Outturn June 2021

Outturn Mixing it up: Friday 4 June Issue 05, 2021

SHAKE UP YOUR WINTER

Partner Bar pairings and winter serves which will take your flavour journey to another level.

POURING AT SMWS.COM.AU

Contents Ambassador’s Address Matt Bailey ....................................................................................... 3 Winter Cocktails with the Society Partner Bar Pairings ................................................................... 6 Cellarmaster’s Note “Time will Tell” Andrew Derbidge.......................................................................... 4

OUR BOTTLINGS 10

10

Cask No. 9.191 (Malt of the Month) Granny’s kitchen on baking day......................................... 8

Cask No. 44.135 Booze and bonbon blowout..................................................

11 11

12

Cask No. G10.30 Bourbon Bonbons.......................................................................

16

Cask No. 35.275 A desert island dr(e)am..........................................................

17

LIGHTLY PEATED

PEATED Cask No. 42.49 Dirty martini.................................................................................. 18

SINGLE CASK SPIRITS Cask No. BAT.11 (Blended Malt) The Tar Pit. ...................................................................................... 19

OLD & DIGNIFIED Cask No. 76.148 (Vaults Collection) Grilled lemon-garlic elk steak.............................................

16

Cask No. 10.203 Day is fading west awa’.......................................................... 18

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS Cask No. 128.14 Dark chocolate crémeux.........................................................

Cask No. 72.97 Royal nonsense?..........................................................................

Cask No. G15.8 A campfire cookout..................................................................... 17

SPICY & SWEET Cask No. 12.49 Is this the way to Amarillo?.................................................

Special Referral Promotion Grab Your Free 3 x Dram Set ............................................. 22

JUICY, OAK & VANILLA

SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW Cask No. 2.118 Smith’s quadrilogy: the sunshine cellar.......................

Vaults Collection Cask No. 76.148 Grilled lemon-garlic elk steak.............................................. 14

Events Magnificent Mystery Malts Virtual Tasting................ 23

YOUNG & SPRITELY Cask No. 26.159 Chilled chilli coriander cocktail. ........................................

Malt of the Month Cask No. 9.191 Granny’s kitchen on baking day......................................... 8

14

Cask No. R2.14 (Rum) Caribbean crab cakes............................................................... 20 Cask No. GN3.14 (Gin) A hymn to the god of summer refreshment............... 20

2

AMBASSADOR’S WRAP

What a month. If you’re reading this, we’ve just put the lid on the final week of festival releases, and what a wild ride it’s been. A whole month celebrating all things to do with the whisky festivals across Scotland with special tips from our state managers on how to navigate your whisky fair or expo wherever you are.

J

une is really settling into the winter months now, which provides us an opportunity to explore flavour in new and exciting ways yet again. I was asked a question the other day about how your particular tastes for certain whiskies changes over time, both on a macro and micro level.

Do you change your flavour preferences throughout the year? Is it based off the seasons or something else entirely? I mentioned to Andrew in one of our virtual tastings just recently that I went at least a whole year around 2017 without drinking any peated whisky. This wasn’t an accident, like I forgot to buy anything in our peated whisky categories, but I just wasn’t feeling it. I needed a ‘peat break’.

Apart from that blip, I still find my palate changes seasonally. During summer I might reach for something Young & Spritely, something light, something brisk and/or really fruit-driven in the spirit. Summer also calls for a different kind of spice in the spirit. The spices around fruit, like biting into an under-ripe Kiwifruit or a tropical mango, as opposed to the winter warming spices like cinnamon or a rich curry. Whisky has this habit of mirroring or following the flavours we experience in our cuisine or journey in a way that is inexplicably exciting and part of that story and evolution. Could you imagine eating the same dish every night for the rest of your life? Sounds like hell to me. Sure, it would be consistent like a well-constructed blended whisky, but it would end up being just sustenance for the sake of it. I like to think Society members are looking for more than sustenance. In fact, I can

swear by it from the number of times each and every month I hear the regaling of long departed Society casks from members. Those casks aren’t just the whisky, they are the wider experience you had when enjoyed: Who you were with, where you opened it, and the whole sum of the parts.

