Outturn January 2019

Outturn Flavour bursts – Friday 4th January Issue 01 2019

CHRISTMAS PARCELS Bring happiness, joy and good cheer to the season with this collection of perfectly paired presents and stocking filler single casks.

SUMMER DRAMMING Stay cool this summer with these single cask selections for however you enjoy your dram.

FIND YOUR FLAVOUR BURST AT SMWS.COM.AU

CONTENTS The Spirit of Scotland Andrew Derbidge ............................ 3 Society Spirit Glass The new way to enjoy your dram this summer............................ 4 Society retains crown Independent Bottler of the Year 2018................................. 5

Special Release Cask No 68.18: Triple berry Lamington cake................................. 6 Shifting Sands Matt Bailey............................................ 14 Events Celebrate Burns night in style (and more) .......................... 15

OUR BOTTLINGS JUICY, OAK & VANILLA

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS Cask No 68.18 Triple berry Lamington cake .............................................

6

OILY & COASTAL

YOUNG & SPRITELY Cask No 123.26 Blossom falling onto sponge cake ...................................

8

Cask No 93.92 Fruit pie in a cleaning cupboard.......................................

8

SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW Cask No 5.67 Bellissimo! ......................................................................................

9

SPICY & SWEET Cask No 73.104 Happy hobnobbing moments ............................................

2

Cask No 54.67 Sensational sipping .................................................................. 10

Cask No 10.151 Reminder of the sea ..................................................................

10

LIGHTLY PEATED Cask No PTB.M01 The Peat Faerie ...........................................................................

11

Cask No 29.254 A match made in heaven........................................................

11

SINGLE CASK SPIRITS

9

Cask No R9.3 Caramel custard doughnut .................................................

12

Cask No A4.1 Elegant and inviting.................................................................

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THE SPIRIT OF SCOTLAND Dear Members, I know I’m late to the party here, but towards the end of last year, my wife and I got hooked on Outlander. Our boxed DVD set got a solid run through in short time. Notwithstanding the fact that it’s a compelling story and the show has extremely high production levels, I won’t deny that half the appeal for me lay in the show’s representation of 18th century Scotland and life in the Highlands.

For an Australian, I’ve taken an unusual interest in Scotland’s history and have studied it widely over the last 15 years – although the seeds were first sown when I sat spellbound through Braveheart back in 1995. Leading and hosting the Society’s Ultimate Whisky Tours to Scotland, I felt obliged to be better educated and knowledgeable about Scotland’s history, culture, and political dimensions, and so I’ve swotted up considerably over the years. I’d consequently studied much about the Jacobite uprisings – the underlying story in the first two series of Outlander. (In fact, when we ran the first Society tour to Scotland in 2009, a large number of our group elected to use their free afternoon at Glenmorangie to head back to Inverness and visit the Culloden battlefield). Outlander brought much of my Scottish studies to life in a very realistic and entertaining medium. I guess I’m a sucker for tartan.

The show gives the occasional nod to whisky – much of it romanticised, as the spirit being consumed in 1745 would have been very different

to what we enjoy today. (I doubt much spirit was being aged for 12 years in 1st fill ex-bourbon casks of American oak!) However, where the show is accurate in its portrayal is that whisky was more than just a drink to keep out the cold.

It was a ceremonial drink; a celebratory drink; it was a drink of welcome; and it was used to seal deals, agreements, and oaths. Now I love a beer as much as the next Aussie, but I don’t think a stubby of VB carries quite the same cultural and contractual power!

If you’d like more insight into whisky’s intrinsic relationship with Scotland, I encourage you to attend a traditional Burns Supper this month.

Normally held on January 25th (Robbie Burns’ birthday), a Burns Supper celebrates poetry, haggis, and – of course – whisky. And if you can attend a Burns Supper where Society whiskies are being poured out? Well, even the bard himself would be jealous…

Cheers,

Andrew Derbidge ~ Director, Cellarmaster & NSW Manager

CHECK OUT PAGE 15 FOR MORE INFO ON OUR BURNS WHISKY SUPPER. 3

LIMITE RELEAS D E

NEW SOCIETY SPIRIT GLASS We are excited to bring you the new Scotch Malt Whisky Society Spirit Glass. This is the ultimate companion in your Spirit discovery adventure.

