February Outturn 2024

ONLIN FRIDA E MIDDAY Y 2 F E A E DT BRUA RY

Celebrating on Friday 2 February Issue 2, 2024

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Summertime dramming done right with the world’s leading whisky club!

EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS HERE: SMWS.COM.AU

CONTENTS Fun in the sun Matt Bailey............................................................................... 4 Mighty oaken casks part #2 Chris Middleton. . ................................................................ 34

OUR BOTTLINGS SPICY & SWEET

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

Cask No. 73.141 Time for a spring clean .................................................... 11

Cask No. 68.91 Andalusia in a glass .. ......................................................... 16

Cask No. 28.78 Orient and Occident .. ........................................................ 11

Cask No. 140.14 Cowpuncher rodeo dram .. ............................................. 19

Cask No. 155.2 Katsu amid the maple .. .....................................................12

Cask No. 35.310 Marmalade matured cognac .. ..................................... 19

Cask No. 1.264 Spicy cherry Danish .......................................................... 15

Cask No. 24.169 (Vaults Collection) Bonkers for conkers........................................................... 20

Cask No. 72.109 Orchestral manoeuvres in the cask ......................... 15

OLD & DIGNIFIED

SPICY & DRY

Cask No. 66.244 Pears and coal poached in port .. ...............................22

Cask No. 89.17 Menthol agility ..................................................................... 16

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YOUR SOCIETY Virtual tasting The Great Outdoors.. ........................................................ 40 Society experiences The great outdoors... with whisky............................ 41 Membership offer WIN one of five bottles of Cask 93.204................42 Show us your great outdoor dramming!

WIN a virtual kit valued at $99.. ............................... 43

JUICY, OAK & VANILLA

ARMAGNAC

Cask No. 149.4 A tasty morsel ...................................................................... 24

Cask No. A5.5 Pitch dark fruit .................................................................... 30

OILY & COASTAL

Cask No. A8.1 “Just what the doctor ordered” ..................................31

Cask No. 93.204 (Malt of the Month) By the beautiful briny sea ............................................... 6

CORN WHISKEY

PEATED

Cask No. CW1.5 Cinnamon sins .......................................................................31

Cask No. 4.300 A horned beast .................................................................... 27

AMERICAN RYE WHISKEY

Cask No. 53.411 A treasure trove of char ................................................. 27

Cask No. RW4.2 Second to none ....................................................................32

HEAVILY PEATED Cask No. 16.72 Beware of the reaper chilli! . . ........................................ 28

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FUN IN THE SUN

BY MATT BAILEY

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W

hisky, in my humble opinion, is incredibly versatile. Well, spirits in general are. We, as humans, have been using potable spirits in one way or another, regardless of season, for literally centuries. As early as the fourth century there’s been poitín (pronounced “pot-cheen”) and other potable spirits, as noted in some of Aristotle’s writings. Ever since then, and earlier, gradual advances in distillation processes, technology, and maturation have changed spirits forever.

This process has not stagnated, however.

Advances in whisky production have continued to evolve. I’m sure when Charles Saladin came up with his Saladin Box, or Aeneas Coffey with the Coffey still, or Philippe Meura with his mash filter, they were likely laughed at or possibly ridiculed for trying to change a process. I like to think of this sometimes as important to how we got to where we are, and where we might be going. Ask any data scientist worth their salt how we improve any process and the answer will be along the lines of trends and innovation through analysis.

Those very improvements and wills to change and evolve have enabled us to enjoy whisky more and more. We’re no longer sinking poitín and losing our teeth, but now have the ability to nitpick over which vintage of Glen Wonka was best from which *insert obscure European bottler here*. Inwardly facing, I do worry sometimes it’s a bit too easy to get TOO wrapped up in the minutia of nitpicking and comparing, and writing down 40 tasting notes. That’s a bit of my job, but it’s in these summery, outdoorsy kinda months I like to sometimes leave all that aside, grab a glass, pour a dram, and just enjoy it with a bit of

broader historical context. On that first sip: “what would this taste like if we didn’t have the pioneers in spirit like Charles Saladin?”.

Raise a dram, give yourself some context, and enjoy the tail-end of summer with the SMWS! Cheers.

Matt Bailey ~ Branch Director, SMWS Australia

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IVE

T AUS

L I A E XC L US

RA

40TH BIRTHDAY CASK

A

whole cask of Oily & Coastal Campbeltown spirit, exclusive to Australia? Now that’s a cause for celebration! We’re kicking 2024 into second gear nice and early and dropping this director-selected single cask for members of the SMWS in Australia: Cask 93.204 By the beautiful briny sea.