Our May Unfiltered Magazine, Australia’s only monthly whisky magazine, takes a closer look at some of those moments even through other sensory experience, like music. Those who know me well will know I come from a music background and find those auditory connections against flavour and sensory connections are hard to ignore. The way our brains are individually wired, yet somehow all connect at special moments, are what make the journey. That same journey we take with flavour, with analysis, with enjoyment.

I would love to hear how your perception of flavour and how your own palate has changed over the years, so let’s have that discussion on our Facebook group community. This is what makes a Society what it is.

Slainte

Matt Bailey ~ SMWS National Ambassador 3

The idea that Society whisky can only be enjoyed neat is long gone. We’re heading into our winter months and we’ve worked with some of our newer Partner Bars on their favourite cocktail recipes to keep you warm over June.

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01 ‘SMUGGLER’S COVE ‘ @ THE 18TH AMENDMENT BAR, GEELONG The 18th Amendment Bar, a tucked-away speakeasy right in the heart of Geelong, has joined the SMWS as a Partner Bar, along with the existing 18th Amendment Bar in Ballarat. Their enthusiastic team and Gorge’s Australian whisky history cabinet alone are worth the trek. One of their signature cocktails is the ‘Smuggler’s Cove’. Try these amazing flavours at the bar in Geelong, or try it yourself at home with some of our June Outturn offerings:

Ingredients 45ml 12.49 ‘Is this the way to Amarillo?’

10ml Pama (Pomegranate liqueur) 10ml Campari 15ml Peach Syrup (or tinned peach juice will work) 30ml lemon juice

Instructions

Mix together 45mls of 12.49 ‘Is this the way to Amarillo?’ with 10mls Pama (Pomegranate liqueur), 10ml Campari, 15ml Peach Syrup (or tinned peach juice will work) and 30mls of lemon juice. Shake it all up, strain into a Tiki mug, garnish with a cocktail umbrella, mint and a dehydrated orange wheel.

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02

‘EASY TO LOVE’ @ BILLIE H, CLAREMONT Billie H in Claremont, Perth, has proudly joined the SMWS as a Partner Bar, giving us two incredible bars in Perth to explore the Society. Darren from Billie H has dedicated a page in his menu to the Society, but also some inventive cocktails using local ingredients and Billie Holliday-themed fizzy fun at this warm and inviting new Partner Bar. Their ‘Easy to love’ cocktail is a staff favourite which usually uses West Winds gin, but you can try a twist on your own:

Ingredients 50ml GN3.14 “A hymn to the god of summer refreshment” 10ml Nolly Pratt dry vermouth

DROP INTO BILLIE H, sample some Society drams, show your membership card and meet the team!

Lemon rind Thyme

Instructions

Mix together 50mls of GN3.14 “A hymn to the god of summer refreshment” with 10ml of Nolly Pratt dry vermouth. Infuse it all with lemon rind & thyme using a nitrogen cream charger. Burn thyme over the top and garnish with a lemon twist and thyme.

Ingredients

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60ml Cask 44.135 “Booze and bonbon blowout” One sugar cube (or one bar spoon of simple syrup)

‘BANOFFEE OLD FASHIONED’ @DEAN’S LOUNGE, POTTS POINT

Orange twist

Nothing quite beats an Old Fashioned. It’s a timeless cocktail that is versatile year-round but especially warming as a late night tipple at Dean’s Lounge. Our newest Sydney Partner Bar, Dean’s Lounge in Potts Point, is all about late night jaffles, jukebox jams and great banter. Their Banoffee Old Fashioned is a twist on a classic that is a staff favourite and you can try it yourself with a Society whisky at the bar, or at home:

Water and ice

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Bitters

Instructions

Muddle one sugar cube (or one bar spoon of simple syrup) and bitters with one bar spoon of water at the bottom of a chilled rocks glass. Add 60mls of Cask 44.135 “Booze and bonbon blowout”. Stir. Add one large ice cube, or three or four smaller cubes.

