DEEP FROM WITHIN THE BODEGA

Meaty distillate, long fermentation, and stainless steel bits to reduce copper contact are just some of the curios of this Diageo workhorse distillery, code named ’41’ in Society livery.

Distillery 41 was built in 1851 by a Mr William Mackenzie (well before his son Thomas would build distillery 65 across the river) and at one point in the late 1800’s was one of the biggest malt whisky distilleries operating in Scotland. Its other claim to fame throughout history is that it’s also the first distillery to install the classic pagoda on the kiln with the goal of minimising contact between the peat smoke and the drying malt.

The distillery also had the unfortunate history of being burned down, twice, and being faithfully and lovingly rebuilt twice. Modernisation has led the distillery today to being a lot more efficient, and probably less likely to burn to the ground, but it still maintains that heavy, rich, textural quality to the spirit, and when extra-matured in a rather special ex-bodega sherry butt it really comes alive.

For this release, we’ve worked closely with a cask supplier on sourcing some genuinely fantastic ex-bodega sherry butts to mature our spirit in. We’ll dig more into this topic of bodega vs seasoned casks on an upcoming YouTube video, but in the meantime I urge you not to miss this 41.149 Merry cherry sherry for our special Malt of the Month release. Notes of butterscotch pudding, sherry-soaked raisins, and dunnage floor mushrooms!

Available first Friday on the 7th of April at midday AEST, and only through smws.com.au/shop.