Inspired by the original sherry copita used by professional sherry blenders, our hand-blown tasting glasses have been specifically designed to maximise your nosing and tasting experience. This elegant tasting glass with Society monogram comes with a luxurious presentation box.

We have a limited release of only 42 glasses (more stock available in April) so first in best dressed for this release. $30 per glass inclusive of a beautiful presentation box.

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SOCIETY RETAINS CROWN AS INDEPENDENT BOTTLER OF THE YEAR The Scotch Malt Whisky Society has been awarded Independent Bottler of the Year 2018 in Whisky Magazine’s Independent Bottlers’ Challenge (IBC) competition, the sixth win for the SMWS in the past nine years.

What a year 2018 was – and what a conclusion!

competition, 11 awards in the International Wine and Spirits Competition, 12 awards in the Scotch Whisky Masters, and an unprecedented seven double-gold medals out of our seven total whiskies submitted at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

The Society also won the regional awards for Independent Bottler of the Year for Campbeltown, Lowland, Grain, Irish and Japanese whiskies. And that’s not all – we also won the overall award for Bar Group of the Year, and 28 Queen Street was highly commended in the Whisky Bar of the Year category.

“This is a fantastic accolade for the Society as a whole, for the quality of our single cask, single malts, and the consistently high standards we set,” said Kai Ivalo, spirits director at the SMWS. “It’s also worth noting that we’ve now won the IBC Independent Bottler of the Year award for six of the past nine years.”

This final accolade as Independent Bottler of the Year for 2018 concludes the Society’s most successful year of awards, with the ‘Best in Show’ award among our wins in the Luxury Masters

Access to the Society’s award-winning whiskies is just one reason why we’re the world’s leading whisky club – it’s also a place where whisky lovers can come together to share their passion for single cask, single malt. So thank you for being part of the club – and let’s raise a glass to an equally enjoyable and successful year ahead with new and exciting tasting experiences and incredible bottlings. And look out for three of the IBC award-winning bottlings coming soon!

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SPECIAL RELEASE For our January special release, supplanting Malt of the Month, we’re proud to present Cask 68.18 Triple berry Lamington cake. This was selected by Partner Bar, Whisky & Alement in Melbourne, from a range of special cask samples, and bottled in their name to commemorate five great years of partnership.

Released mid-December at the Melbourne Christmas party, it has been flying out the door since. Whether you’ve dropped into W&A to taste it yet or want a bottle or two for yourself, we deemed it worthy to properly feature this milestone cask for January as well. A true piece of history for Australian members and a properly jammy cask to kick off 2019.

TRIPLE BERRY LAMINGTON CAKE

Highland

CASK TYPE

Re-charred hogshead

AGE

7 years

DATE

11 June 2010

DEEP, RICH & DRIED FRUITS

OUTTURN

1 of 298 bottles

CASK NO. 68.18

ABV

58.3%

AUS ALLOCATION

Whole Cask

$169.00

W + A SA RY VER ANNI LEASE E R

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REGION

W+A Tasting Notes: Jersey Caramels, cigar box, spice cupboard, custard, leathery, milk stout, cherry chocolates, autumnal, sherry notes, caramel. Red wine, juicy, full fat, condensed milk. Marmalade on the hob, custard tarts, malt milkshake. Roasted aubergine, egg custard, Victorian cough syrup, liquorice root, bouquet garni, sweet potato pie. Liquorice, nutty. Responds well to water. Whipped cream, malted milkshake, burnt raisins in the finish.

7

BLOSSOM FALLING ONTO SPONGE CAKE

REGION

Highland

CASK TYPE

1st fill barrel

AGE

9 years

DATE

29 August 2008

YOUNG & SPRITELY

OUTTURN

1 of 216 bottles

CASK NO. 123.26

ABV

61.2%

AUS ALLOCATION

36 bottles

$167.00

MER SUM MING DRAM

FRUIT PIE IN A CLEANING CUPBOARD

The nose began with a stroll through the orchard as blossom fell from the trees and white roses bloomed in the hedgerows. Delicate fruit notes of peach, apricot and cherry stood alone but later become enveloped by butter pastry to form shortbread and apple pie. Banana bread sat comfortably beside a hot cup of Earl Grey tea and a slice of vanilla sponge cake. The palate came dressed with spice as chilli, cloves and ginger prickled the tongue before cooling into a menthol breeze. Banana flavouring returned and joined ripe melon with a drizzle of honey before finishing sweet on a bed of white chocolate.