Stir until chilled and properly diluted, about 30 seconds. Slip orange twist on the side of the cube.

CELLARMASTER’S NOTE

Time will tell A

few weeks ago I received an invitation to speak at a food and drink festival for a plenary session on whisky. The brief was to give the audience a background into Scotch whisky’s history; to cover aspects of its production; to discuss the flavours and where they came from; and to then wrap up with a few words about Australian whisky. Upon accepting the gig in principle, I was then told I’d have five minutes on stage! I explained there was somewhat of a disconnect between how much they were wanting me to cover, and how much time they’d allocated to do so. “Oh well, do the best you can” was the response.

I was instantly reminded of that video you may have seen where the sketch artist does a brilliant drawing of Spiderman in 10 minutes, then tries to do the same drawing in 1 minute, and then tries to do the same sketch again in 10 seconds. Needless to say, the quality of the final product significantly decreases with each attempt in a shorter time frame. If you’ve seen the video, you’ll know that the first sketch was a masterpiece, whilst the last sketch looked like a four year-old drew it in kindergarten. Not surprisingly, I was a bit concerned that my audience would listen to my hurried address and judge it as being the kindergarten effort. Good things take time, and you can’t shoehorn the vast intricacies of Scotch whisky into a five minute mish-mash.

The poignant aspect of this is that whisky and time are intimately linked: Barley takes time to grow; it takes time to be malted; the mash needs time to ferment; and the distilled spirit needs time to mature. And we all know the difference between three years’ maturation and 12, 18, or 25 years’ maturation. And, finally, good whisky appreciation takes time – once you’ve poured it into a glass, a good cask-strength, single cask, single malt will take time to unravel and for all its nuances to be unwrapped, considered, understood, and appreciated. I’ve lost count of the number of whiskies that told me something in the first 30 seconds, only to tell me something completely different 10 or 20 minutes later. We must never be too quick to judge a whisky on our first impression; the first nosing; or the first sip. Most Society whiskies have more than one dimension to showcase, and time is often needed to flesh out the full picture. So if you want to get the most out of your dram, take your time with it, and let time tell….

Cheers

Andrew Derbidge ~ Director, Cellarmaster & NSW Manager 7

MALT OF THE MONTH Distillery 9 has a long history with the Society and is one of the most iconic Speyside distilleries of note. Built in 1839 by John & James Grant, this distillery was enormous, ambitious, and very quickly built a reputation of quality for blenders. By 1898 they’d grown so big they built a second distillery across the road which would later go on to be called Caperdonich. The spirit out of distillery 9 is always versatile, often light and with fresh pear drop notes, and we’re super proud to be able to offer up a 17 year old single cask for Malt of the Month!

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

17 years

DATE DISTILLED

11 September 2003

OUTTURN

178 bottles

$199.00

ABV

55.4%

REDUCED FROM $230

AUS ALLOCATION

48 bottles

GRANNY’S KITCHEN ON BAKING DAY SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW CASK NO. 9.191

Limit of one bottle per Member

T OF MALMONTH THE

8

A comforting dram that ushered us into Granny’s kitchen on baking day – chopped hazelnuts, chocolate, orange, treacle scones and banana bread, honeyed tea cakes and a drop of vanilla essence into the bubbling tablet pot. The palate was richly honeyed, with initial silky smoothness and then a pleasing prickle effect towards the finish with tart nectarines, ginger loaf and cloves. The reduced nose had fragrant pink peppercorns and pressed flowers, glacé cherries, brown sugar, vanilla ice-cream and gradually more and more citrus. The palate developed rounded, mouth-coating loveliness and buttery goodness, with enticing tropical fruits (quince jelly, apricot Danish, dried papaya, peach cobbler).

