antiseptic, cloves and angelica had now appeared. Coal dust and cask char brought elements of filth to the palette before being lifted by burnt toffee, violets and fragrant cigar smoke.

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SUBTLE COMPLEXITY OILY & COASTAL CASK NO. 42.58

$540

M MIU PRE T TLING BO

WA-WA-WOOM! HEAVILY PEATED CASK NO. 10.207

$175

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

2nd fill bourbon barrel

AGE

26 years

DATE DISTILLED

23 September 1994

OUTTURN

190 bottles

ABV

51.4%

AUS ALLOCATION 30 bottles A lot of head-scratching from baffled panel members; crisp green apples at first followed by a gentle sweetness wrapped around toasted hazelnuts and almonds. A picture developed of a ship’s captain in his bourgeois study in the 15th century looking out to sea and wondering what lies behind the horizon. On the palate; mellow, incredibly elegant with flavours of pipe tobacco, black olive tapenade, soft Mediterranean herbs and traces of an old oak sea chest. Water added anchovies served in a harbour taverna as we drank rare amontillado sherry having lost the ‘flor’ (film of yeast on the surface of the wine) naturally throughout the decades as it aged in oak casks.

REGION

Islay

CASK TYPE

Refill bourbon barrel

AGE

12 years

DATE DISTILLED

7 February 2008

OUTTURN

220 bottles

ABV

56.2%

AUS ALLOCATION 54 bottles We needed to call the fire brigade as a garden shed full of paint pots, newspapers, old chipboards and plywood had just gone up in smoke. Someone had the idea, as Shakespeare vaguely said, “fight fire with fire” while others foolishly poured fuel onto the fire. Finally water did the trick and we relaxed by the sea, where nearby someone was roofing his beach hut by applying felt with hot bitumen and we inhaled deep, tarry and charred flavours before we finally got crispy smoky bacon sandwiches off a barbeque and chestnuts having been roasted on an open fire.

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High Fidelity

BY ADAM IOANNIDIS

In my relatively fresh journey in the world of whisky (and even fresher in the world of flavoursome Society casks) there are several things I’ve picked up from various people; not just general industry knowledge, but also quirks and preconceptions that almost always turn out to be wrong. Whisky, like most things, is predominantly subjective.

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S

ure, some may not have been matured quite right and end up fiercely hot — tasting like pure ethanol, for example. But, for the most part, there are whiskies that have their admirers and those who aren’t huge fans, just like food, movies or (one might argue, most divisively) music.

But I’m not here to talk about whether Pearl Jam or Nirvana was the better band, or if Page’s guitar tone was more iconic than Hendrix’s — I actually wanted to discuss the perception of sound quality in recordings and music mediums, and their parallel with another certain industry that has particular preconceptions regarding quality. Analogue or digital? Vinyl or SACD? Higher age statement Scottish whiskies or younger Australian single malts? “If it’s not a whisky from Scotland, then it mustn’t be good…”

OLD WAYS ARE THE BEST WAYS

It’s been touched on many a time in the whisky world and by the Australian branch of The Society as well, but it can be easy to look at a 30-year-old whisky priced in the higher four-figure realm and say “damn, that must be delicious”. Yes, it very well might be, but, the high age statement, the very factor that might evoke such a comment, doesn’t automatically give it a free pass. And, likewise, whilst some may find it to be up to the standard they were expecting, others may be looking for the nearest refreshing ale to rid their palate of the taste.

Vinyl as a medium is perceived to be better sounding, it’s older and it’s analogue. There are many factors that affect this, though (just like all the factors that affect a maturing cask), such as how it was recorded, how it was pressed and the output hardware. If an album is recorded digitally and then cut to vinyl from a highresolution digital file, then the source is digital.

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“Whisky, like music, is for enjoyment, and everyone enjoys different things in different ways.”

may not now. The majority of the world is content with compressed audio from a streaming service; objectively speaking there’s a lot of information (detail) missing compared to a higher-resolution file — but, it does the job. And, just like some are happy with a bottle of classic Johnnie Red or, dare I say, Jack Daniels — if it’s genuinely being enjoyed, then the job is being done, is it not?

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE

So, then we have the experience side of things.

Vinyl is a delicate and quite frankly slow way of listening to music — after each side has finished, you have to manually raise the tonearm (depending on the turntable), flip the vinyl, and then move the arm back into position before lowering it.

Not all high-age-statement whiskies are the same and neither are vinyl; the preconception just isn’t objectively true, but subjectively speaking, we all have a preference — if you enjoy it, then you enjoy it.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK

The opposite end of the age statement preconception is that younger whiskies below 10 years of age are not worth a second glance.

This notion is beginning to fizzle out as it’s being realised that not only can whiskies with young age statements actually be delicious, but sometimes they’re necessary (Melbourne’s climate combined with certain cask types forces some distilleries to follow a shorter maturation period, for example). Younger whiskies are becoming more and more common in recent years — offering different flavours and allowing a new-wave approach to flavour experimentation. Digital music is similar in that it is a relatively recent development that among some purists is looked down upon.

The senses play a big part in both whisky and music enjoyment, both taste and aural senses change and develop over years and what may have tasted or sounded good ten years ago,

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There’s a bit more work involved compared to letting the rest of the album play on a CD

or music player, but it’s an experience to do so nonetheless, and something that you might not do all the time, but enjoy as an occasional treat. Just like that older or significant whisky you’ve tucked away for special occasions only.

There’s a romance and sometimes even prestige in owning/enjoying an older whisky from a desirable distillery or a rare Japanese original pressing from the ‘70s; but the thing is, where does it end?

My father once told me that the whole point of listening to music is to enjoy it. You can obsess over age statements, distillery codes, music formats, hardware all you want, but it’s easy to forget that at the end of the day you listen to music to experience emotions, to go on a journey that silence cannot provide. You drink whisky to experience flavours, textures, smells — whether it’s a sherry-bomb explosion or a thick and oily biscuity dram.

There’s no point in drinking something with rave reviews if you don’t think much of it, or purchasing a code 29 if the tasting notes don’t pique your interest. Whisky, like music, is for enjoyment, and everyone enjoys different things in different ways. There’s a whole wide world out there of whisky and music, Society codes and global whiskies you’ve probably never tried, artists you’ve never even heard of — the journey’s never over, and only you can experience it in the way you know you’ll enjoy.

Adam Ioannidis ~ SMWS Marketing Assistant, and a lover of all good hifi…

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Society bottlings are offered and sold through The Artisanal Spirits Company Pty Ltd, Liquor Licence LIQP770017428.