Early in 2023, I had an opportunity to pick up a whole cask for our 40th birthday celebrations. I wanted something I was confident our members would love, and I’ve heard more than a few times how much we all love the Oily & Coastal flavour profile. That, plus the deserved hype that the Campbeltown region in Scotland gets, meant this 93 was a no-brainer.

After a fair few samples, and a long week of deliberating, we picked this 93. It had that perfect balance of oily mechanical parts, salted cod, green olives, and that summery glass of vinho verde in the garden. Perfect for by the beach, perfect for the summer salad, and ideal for sharing.

The custom artwork from UK artist Andy Hall had the brief of Australian summer if imagined by Keith Haring. That modern

BY THE BEAUTIFUL BRINY SEA $179

CASK No. 93.204 See following page for further details

1980’s energy, the throwback to summers as a kid, the bright and vibrancy of life.

And yes, we’re a bit late with the arrival of this one, but, as they say, the best things in life are worth waiting for. Start your 2024 off with a bottle of this gem on the shelf, completely exclusive to Australian members of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, and our Malt of the Month for February 2024.

BY THE BEAUTIFUL BRINY SEA

BY THE BEAUTIFUL BRINY SEA

REGION

Campbeltown

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

8 years

OILY & COASTAL

DATE DISTILLED

10 June 2014

CASK No. 93.204

OUTTURN

215 bottles

ABV

61.3%

REDUCED FROM $199

AUS ALLOCATION 214 bottles

$179

T MAL HE OF T NTH MO

We found ourselves by the beautiful briny sea sitting in a restaurant on the promenade as we enjoyed a berry fruit salad with honey mascarpone. This was followed by salted cod with green olives and capers accompanied by a salad niçoise with a glass of vinho verde – a refreshing green apple-crisp wine that comes from a small region in northern Portugal. Following reduction, we discovered a lovely dessert in the form of an apple, pear and vanilla sponge pudding with custard. On the palate, it was still very refreshing but with that delicate sweetness of a classic daiquiri of white rum, sugar and lime.

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TIME FOR A SPRING CLEAN

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

10 years

SPICY & SWEET

DATE DISTILLED

17 October 2011

CASK No. 73.141

OUTTURN

237 bottles

ABV

58.3%

$179

AUS ALLOCATION 36 bottles A fresh minty aroma gave us the impression of a springcleaned room with a bouquet of white roses as the centre piece. The palate was therefore no surprise as being ‘clean as a whistle’, with extra strong mints as well as Kendal mint cake before we made a bit of a mess eating salt and vinegar crisps to then wash it all down with a Jamaican sorrel drink. Following reduction, the bouquet of flowers consisted of white chrysanths and green foliage as we enjoyed a classic, totally crowdpleasing dessert of banoffee pie made with a thick caramel sauce on a buttery biscuit base before we finished with olive oil popcorn.

ORIENT AND OCCIDENT

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

9 years

SPICY & SWEET

DATE DISTILLED

21 May 2012

CASK No. 28.78

OUTTURN

186 bottles

ABV

61.2%

$180

AUS ALLOCATION 30 bottles We imagined preparing a fudgy chocolate babka with blanched hazelnuts, chopped dark chocolate and cocoa powder. Through the kitchen window the wind carried the sweet scent of elderflower growing in abundance outside in a hedgerow. The palate started with a mango and mint salad before the main course of a chicken vindaloo with roasted cashews. With water the nose turned creamier with empire biscuits, Eccles cakes and a slice of cream cheese walnut cake. The taste became tamer with flavours of warm salted caramel brownies and a Boston cream pie.

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YOUTHFUL INNOVATION Earlier in this Outturn, I wrote about how innovation and advancements in distilling have changed the course of whisky forever. Cask 155.2 is a prime example. The first whisky to ever be distilled in Israel, and the beneficiary of Dr Jim Swan’s work as their first master distiller and cask consultant. Dr Swan’s pioneering work as a chemist and biologist in the whisky trade also included the ‘STR’ casks we see in use today, which stands for ‘shave, toast, re-char’ process of wood reinvigoration. A double first, an important whisky, and an odd working from our SMWS spirits team. This cask is 50% peated new make, and 50% unpeated.

Our expert tasting panel put it in the Spicy & Sweet profile, but see where this lands for you!

This isn’t just a first for the Society, but the first appearance of code 155 in Australia.