9

CHILLED CHILLI CORIANDER COCKTAIL YOUNG & SPRITELY CASK NO. 26.159

$180.00

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

2nd fill bourbon barrel

AGE

9 years

DATE DISTILLED

19 September 2011

OUTTURN

232 bottles

ABV

59.0%

AUS ALLOCATION

24 bottles

Smiling faces all around as it was the first day of the new season, a return to the golf course after a long and dreadful hibernation over the winter period. On the palate the spicy chilled heat of a chilli and coriander cocktail – gin, tonic, chopped slices of green chilli and fresh coriander leaves.

Inevitably rain arrived by the 4th hole and we had to unfold our premium fibreglass umbrellas and put on our brand-new waterproof jackets. Thankfully the shower was short-lived, and we finished the round in glorious sunshine with some enjoying frangipane tart with custard on the 19th hole while others had a New York cheesecake.

SMITH’S QUADRILOGY: THE SUNSHINE CELLAR SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW CASK NO. 2.118

$220.00

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

14 years

DATE DISTILLED

7 April 2006

OUTTURN

240 bottles

ABV

53.6%

AUS ALLOCATION

24 bottles

A bountiful and superbly ‘easy’ aroma of clotted cream on soda bread, canvas, baking parchment and things like trail mix, toasted seeds, sunflower oil, gingerbread from the oven, red liquorice and honeycomb with a spritz of furniture polish. Reduction offered us sandalwood, meadow flowers, trampled grass, damp moss, petrichor, wool, pollen and tomato vines in a greenhouse. The palate opened richly and thick with butter, fruit salad juices, bubble-gum and gooseberry chutney. Some youthful dessert wine sweetness. With water we found mineral oils, midget gems, gentle wood spices, buttered brown toast and some crisp and mouth-watering green acidity. Superb!

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IS THIS THE WAY TO AMARILLO? SPICY & SWEET CASK NO. 12.49

$175.00 IAL SPECISH FIN

BOOZE AND BONBON BLOWOUT SPICY & SWEET CASK NO. 44.135

$245.00

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

2nd fill IPA barrel

AGE

10 years

DATE DISTILLED

18 March 2010

OUTTURN

235 bottles

ABV

60.0%

AUS ALLOCATION

30 bottles

A cosy blanket of wool wrapped around bitter lemon, black grapes and tangerines as dried chamomile petals mixed with dark chocolate and lots of vanilla. Then on the palette came a burst of orange fruit from funky Amarillo hops that morphed into lime zest while dark chocolate remained with cinnamon, ginger and mace spice. A dash of water heralded an explosion of citrus fruit cascading over lemon drizzle cake in a pine forest. Earthy notes of herb gardens mirrored dried hops with bitter marmalade as the flavours now veered us towards bananas on burnt toast with cinnamon and persistent chocolate. After spending nine years in an ex-bourbon barrel this was transferred to an ex-Tempest Old Fashioned IPA cask for the remainder of its maturation.

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

Refill bourbon barrel

AGE

16 years

DATE DISTILLED

9 Jun 2004

OUTTURN

237 bottles

ABV

55.0%

AUS ALLOCATION

30 bottles

The nose suggested sipping Vinho Verde or Gewürztraminer in a sunny meadow – sitting on straw and hessian; nearby – a greengage tree and someone opening a packet of Avanti vanilla cigars. The sweet, tasty palate contained Revels and M&M’s, marzipan, floral honey and a Magnum ice-lolly stick. The reduced nose had us lounging on a corduroy sofa in a sun-dappled hay loft, passing round a box of assorted milk chocolates. The palate combined Dolly Mixtures and Jap Desserts with hints of something savoury – wine-cooked porcini or salt beef, washed down with Sauvignon Blanc or tawny port – then a nice dry, memory-rich, thirst-provoking finish.

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DARK CHOCOLATE CRÉMEUX Just as not all peated whisky comes from Islay, not all incredible sherried whisky comes from Scotland. Distillery 128 hails all the way from Wales.