REGION

Campbeltown

CASK TYPE

1st fill barrel

AGE

12 Years

DATE

21 March 2005

YOUNG & SPRITELY

OUTTURN

1 of 218 bottles

CASK NO. 93.92

ABV

57.7%

$195.00

AUS ALLOCATION

36 bottles

The initial nose suggests oiled wood and fresh-made donuts on waxed paper – maybe some Dabitoff fabric cleaner – then Dolly Mixtures, sugared apple turnovers and a twist of lemon. The palate is sweet, fruity and warming, with good viscosity – apple and sultana pie flavoured with cinnamon and clove – even some chilli on the after-taste. With water, we return to the cleaning cupboard momentarily, before rediscovering confectionery (spearmint chews, Refreshers). The palate gets golden syrup, banana and orange – and a citric, salty combo like salted sherbet lemons or lemon squeezed on oysters (served on slate); the finish produces humbugs and hot-cross buns.

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REGION

Lowland

CASK TYPE

1st fill ex-bourbon barrel

BELLISSIMO!

AGE

15 years

DATE

16 January 2003

SWEET, FRUITY & MELLOW

OUTTURN

1 of 180 bottles

CASK NO. 5.67

ABV

55.3%

AUS ALLOCATION

30 bottles

$229.00

On the nose neat it felt like a colourful plate of yellow, pink and orange macarons as well as cape gooseberries, fragrant purple roses and candy-floss flavoured sweets.

On the palate neat we enjoyed Italian – Neapolitan (vanilla extract, cocoa powder and purred strawberry) oats with aged Mosto cotto (Italian grape must syrup) liberally poured over it. Water added the fragrant aroma of sweet pink grapefruit soap and honeysuckle honey from Sicily which was then spooned over stracciatella (chocolate chip) and sette veli gelato (different kind of chocolate, hazelnut praline and crunchy biscuit) – bellissimo!

HAPPY HOBNOBBING MOMENTS

REGION

Speyside

CASK TYPE

Refill ex-Oloroso butt

AGE

16 years

DATE

24 September 2001

SPICY & SWEET

OUTTURN

1 of 414 bottles

CASK NO. 73.104

ABV

55.6%

AUS ALLOCATION

24 bottles

$245.00

The colour was like a glowing orange sunset over the ocean and sandy beach. The air was filled with cinder toffee, raisins, dates, Brazil nuts, balsamic vinegar and a rich Malmsey Madeira wine. On the palate we nibbled sweet, salty and spicy roasted party nuts whilst we chatted, sharing a laugh and a drink with friends.

After we added some water the aroma was that of char-grilled bacon rolls and pears in spiced white wine, whilst to taste vanilla cheesecake with blood oranges, caramel and a hazelnut flapjack-digestive biscuit crust as well as a red wine & cayenne chocolate mousse.

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REGION

Speyside

SENSATIONAL SIPPING

CASK TYPE

2nd fill barrel

AGE

17 Years

DATE

10 February 2000

JUICY, OAK & VANILLA

OUTTURN

1 of 102 bottles

CASK NO. 54.67

ABV

49.0%

AUS ALLOCATION

36 bottles

$235.00

A refreshing fruit salad with juicy chunks of pineapple, pear, apple and honeydew melon in elderflower syrup added a mysterious floral sweetness to the mix and made this a real gem. Almost seamlessly we moved on to the palate where a white wine sangria with Granny Smith apples, lemon juice, blueberries, soda water and a few tablespoons of elderflower liqueur made for a truly sensational sipping experience.

A drop of water adds some ripe dark red cherries on the nose and a blood orange Champagne cocktail – soak a sugar cube in blood orange bitter, drop it into a filled flute with Champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.

REGION

Islay

REMINDER OF THE SEA

CASK TYPE

Refill barrel

AGE

11 Years

DATE

6 October 2006

OILY & COASTAL

OUTTURN

1 of 188 bottles

CASK NO. 10.151

ABV

60.3%

AUS ALLOCATION

30 bottles

$190.00

We imagined having a plate of oysters covered in a squeeze of lemon, a Champagne-vinegar mignonette and freshly grated horseradish by the side. However, before we tucked in, we had a cilantro-infused sweet, spicy and salty jalapeno Margarita cocktail - a truly refreshing and invigorating invitation. Diluted, more maritime, more coastal on the nose, honey sweetened sugar kelp crisps as well as spaghetti alle vongole (with clams), whilst on the palate a sweet-spicy-salty freshly cut juicy pineapple and a frozen daiquiri that Hemingway so rhapsodically described as “looking like the sea where the waves fall away from the bow of a ship when she is doing thirty knots”.