KATSU AMID THE MAPLE SPICY & SWEET

CASK No. 155.2

$195

REGION

Israel

CASK TYPE

1st fill barrique - shave, toast, re-char

AGE

4 years

DATE DISTILLED

19 July 2018

OUTTURN

270 bottles

ABV

65.9%

AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles A burning mincemeat pie was being extinguished with simple syrup, brandy and a blend of treacle and golden syrup. On the palate we found katsu breadcrumbs, roast chicken, black pepper, smoked cherries and strawberry tarts. Water introduced orange soda to the nose, complementing rum and raisin ice cream and resinous pine needles. The palate was now buttery, with raisins, maple syrup and coal dust atop panna cotta. This cask was filled with 50% unpeated and 50% peated new make.

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SPICY CHERRY DANISH

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

9 years

SPICY & SWEET

DATE DISTILLED

25 January 2012

CASK No. 1.264

OUTTURN

237 bottles

ABV

58.4%

$195

AUS ALLOCATION 36 bottles We prepared a lime and Frangelico liqueur parfait with white chocolate wafers, as well as a yoghurt cranberry bar using Greek yoghurt, fresh strawberries, raw cocoa nibs and dried cranberries. On the palate neat, pineapple chunks, roasted pears, honey and nut muesli as well as dark chocolate key lime pie truffles. Water certainly released a fruity apple aroma like in a strudel or a turnover, alongside fruit-infused herbal tea and tea tree oil. To taste, it was like biting into a cherry Danish made with buttery puff pastry filled with a spicy cream cheese and tart cherries.

ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE CASK

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill puncheon - heavy char #4+

AGE

10 years

SPICY & SWEET

DATE DISTILLED

23 June 2011

CASK No. 72.109

OUTTURN

636 bottles

ABV

57.4%

$220

RA EXT URED MAT

AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles The nose spiralled from earthy base notes of cask char, black pepper and rye through mid orchestra exotic woods into heavenly harmonies of toffee apples, rum fudge and lemongrass. The palate stirred deep swirls of ash and toasted oak up into malted biscuits and wood resins, with top notes of heather flowers and freeze-dried strawberries. Water sweetened the nose to crème brulée, manuka honey and Sauternes, with hints of orange, lemon, rosewater and tobacco. The palate found pumpernickel bread, muesli, almonds and ginger, maple-cured bacon and waxy cherries. After eight years in an oloroso butt we transferred this into a heavy-char first-fill puncheon.

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REGION

Speyside

MENTHOL AGILITY

CASK TYPE

2nd fill bourbon barrel

AGE

9 years

SPICY & DRY

DATE DISTILLED

11 December 2012

CASK No. 89.17

OUTTURN

231 bottles

ABV

67.5%

$169

AUS ALLOCATION 18 bottles Strong vapours of menthol and mint suggested soothing muscle rub with sandalwood incense and almond biscuits topped with cumin and caraway seeds. Dry flavours of pencil shavings and nutmeg in hessian sacks sweetened towards floral honey, butterscotch and nut butter before warming ginger wine was served. Herbal aromas, hazelnut oil and toffee combined to create a sticky cough mixture while custard cream biscuits became coated with whipped cream. Flavours now embraced cocoa nibs and fragrant tobacco with exotic wood resins and the lasting character of burnt cranberries.

REGION

Highland

ANDALUSIA IN A GLASS

CASK TYPE

1st fill Oloroso hogshead

AGE

13 years

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

DATE DISTILLED

3 February 2009

CASK No. 68.91

OUTTURN

282 bottles

ABV

58.4%

$185

RA EXT URED T MA

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AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles The nose instantly evokes leather boots dancing on a wooden floor; also muscovado, tea chests, blackcurrant bushes and candied orange slices. The palate experiences a big bold red wine, cherry Tunes, sugared almonds and Brazil nuts, with a lingering finish of tobacco, menthol, ginger, nutmeg and clove. The reduced nose finds treacle, brandy snaps and sweet toasted coconut. On the palate we are now back in the flamenco tavern – manchego, matured Serrano ham, pipe tobacco and Mantecados de vino from Estepa. An Andalusian adventure in a glass.

After ten years in ex-bourbon wood, we transferred this into a first-fill Oloroso hogshead.

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COWPUNCHER RODEO DRAM

REGION

Texas

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

4 years

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

DATE DISTILLED

15 February 2017

CASK No. 140.14

OUTTURN

122 bottles

ABV

61.8%

$249

RA EXT URED MAT

AUS ALLOCATION 70 bottles The nose delivered treacle, sherry and Big Red gum, red fruits and berries trampled by new cowboy boots and the after-sniff of Indonesian clove cigarettes. On the palate, the still-booted cowboy was smoking a cigar and tasting dried figs, port-soaked raisins and apples baked in brandy. The reduced nose deepened our fascination with custard tarts, prunes, cinnamon rolls and toasted almonds. The palate now reminded us of Camp chicory and coffee essence, baked bananas, candied orange dipped in chocolate, Beech-nut chewing gum and oak.