The story of whisky production in Wales is a not-unfamiliar story of early production and modern revival. There are only four distilleries producing whisky in Wales today, but it’s all largely thanks to distillery 128 who spearheaded the revival back in 2004. Cask 128.14 Dark chocolate crémeux is a full Oloroso sherry butt matured whisky in our Deep Rich & Dried Fruits flavour profile category, and is an other-worldly delight of brandy snaps, ginger biscuits, praline and cherry rum cake.

DARK CHOCOLATE CRÉMEUX DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS CASK NO. 128.14

$215.00

Limit of one bottle per Member

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REGION

Wales

CASK TYPE

2nd fill Oloroso butt

AGE

7 years

DATE DISTILLED

8 June 2013

OUTTURN

612 bottles

ABV

61.4%

AUS ALLOCATION

36 bottles

A wonderful golden to red-brown colour similar to a gemstone called Tiger’s eye caught our attention at first.

Big, expressive, tropical fruit aromas as well as brown sugar brandy butter, ginger biscuits and brandy snaps made this an engaging experience. On the palate - deliciously dense, creamy dark chocolate crémeux (custard-based ganache) with crunchy nut praline and caramel sauce spiked with amaretto. With water, we swirled bramble jam into heavy vanilla custard but there was also an exotic, woody, almost other-worldly aroma at work, while to taste now - as smooth as you like chocolate cherry rum cake with meringue butter cream.

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VAULTS COLLECTION It’s been a little while between drams for distillery 76, but good things come to those who wait. Cask 76.148 is a 32 year-old in our Vaults Collection which has had 30 years in ex-bourbon hogshead then an extra maturation in a 1st fill ex-Oloroso hogshead. Distillery 76 is an overwhelming favourite of scotch connoisseurs.

The distillate produced here is robust, savoury and meaty derived from an old school distillation process. It is well known to be supremely age worthy and takes extensive sherry maturation in its stride. The combination of distillate and sherry cask additional maturation produces two powerful profiles which create an extraordinarily unique taste experience that will spoil the senses.

LTS VAUECTION L COL CIAL SPE NISH FI

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GRILLED LEMONGARLIC ELK STEAK OLD & DIGNIFIED CASK NO. 76.148

$1,395.00 REGION

Speyside

INITIAL CASK

ex-bourbon hogshead

FINAL CASK

1st fill Oloroso hogshead

AGE

32 years

DATE DISTILLED

22 September 1987

OUTTURN

207 bottles

ABV

51.6%

AUS ALLOCATION

12 bottles

A subtle, sweet perfumed aroma with soft nutty sherry notes and a moist, rum-soaked Caribbean black cake made this a wonderful nosing dram when neat. On the palate deep, dark and spicy with flavours of chestnuts roasted on an open fire, burnt oranges with charred, sugary rosemary and green figs in Armagnac syrup. With a tiny drop of water, we seared an elk steak in a cast iron skillet and to enjoy it medium rare, marinated in soy sauce, ginger and garlic, and served with Indian butternut squash curry and sweet potatoes.

ABOUT THE VAULTS COLLECTION The Vaults Collection is a selection of the finest and rarest single cask, single malt whisky, set aside from The Scotch Malt Whisky Society’s most remarkable stocks over the years. They have been released from the depths of our treasure trove of casks, after decades of slow maturation and careful nurturing. The Vaults Collection represents the whisky lover’s dream: A chance to journey back into whisky history, including the opportunity to experience styles or distilleries that no longer exist. The Collection takes its name from the Society’s historical home at The Vaults in Leith, Scotland’s oldest commercial building in continuous use whose connection with the drinks world dates back to the 12th century. Each bottle has a specially designed label and is offered in a beautiful wooden box.

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ROYAL NONSENSE? JUICY, OAK & VANILLA CASK NO. 72.97

$160.00

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

8 years

DATE DISTILLED

3 April 2012

OUTTURN

225 bottles

ABV

62.3%

AUS ALLOCATION

48 bottles

On the nose neat we imagined traditional Austrian flower boxes displaying a variety of flowers like begonias, fuchsias, honeysuckle and foxgloves, mounted onto a wooden balcony. On the palate we stayed on that Austrian balcony and had a glass of white wine called Grüner Veltliner - vibrant, zesty with a dry minerality and a hint of pepper. Water released the sweet herbal notes of basil and thyme as well as green grape skins before the sweet perfumed scent of jasmine and rose water appeared. The taste a real ‘Kaiserschmarrn’ (named after the favourite dish of Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I) – light and fluffy shredded pancakes with raisins soaked in rum and served with plum compote.