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REGION

Islay

A MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN

CASK TYPE

Refill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE

9 years

DATE

29 August 2008

LIGHTLY PEATED

OUTTURN

1 of 234 bottles

CASK NO.

ABV

60.3%

AUS ALLOCATION

30 bottles

29.254

$220.00

Very inviting nose neat, grilled jerk shrimps and pineapple skewers next to spice-grilled (cinnamon, cloves and vanilla bean) pineapple with smoky mescal-whipped cream and a white pepper and ginger lemon cake.

Initially a spicy, sweet, hickory peat smoke assault, which however soon mellowed ever so slightly and making it overall an exhilarating experience. With some water burnt heather and lavender was added on the nose whilst a briny, salty, sweet melange developed on the palate, like a bowl of sweet briny mussels with crispy smoky bacon – a match made in heaven, or indeed in your glass!

REGION

Blended Malt

THE PEAT FAERIE

CASK TYPE

1st fill barrels & refill hogsheads

AGE

10 years

DATE

6 July 2007

LIGHTLY PEATED

OUTTURN

1 of 2948 bottles

CASK NO.

ABV

50.0%

AUS ALLOCATION

204 bottles

PTB.M01

$135.00

The Panel enjoyed the gentle unfurling of aroma in this one. A soft but smoky heather ale note emerges at first, followed by freshly rolled oats, a smouldering hay bail, wet beach pebbles and a hint of buttery marmite toast.

Water reveals lemon wax, orange bonbons, smoked teas and sudocreme. The peat is louder in the mouth, a big, bold and leanly muscular wave of drying phenols and hot air from a peat furnace. Some anthracite smoke, a distant puffer exhaust and finally a return to more farmyard qualities with cow sheds, earth and wood embers.

A suggestion of green peppercorns in brine and a soothing sootiness. Reduction produces notes of roasted pine cone, frying bacon and freshly ground black pepper along with a meaty, fennel sausage note.

11

CARAMEL CUSTARD DOUGHNUT

REGION

Panama

CASK TYPE

Refill ex-bourbon barrel

AGE

11 Years

DATE

1 January 2006

RUM

OUTTURN

1 of 264 bottles

CASK NO. R9.3

ABV

60.8%

AUS ALLOCATION

18 bottles

$195.00

The initial nose neat was like a homemade Caribbean pepper sauce, using fresh mangos and pineapples, scotch bonnet peppers, cloves, cumin, cilantro with some lime vinegar and brown sugar. On the palate neat a slightly dry, slightly bitter but perfectly balanced with an unctuous sweetness of buttermilk scones served with jam and clotted cream. A drop of water and aromas of a salted caramel cheesecake and golden syrup sponge appeared. On the palate like a soft doughnut with custard filling dipped in a caramel sauce made it an absolute tasty delight for anyone with a sweet tooth.

REGION

Bas Armagnac

ELEGANT AND INVITING

CASK TYPE

Armagnac barrel

AGE

15 Years

DATE

Vintage/2002

ARMAGNAC

OUTTURN

1 of 546 bottles

CASK NO. A4.1

ABV

49.1%

AUS ALLOCATION

30 bottles

$180.00

This copper coloured Baco grape Bas-Armagnac offers aromas of apple pie with caramelised sugar, gentle spices (cinnamon and cloves), dried flowers and winey freshness.

Fruits develop with dark cherries and then caramelising melted butter. Hints of black tea together with tobacco, resin and a slight woody character contribute to a drying nose. The refined taste has gentle tannins and woody spices balanced with vanilla custard, prunes and apples.

This turns slightly nutty with wax furniture polish. It is sweet and warming with a short and drying finish that leaves you wanting more. This small estate and ineyard was purchased by the current owners in 1990. Only eight hectares are used for making Armagnac.

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SHIFTING SANDS Welcome to 2019! Even while writing this, it’s hard to believe that number is the year.

Isn’t it still 2007 or something? Yeesh.

First up, let me wish you all a Happy New Year.

I’m really excited about what’s ahead this year, working with a great team at the SMWS locally and worldwide, and really just looking forward to some of the experiences and casks we’re going to be bringing you.