After one year in an ex-Texas Rumble barrel this was transferred into a first-fill bourbon barrel.

MARMALADE MATURED COGNAC

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill puncheon - heavy char #4+

AGE

20 years

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

DATE DISTILLED

17 May 2001

CASK No. 35.310

OUTTURN

489 bottles

ABV

57.8%

$399

RA EXT URED MAT

AUS ALLOCATION 66 bottles Complex aromas merged marmalade, tinned fruit salad and fruit loaf with black tea, aged cognac and bees wax on toasted oak. The palate was rich and complex with sherry notes mixing with cranberries, almonds, hazelnuts while hints of matchbox joined sticky caramel. Water accentuated the cognac aromas but now with figs, walnuts and Christmas pudding. Then layers of herbs and chocolate covered ripe banana, melon and oak tannins with a hint of wood polish. After spending 17 years in an ex-oloroso butt this was transferred to a heavily charred first fill puncheon for the remainder of its maturation.

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ONE OF THE RAREST WHISKIES EVER OFFERED UP IN AUSTRALIA FROM THE MOST ICONIC OF SHERRIED WHISKY DISTILLERIES… Distillery 24 almost needs no introduction. No other distillery on Earth has captured the attention of whisky appreciators like they have, and no other distillery has the reputation of sherry cask maturation like they do. The opportunity to taste their distillate in quality sherry casks is one thing, but the opportunity to taste their spirit after 33 years in original sherry oak is a whole other story.

One of the rarest Vaults Collection offerings ever offered up by the SMWS, we’re super proud to have the opportunity to present this whisky — a single-cask, caskstrength, sherried beast. Quite possibly the rarest sherried whisky ever released in Australia, this is a true time capsule of a long gone era of whisky, and a moment in whisky history we’ll never see again.

LTS VAU TCTION E L COL

Watch this video from Calum & Euan on our spirits team delving deeper into this special release here:

BONKERS FOR CONKERS DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

CASK No. 24.169

$5,499

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

1st fill Oloroso butt

AGE

33 years

DATE DISTILLED

18 May 1989

OUTTURN

611 bottles

ABV

53.8%

AUS ALLOCATION 30 bottles A deep russet hue led us straight into an autumn landscape with aromas of polished horse chestnuts, rosehip, birch branches, prunes, dates and figs. Tasting neat the first thing we noted was “still plenty of zing”, followed by flavours of hay-smoked roe deer with blackberry and beetroot beautifully balanced by a fresh berry chantilly cake.

After reduction, we found cedar, tobacco and dark chocolate notes next to the scent of roasting chestnuts. On the palate were orange oil, raspberry and blackberry jam, ahead of a long finish from a tiramisu with conker coffee liqueur. Following 29 years in a refill oloroso butt, we transferred this whisky into a first fill oloroso butt.

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25 YEARS OF SLUMBER… 244 casks, over 40 years, is quite a bit for the little old SMWS. There’s good reason why our expert tasting panel has approved so many of these casks over the years as well: they are bloody fantastic! Almost always peated, this mainland spirit has been the backbone of Teacher’s blended whisky since day one, with the distillery producing a consistently fantastic dry-smoke style whisky. However, when that whisky gets to this kind of age, it picks up this almost marble-like complexity and delightfully relaxed sugary note, which sits just behind the white clouds of smoke. Not to mention, a 25 year old single cask, cask strength, SMWS whisky for less than what a couple of trips to the supermarket costs these days, is fantastic to see. Only 18 bottles of this cask will make their way to Outturn, so don’t snooze on this.

PEARS AND COAL POACHED IN PORT

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

Refill bourbon hogshead

AGE

25 years

OLD & DIGNIFIED

DATE DISTILLED

23 October 1997

CASK No. 66.244

OUTTURN

244 bottles

ABV

54.5%

$499

M MIU PRE TTLING BO

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AUS ALLOCATION 18 bottles Stood at the foot of the steps up to the propellerdriven plane, the air filled with aviation exhaust: metallic, mineralic, sooty. To taste, wintergreen joined bacon fat and bog myrtle as a platter of salt-baked cod was served with celeriac remoulade. Having introduced water, we found a wonderfully elegant smoke on the nose, with the smell of a new passport joining pears and lumps of coal being poached in port. The palate remained minty, with a sweet, smoky hazelnut and liquorice preceding PVA glue.