BOURBON BONBONS JUICY, OAK & VANILLA CASK NO. G10.30

$180.00

REGION

Lowland

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

15 years

DATE DISTILLED

12 July 2005

OUTTURN

200 bottles

ABV

61.7%

AUS ALLOCATION

36 bottles

Such an inviting nose of toasted coconut, pine sap, banana chips, brown sugar and beeswax on freshly carved wood. Enough said let’s have a try – vibrant and zesty, sweet and spicy; marzipan croissants with a peppered chocolate hazelnut spread, mango slices, whipped cream and olive oil cake. When we added water we walked through a pine forest after a rain shower, the smell is called geosmin, musky, cool and fresh yet at the same time an earthy-sweet aroma. On the palate a freshbaked fruit pie in the hold of a wooden ship with a dash of herbal and white pepper – a real joy!

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A DESERT ISLAND DR(E)AM JUICY, OAK & VANILLA CASK NO. 35.275

$485.00

M MIU PRE T TLING BO

A CAMPFIRE COOKOUT LIGHTLY PEATED CASK NO. G15.8

$170.00 IAL SPECISH FIN

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill toasted hogshead

AGE

25 years

DATE DISTILLED

24 November 1994

OUTTURN

180 bottles

ABV

59.6%

AUS ALLOCATION

24 bottles

“Spectacular opulence, irresistible, luscious luxury and a simple wow” were just a few of the ‘useful’ descriptors from the Panel members. A classic French loaf, pain d’épices, full of warm, comforting aromas thanks to the generous amount of honey and mixed spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace and cloves) in the bread’s batter. The taste neat had a fiery temper with plenty of exotic wood spiciness but at the same time that deep rich sweetness of a steaming cup of camomile, honey and vanilla herbal tea. A drop of water and it turned very juicy and very fruity – a desert island dr(e)am! Final comment “goddammit it is good”!

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

Refill HTMC hogshead

AGE

12 years

DATE DISTILLED

24 January 2008

OUTTURN

224 bottles

ABV

58.2%

AUS ALLOCATION

36 bottles

After 10 years in ex-bourbon wood, we filled this into a heavy-toast, medium-char, ex-peaty hogshead. The nose leaves charred impressions of toasted coconut, burnt banana bread, crisped bacon and a bonfire of leaves – also linseed oil and putty, pear and pineapple and campfire hotdogs.

The palate picks up immediate but gentle ashy, nutty, heathery smoke; white pepper, roasted peanuts, toasted almonds and ‘Coke-soaked ham with treacle glaze garnished with pineapple slices and cherries’. The reduced nose gets apple, papaya, and mango, pork sausages with white wine sauerkraut. The palate has ginger cake and green curry spice, smoked sea-salt, cherry Coke and ‘chewing kindling’.

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DIRTY MARTINI PEATED CASK NO. 42.49

$195.00

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

Refill Bourbon barrel

AGE

13 years

DATE DISTILLED

5 October 2006

OUTTURN

222 bottles

ABV

58.3%

AUS ALLOCATION

42 bottles

The initial nose was all on salt and vinegar crisps drizzled with antiseptic. Then bandages, ointments, mercurochrome, pink sea salt and olive pickling juices. A sizzle of pork fat and soy sauce in the background. Reduction brought a sootier and greasier profile. More mechanical oils, putty, burnt sheep wool, tractor engines and muddy wellies. The palate was initially full of caraway and pickled onions. Also malt vinegar, rosemary branches catching on a barbecue, pickled herring and smoked mint. With water we found a big dollop of petroleum jelly, cold smoked meats, pancetta, barbour grease, carbolic wash and fragrant coal smoke. Water brought out a deeply oily texture, molten bacon fat, lanolin, carbolic soaps, natural tar and roofing pitch. Huge, fat, peppery, briny and wonderfully powerful.