Something has been bouncing around in my head lately, in the trends of whisky worldwide which I wanted to remark on. There’s a pattern emerging over the last few years of where major spirits companies have been jettisoning otherwise A-grade brands from their portfolios, and then sometimes buying much smaller, more boutique brands. Diageo recently sold off Seagrams, John Begg, Goldschlager etc., while announcing plans to reopen Brora. Pernod recently sold off ‘Lord Calvert blended whiskey’ and ‘Explorer vodka’ while buying Del Maguey mezcal and Avion tequila. Brown Forman sold off their massive Southern Comfort brand while buying little old Glendronach, Glenglassaugh and Benriach. That last example is most telling 14

as a statistic: those three Scotch whisky distilleries don’t even collectively produce one third of what Southern Comfort sells in a year. But the writing is on the wall, and more and more the trend is showing that people are opting to drink less, but drink better. Johnnie Walker Red Label is down again, Southern Comfort is down, and consumers are opting to drink a nicer tipple, and a little bit less of it.

Appreciation and enjoyment over getting blotto.

That’s what the Society is, that’s what our events are, and that’s what ‘upgrading’ to great single cask spirits is all about.

Enjoy this summer issue of Outturn, pull up a chair, have a read, and see you soon!

Cheers,

Matt Bailey ~ SMWS National Ambassador Twitter: @smws_matt Email: bailey@smws.com.au

EVENTS SYDNEY

ADELAIDE

A Society Burns Supper – dinner (incl. haggis, of course), whisky and poetry from The Bard.

A fun evening of Society bottlings and craic at Hains & Co.

BURNS WHISKY SUPPER

THURSDAY 24 JANUARY, 6.30 FOR 7.00PM Location: Royal Automobile Club, 89 Macquarie Street, Sydney Host: Matt Bailey, National Ambassador & Anthony Cowie, SMWS Panelist

SMWS BOILERMAKERS AT WAYWARD BREWING CO. An evening of cracking craft beers, Society malts and tasty fare at Wayward Brewing Co.

WEDNESDAY 13 FEBRUARY, 6.30 FOR 7.00PM Location: Wayward Brewing Company, 1 Gehrig Ln, Camperdown NSW 2050 Host: Matt Bailey, National Ambassador

MELBOURNE

WHISKY DINNER AT P.J.’S A Member favourite at P.J. O’Brien’s Irish pub for some delicious food and divine drams.

THURSDAY 7 FEBRUARY, 6.00 FOR 6.30PM Location: P.J. O’Brien’s, Southgate Shopping Precinct, Southbank Host: Owen Smythe, VIC Manager

PERTH

SOCIETY SUMMER BARBEQUE A Society Summer barbeque in the gardens of our Partner Bar, Bar Lafayette. Select your own summer dramming and dishes!

SATURDAY 9 FEBRUARY (NOTE DATE MOVED FROM 19 JAN), 2:30PM TIL LATE Location: Bar Lafayette, Brookfield Place, 125 St George’s Tce, Lower George’s Lane, Perth Hosts: Matt Bailey, National Ambassador & Jason Davies, WA Manager

WHISKY KISSES THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY, 6.00 FOR 6.30PM Location: Hains & Co., 23 Gilbert Pl, Adelaide Host: Matt Bailey, National Ambassador

CANBERRA

WHISKY DREAMS AT HIPPO CO. An evening of Society malts and camaraderie at our Partner Bar, Hippo Co.

FEBRUARY – DATE TBA Location: Hippo Co. 1/17 Garema Pl, Canberra Host: Matt Bailey, National Ambassador

WOLLONGONG

SMWS X BULLARD BREWING BOILERMAKERS An evening of cracking craft beers from Wollongong’s newest brewer, Society malts and delicious tapas.

MARCH – DATE TBA Location: Bull & Bear Restaurant, 2A Victoria St, Wollongong Host: Fred Apolloni, Wollongong Manager

BRISBANE Details of the next Brisbane shindig will be posted online shortly – please check our website for details.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO BOOK IN FOR ANY OF THESE EVENTS, PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CONTACT OUR OFFICE.

SMWS.COM.AU/EVENTS 15

FIND YOUR FLAVOUR AT SMWS.COM.AU

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

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Society whiskies are offered and sold through The Wine Empire Pty Ltd, Liquor Licence LIQP770010175.