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MORSELS OF MODERNITY Right at the start of Covid, we released the 149.1. A new milestone for the SMWS in celebrating this already cult-following distillate. It was peated, youthful, and a great step in bringing this distillery to life. Fast forward to now, early 2024, and we’re super excited to bring the next instalment of this to members. Located on a remote peninsula bearing the same name, this cask is one of the older unpeated expressions, but has had a full maturation in a 1st fill ex-Pedro Ximinez Spanish oak sherry butt. Richly textural, sherried, and something to take on your next bush hike!

A TASTY MORSEL JUICY, OAK & VANILLA

CASK No. 149.4

$220

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

1st fill Spanish oak Pedro Ximenez butt

AGE

6 years

DATE DISTILLED

9 July 2016

OUTTURN

576 bottles

ABV

61.6%

AUS ALLOCATION 84 bottles A pleasant soft vanilla aroma greeted the Panel before the scent of freshly cut pine trees, gentle spices and a hint of sea salt took centre stage. On a freshly tarred boat we then bit into a spicy tuna salad nori wrap with quinoa and avocado before treating ourselves to a slice of strawberry toffee tart. Following reduction, we discovered baked new potatoes with a seaweed mayonnaise dip. This was served with a ‘sparkling galliano’ cocktail of grenadine juice, Galliano and champagne in a flute garnished with a cucumber slice. Creamy, salty and sweet on the palate with a floral fragrance, this was truly a tasty morsel.

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REGION

Highland

A HORNED BEAST

CASK TYPE

1st fill bourbon barrel

AGE

13 years

PEATED

DATE DISTILLED

28 January 2008

CASK No. 4.300

OUTTURN

250 bottles

ABV

61.3%

$189

RA EXT URED MAT

AUS ALLOCATION 48 bottles A bright and superbly chiselled nose that initially displayed lemon air freshener, green herbs, bouillon stock, ham hough terrine and English mustard powder heat. Unusually peated and powerful - even for this old Orcadian Viking! Water made it sharper, more bready, yeasty and directly on lemon juice. The palate displayed an immediate wealth of camphor and tarry peat. Chalky notes, beach pebbles, seawater, olive oil and gauze. At 9 years of age, we combined selected casks from the same distillery. We then returned the single malt into a variety of different casks to develop further. This is one of those casks. Originally from refill bourbon hogsheads, this was further married in a first fill barrel.

A TREASURE TROVE OF CHAR

REGION

Islay

CASK TYPE

Refill bourbon hogshead

AGE

11 years

PEATED

DATE DISTILLED

28 September 2010

CASK No. 53.411

OUTTURN

279 bottles

ABV

58.4%

$270

AUS ALLOCATION 72 bottles A combination of sea spray and green seaweed had us diving for gold on a sunken pirate shipwreck. Meaty notes wafted from hot smoked salmon and dill towards haggis with a burnt cream sauce. A dash of water introduced new aromas of smoked almonds and monkey nuts amid a mash of vanilla ice cream, ash and carbolic soap. The palate retained its fruity demeanour but now with dried cranberries and a fresh sprig of peppermint dipped into lapsang souchong tea served with dark chocolate and heavy tobacco.

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DON’T FEAR THE (PEAT) REAPER! Boom! This is an absolutely peated monster. We love seeing whiskies this big in peat that aren’t necessarily from Islay. This mainland peat is technically called ‘Ruadh Maor’, which isn’t the distillery name, but their internal name for their peated runs. Up until recently, this distillery was in the same stable as 24, 30, and 4, but now runs independently and has been kicking goals. The combination of the spirit’s youthfulness, combined with heavy peating levels and a rich re-char cask makes this 16 a proper chilli and mechanic’s rag with singed pineapple chunks, carbolic soap and pork skin.

BEWARE OF THE REAPER CHILLI!

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

Refill re-charred hogshead

AGE

8 years

HEAVILY PEATED

DATE DISTILLED

2 July 2013

CASK No. 16.72

OUTTURN

262 bottles

ABV

64.0%

$179

AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles Associations came thick and fast nosing neat, aromas of a malt silo, malt extract, an oily mechanic’s rag, damp peat smoke, singed pineapple pieces and the list could go on and on. But the first sip took our breath away - massively salty and smoky like Carolina reaper chilli pepper Bombay mix, complete madness. Water added to the party carbolic soap, plimsols, cowhide rugs, cowboy boots, firelighters and party crackers. The flavour was now that of a cassoulet, slow cooked mutton, pork skin, smoked streaky bacon, garlic sausages and dried haricot beans – rich, rustic and it certainly warmed us from within.