DAY IS FADING WEST AWA’ PEATED CASK NO. 10.203

$215.00

REGION

Islay

CASK TYPE

Refill Bourbon barrel

AGE

14 years

DATE DISTILLED

20 December 2005

OUTTURN

197 bottles

ABV

57.1%

AUS ALLOCATION

54 bottles

The initial nose was wonderfully fresh and vivid. Full of freshly laundered washing drying in the sea air, some peat smoke drifting from a chimney. Then dried herbs, bath salts, lemon peel and citronella wax. Lots of savoury, herbal smoke, bath bombs and a brittle, refreshing minerality. Water brought pickled lemons, ginger, spilled petrol, burning hay and the sharpness of green apple peelings and iodine. The palate was full on, brimming with sheep wool doused in kerosene, pure brine, lemon juice on an oyster, natural tar and things like squid ink and TCP. Powerhouse stuff! With reduction there was a wonderful balance between the farmyard and the seashore.

Also a huge medical streak of gauze, disinfectant and herbal mouthwash. Some meaty scallops grilling over wood embers.

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THE TAR PIT BLENDED MALT CASK NO. BAT.11

$130.00

REGION CASK TYPE

Islay Pedro Ximenez butts & bourbon hogsheads

AGE

9 years

DATE DISTILLED

27 April 2011

OUTTURN

1446 bottles

ABV

50.0%

AUS ALLOCATION

90 bottles

For this expression we wanted to introduce some sherry matured whiskies into our recipe to bring some weight and compliment the huge smoky elements of the spirit. We opted for the dark and syrupy delights of Pedro Ximenez sherry butts, along with some refill bourbon hogsheads to temper and balance the dark sweetness.

The Panel’s tasting experience was all enveloping.

“Wowza!” was the first reaction from one panellist.

A strong waft of oily peat drifting across the moor towards the harbour. It conjoured up images of tarred ropes draped in kelp. We could smell malt loaf and salted peanuts mixed with burnt raisins.

Lobster boats and creels provided minerality and there were notes of dark rum and brandy. A splendid backbone of peat and medicinal flavours backed up by liquorice, banana, rosemary & a distant dunnage warehouse. We imagined the formation of a tar pit, enveloping all around it and creating the most fragrant smoke. It’s oily & medicinal with warming & spicy elements like bonfire oranges & ginger bread.

Now an entire field of pineapple plants fell victim to the advancing tar, sending sweet tropical soot into the air. A touch of water gave notes of iodine & honey glazed peat. We cooked sweet glazed Chinese pork belly in the tarry heat as the pit consumed gorse bushes and fizzled as it was flecked with sea spray. The sweet sherry influence came through in the form of a peaty prune juice cocktail. Sweet and salty seaside vibes had us hearing gulls. The smoke gradually subsided leaving citrus smoked brine and ash in its wake.

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CARIBBEAN CRAB CAKES RUM CASK NO. R2.14

$235.00 IAL SPECISH FIN

A HYMN TO THE GOD OF SUMMER REFRESHMENT GIN CASK NO. GN3.14

$135.00

REGION

Guyana

CASK TYPE

2nd fill French oak barrique

AGE

17 years

DATE DISTILLED

30 June 2003

OUTTURN

210 bottles

ABV

59.4%

AUS ALLOCATION

42 bottles

This was big and powerful; aromas of dark toffee, rich tobacco and wood polish on mahogany as well as steamed malt loaf pudding with rum custard. Let’s gather around the campfire and bake delicious banana boat s’mores – sliced banana with marshmallows, chocolate chips, figs and prunes, sprinkled with curry powder and all wrapped in tin foil. With water, we were tossing Caribbean crab cakes on an oily grill in the sunshine and we finally served them with mango salsa and candied sweet potatoes as we drank refreshing sweet cherry juice ‘spiked’ with ginger and fresh lime juice. After thirteen years in an ex-bourbon barrel, we transferred this rum into a 2nd fill French oak barrique.