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PITCH DARK FRUIT ARMAGNAC

CASK No. A5.5

$550

REGION

Bas Armagnac - Colombard

CASK TYPE

Refill Armagnac Gascon black oak barrel

AGE

1992

DATE DISTILLED

1 April 1993

OUTTURN

586 bottles

ABV

55.9%

AUS ALLOCATION 24 bottles A gorgeous nose, dripping with dense rancio and things like chewing tobaccos, plum wine, bodega funk, orange blossom and then wee complexities like cinnamon liqueur and muscle rub vapours.

Reduction brought Battenberg cake, orange wine, crème brûlée, boot polish and wintergreen.

Highly aromatic, mature, and expressive. The neat palate displayed liquorice and chocolate liqueurs up front, then fir resins, toasted wood spices and plum wine. With water we found superbly classical things like booze-soaked raisins, eucalyptus oils, strawberry cough mix and mentholated tobaccos. Some leaf mulch and bitter chocolate in the aftertaste.

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REGION

Kentucky

CINNAMON SINS

CASK TYPE

Charred new oak barrel

AGE

12 years

CORN WHISKEY

DATE DISTILLED

31 May 2009

CASK No. CW1.5

OUTTURN

245 bottles

ABV

61.7%

$249

AUS ALLOCATION 42 bottles Aromas of pure temptation bound bags of toffee, butterscotch and cinnamon rolls with the sweet wood of a carpenter’s workbench and toasty bakery notes.

A warm embrace of melted butter on corn on the cob then joined fresh coconut and pain au chocolat while the palate wrapped popcorn, macadamia nuts and maple syrup in soft velvet. Chocolate milkshake arrived with a dusting of cinnamon before cream soda joined charred pork belly and a fresh whisp of peppermint that complimented clean oak on the finish. This mash bill consisted of 80% corn, 8% rye & 12% malted barley.

“JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED”

REGION

Bas Armagnac - Baco/Ugni Blanc

CASK TYPE

Refill Armagnac Gascon black oak barrel

AGE

2003

ARMAGNAC

DATE DISTILLED

1 April 2004

CASK No. A8.1

OUTTURN

492 bottles

ABV

47.1%

$339

AUS ALLOCATION 36 bottles We were handed a bouquet of roses, dark red with soft and velvety petals, with the most deliciously heavy scent – think warm, rich chocolate combined with balsamic and woody notes. Plenty of exotic wood spices on the palate neat as we mixed a Penicillin cocktail of whisky, ginger, lemon and honey. Careful when adding water, as we found cherry blossom, milk chocolate with prunes, bananas doused in spiced rum and cinnamon bagels on the nose. To taste, a surprising fizzy, chilli bite like a prosecco topped up with ginger beer and garnished with a slice of orange and a basil leaf.

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AN ABSOLUTE MASTERY IN RYE I was recently speaking to a colleague and I mentioned this very rye whiskey. I called it “possibly the best rye whiskey I think I’ve ever had”. I stand by that comment. It’s phenomenal. The ‘rye-surgence’ is real. This is also the first-ever appearance of this American distillery in Outturn, and it smashed it out of the park. The basic elements of rye can often be described as ‘black pepper’ and ‘spice’. This is one hundred times more. This is also what I would call a once-in-a-hundred occurrence rye. It’s syrupy, thick, textured, and somehow equally tastes like something made in an old-fashioned distillery and crafted by a coastal restaurant. Try it neat. Try it in an Old Fashioned. Just don’t miss this belter.

REGION

Kentucky

SECOND TO NONE

CASK TYPE

Charred new oak barrel

AGE

5 years

AMERICAN RYE WHISKEY

DATE DISTILLED

12 July 2016

CASK No. RW4.2

OUTTURN

179 bottles

ABV

54.5%

$199

AUS ALLOCATION 24 bottles A cascade of descriptors which included banana bread, fudge, butterscotch, figs, bramble jam, brown sugar, gorse flowers, toasted oak and marmalade were mentioned on the nose neat. A dark juicy earthiness on the palate, flambéed pineapple rings, singed orange peel and toasted coconut panna cotta alongside a black cherry berry tea. Diluted like a warm prawn and seaweed salad, melted salted butter as well as maple-orange spice coated macadamia nuts. To taste at first cannelloni of gingerbread, kirsch mousse and cinnamon ice cream was followed by Seville oranges and cardamom Crème Brûlée and, in the never-ending finish, charred pepper, cloves and spearmint.

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MIGHTY OAKEN CASK PART #2: CELTIC CASKS AND THE MAGNIFICENT QUERCUS

BY CHRIS MIDDLETON

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Whisky expert and Journalist Chris Middleton continues his Outturn series ‘Mighty Oaken Cask’ in this issue with the second chapter, exploring the origin of whisky casks and the significant influence the Celts had in improving the wooden vessels.

T

he invention of the cask originates in the ancient forests of northern Europe.