REGION

Hawick

CASK TYPE

2nd fill bourbon barrel

AGE

1 year

DATE DISTILLED

4 Jun 2019

OUTTURN

261 bottles

ABV

50.6%

AUS ALLOCATION

30 bottles

The neat nose suggests various things – the spritzy fruitfulness of lime chews, raspberryade and dried cranberries; fudge, toffee and icing sugar sweetness and aromatic hints of vanilla and cassia (Chinese cinnamon). A drop of water brings out even more refreshing fruits (melon, nectarine) all chopped up in syrup with cucumber and mint.

The palate is a delightfully complex harmonisation of red cola, root beer and tree bark, juniper, coriander and clove, lavender and strawberry, but the main character is a punchy Sicilian lemon note that sings a solo hymn to whichever god provides us with much-needed summer refreshment.

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Events CANBERRA

ADELAIDE

MAPLE MALTS IN CANBERRA

WINTER WARMING BOILERMAKER TASTING

Canberra’s renowned hospitality ramps up a notch with the SMWS presenting our Maple Malts tasting in collaboration with the fantastic team at Caribou in Kingston! Whisky, food & fun the Canadian way with your host & state manager Drew McKinnie presenting alongside the team at Caribou for a night of surprises along the way..

Our next tasting is made in heaven! We are excited to present an evening of not only five of our great Society single cask whiskies, but also an opportunity to match them to a hand-picked range of craft beers. We’ll answer your questions, tantilise your tastebuds, and above all have some fun exploring the craft and dark arts of some of life’s pleasures..

THURSDAY 17 JUNE, 6.30 FOR 7.00PM

FRIDAY 25 JUNE, 6.00 FOR 6.30PM

Caribou Kingston 44 Jardine St, Kingston Host: Drew McKinnie, ACT Manager

The Gilbert Hotel, 88 Gilbert St, Adelaide Host: Jenny Forrest, SA Manager

TO BOOK IN FOR AN EVENT, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CONTACT OUR OFFICE. SMWS.COM.AU/EVENTS Please check the website for our latest event listings.

Grab Your FREE 3 x Dram Set Join the SMWS, or refer a friend who joins the Society, and you’ll automatically be sent one of our special 3 x dram packs to discover the Society, along with a video tasting going over each whisky and how to appreciate single cask whisky. Every new member & every referrer gets one and each pack is worth $79!*

CASKS Cask No. 68.49 A day at the funfair Cask No. 39.199 Polishing melons (Vaults Collection) Cask No. 10.201 Panel-punch of peat-smoke *Contains 3 x 30ml drams. Special referral promo ends 31 July 2021 at 11:59pm AEST

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VIRTUAL TASTING

Magnificent Mystery Malts FRIDAY 25 JUNE, 7:30PM AEST | TICKETS $79 As a precursor to the Australian Malt Whisky Tasting Championship for 2021, join us on Friday 25th June for a special ‘mystery malts’ virtual tasting. On the night, we’ll sit down with 5 x handpicked, incredible single casks and taste them blind. All you’ll know on the night is the ABV on each sample and that’s it.

Andrew Derbidge & Matt Bailey will lead you through a special tasting of each whisky, doing a reveal at the end of each dram, keeping our focus on flavour for each one. We’ll also talk about the aroma and flavour identification, in the context of identifying whiskies in a blind tasting competition. We’ll also be joined by special guests on the night to talk flavour and their thoughts on each whisky.

Join us live on Friday 25 June at 7:30pm AEST, or anytime later at your own leisure. Follow along on our YouTube channel or Facebook group, and bring your questions and comments!

UAL VIRTING SET TAST $79*

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

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MIXING IT UP AT

SMWS.COM.AU

02 9974 3046 Mon-Fri 9.00am - 5.00pm AEST

@SMWS_AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIANSMWS

SMWS_AUS

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