While humans have used natural or carved wooden containers since antiquity, cutting staves and assembling and binding them into wooden containers was a Celtic innovation over two thousand years ago. The skills to construct liquid-tight containers evidenced a sophisticated culture able to fabricate containers from alder, yew, fir and oak, securing the staves with hoops of hazel, ash

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and willow branches. Three hundred years after the Celts conquered Rome, the Roman Empire began its invasion of Celtic Gaul in 121 BCE and found complex societies skilled in the arts of coopering. Wooden Celtic containers were superior to the Greek-Roman amphora made from fired clay. Small and heavy jars, prone to breakage, usually single usage.

Whereas casks were light, durable, and space efficient for transport and storage, easy to handle by rolling, and for beverages like wine, improved the flavour through oxidisation and interactive wood maturation.

“CASKS WERE LIGHT, DURABLE, AND SPACE EFFICIENT FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE, EASY TO HANDLE BY ROLLING, AND FOR BEVERAGES LIKE WINE, IMPROVED THE FLAVOUR THROUGH OXIDISATION AND INTERACTIVE WOOD MATURATION.”

Cask is a relatively modern idiom from the French and Spanish casque, anglicised in the early 18th century, meaning conical helmet, referring to a shell or protective container.

The term soon became generic in English for tight wooden containers. The early Scots preferred the term barrel, from the Celtic baril. Many terms for different size containers are from Celtic etymology, such as hogshead from Celtic togsaid and the tun, from tonda, originally a Celtic term for an animal skin holding liquid. Tonda, latinised to tunna, became the most popular size for transporting wine, known as the tun. European boats were designed to accommodate the transporting of tuns and, later, variations in capacity to suit transport and storage.

The Celtic culture celebrated beer, worshipping the god of the woodlands and beer, Secellos, who ominously carried a mallet and small cask, likely containing beer — technically, ale, as it was not boiled into beer with hops to extend the drinking life of their fermented wort. If Roman historians are any guide, the Celts were prodigious and excessive beer consumers.

Celtic word for beer was boir and cerversia.

Cerversia lives on today as the scientific name for brewer’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the single-cell budding organism that converts cereal sugars into alcohol. Without ale, the raw material for distilling whisky would not be possible. The Celts venerated the oak forests, revering these noble trees as perq, the etymological root for the Linnean species nomenclature for oak trees, Quercus.

The Anglo-Normans officially set the tun at 252 gallons, becoming the universal definition for shipping tonnage. The tun, hogshead (65 to 52 gallons, varied by country and changing English laws), so too the puncheon (69 gallons), and barrique (36 gallons) became the standard casks for shipping French wines until Iberian wines introduced the gorda (700 gallons), butt and pipe (104 gallons).

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“THE MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN OAKS ARE IN THE COOPERING AND FLAVOUR VARIANCES.”

Over 600 oak species are endemic to the northern hemisphere, and about two dozen are used for coopering.

Oak is recognised by its country of origin, American, English, French and Spanish oak, or the growing regions of Limousin, Vosges, Ozarks and Appalachia, or ports of export, Memel, Danzig and Quebec oak. Behind these

common names are the dominant species.

Quercus alba is the standard American white oak in the United States and Canada.

In Europe, the leading species are Quercus robur (pedunculate oak) and Quercus petraea (sessile oak). Besides having variations in leaf and acorn stalk length, sessile is less bitter than pedunculate due to fewer tannins and richer triterpenoids, making it slightly sweeter. In Asia, Quercus mongolica and Quercus crispula in Japan is called mizunara.

The major differences between American and European oaks are in the coopering and flavour variances. European oaks can only be split for stave making, and American oak is sawed due to its structure and capillary vessels known as tyloses. These different species have discernible flavour variances, with

113 CE: Trajan’s column in Rome commemorating the two Dacian campaigns (101 – 106) in modern day Romania carved events in bas relief depicting large casks. Source: https://www.trajans-column.org/

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200 CE circa: Base relief from Cabrieres d’Aigues at Lapidary Museum Avignon, France, depicts a barque with casks pulled by three boatman. Source: https://www.romeartlover.it/

American oak having much fewer tannins, making it slightly sweeter. Charring further reduces bitter tannin while caramelising more wood sugars, as over 60% of the stave wood is cellulose and hemicellulose sugars, enhancing the sweeter taste.

White oak is higher in lactones, making for a coconut-like flavour, and more aromatic compounds, especially lignin, for a pronounced vanilla-like characteristic when scorched. The extracted oak colour is usually a giveaway to the maturation cask, with ex-bourbon American oak usually showing straw-to-reddish shades compared with European oak, displaying more golden and xanthic hues.

Another oak species not to be neglected is Quercus suber. While the wood is unfit for coopering, its stripped-off bark is the cork stopper sealing most whisky bottles.

The Celts left another legacy. Immigrating to Ireland and western Scotland, Gaelic Celts distilled their ale, in their vernacular tongues, into uisge-beatha or usquebaugh.

Both distilled spirits meant aqua vitae — the water of life, anglicised to whisky in the early 18th century.

Chris Middleton is a long-time Society member and collaborator, regular contributor to Whisky Magazine, and Chairman of Starward Distillery. Keep an eye out for part three of the Mighty Oaken Cask series in future Outturns.

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9 $9 Y IV EL ER +D

VIRTUAL TASTING

GREAT OUTDOORS TUESDAY 20 FEBRUARY @ 7PM AEDT The tail-end of summer is the best time to imbibe fine spirits in great weather, with your Society team in tow! We’ve hand-picked 5x single casks that are either new releases or upcoming goodies to share with you. We think these would be the perfect accompaniment to the warmer months, and a great opportunity to taste what we have tucked away for this purpose. Join the crew of Society team members on a tasting journey through our summery selections this month and discover the widest gamut of whisky flavours on earth.

Live on YouTube and Facebook. Maybe join us from outdoors yourself!

JUICY, OAK & VANILLA

SPICY & SWEET

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

OILY & COASTAL

PEATED

CASK No. 5.103 FRUITY FLORAL FANTASY

CASK No. 155.2 KATSU AMID THE MAPLE

CASK No. 6.64 SPANISH CASTANUTS

CASK No. 93.204

BY THE BEAUTIFUL BRINY SEA

CASK No. 4.300 A HORNED BEAST

GRAB YOUR VIRTUAL TASTING KIT AND JOIN IN THE FUN! SMWS.COM.AU/SHOP

SOCIETY EXPERIENCES

THE GREAT OUTDOORS...

WITH WHISKY PERTH

LOCK, STOCK AND FIVE BRILLIANT DRAMS A full day of clay pigeon shooting, followed by lunch, and drams. A big day out with the SMWS and your ambassador David Stucken.

Sunday 25 February, 12pm sharp.

MELBOURNE

SINGLE CASK COCKTAILS WITH STARWARD DISTILLERY. Friday 23 February @ 6:30pm.

SOLD OUT

MELBOURNE

UNUSUAL PAIRINGS AT WHISKY & ALEMENT Discover single cask and flavour pairings we wouldn’t dare do… or would we?

BRISBANE

Wednesday 28 February @ 7pm.

BRISBANE BOWLS & CRACKING DRAMS

WOLLONGONG

Merthyr Bowls Club, bowls, and whisky in the sun. A marvellous day with the QLD membership awaits. All whisky and bowls included!

Come one and come all for a tremendous tasting with your national director.

Saturday 10 February, 2:30pm.

AN EASTER GATHERING IN THE ‘GONG WITH MATT BAILEY

Friday 22 March @ 6pm.

PLEASE SEE OUR EVENTS CALENDAR FOR FULL DETAILS SMWS.COM.AU/EVENTS 41

Join the SMWS and win one of five bottles of Cask 93.204 ‘By the beautiful sea’ Australian cask exclusive, valued at $199!

To have a chance of winning, simply join the SMWS through any membership, and you’ll automatically be entered into the draw to win.

We’ll then draw the winners on a video livestream on Monday 4th March.

Start your Society journey off with a bottle of this Australian exclusive and your journey into flavour.

Offer runs from 1st Feb to 29th Feb inclusive and only for new members of the SMWS.

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SHOW US YOUR

GREAT OUTDOOR DRAMMING! #summerofsmws

WINKY

A WHIS IT VIRTUAL $9K9 VALUED AT

Photograph your favourite dramming landscape to win a whisky virtual kit, valued at $99! February is all about the great outdoors. The magical moments where the sun reflects off our glass, and we get to open some special drops to celebrate with.

To celebrate, we’re giving away 5x March Virtual Kits, valued at $99, to 5 of the best outdoors & dramming photos we see that you tag us in! Take a dram (or bottle) on a hike, a walk, or even just to your favourite outdoor/backyard

dramming spot and take a Society bottle & glass photo. The most lush, most creative, most SMWS-ethos photos we see will win a pack, on us!

This offer is exclusive to Society members, and runs from the 1st of Feb to the 29th of Feb inclusive. We’ll announce the winners on a livestream on Monday the 4th of March. Post your photos to either our Facebook group, or tag us on Instagram or on Twitter (now known as X) using #summerofsmws, and we’ll keep an eye out.

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