SMWS March Outturn Jack Rose Tasting Review
Background
Going to skimp out on the background for this review because there are 7(!) whiskeys at hand for this March Outturn tasting, and one bonus pour (not in the Outturn) provided by CEO Andrew Dane who was on site for the tasting. Also the setup was really cool, as the whole tasting was done blind and semi-gameshow style, where everyone guessed the age, casks, flavor profile, and distillery for each pour. Big thanks to Tom Smith from SMWS for the excellent setup. Details on each along with notes below!
I Hope You Like Jamming Too! 78.49 (12 Years, 128.8 Proof)
Distillery: Ben Nevis
Nose: Mixed berries, apricot, occasional nuttyness on the nose.
Palate: I got alot of dried apricot here, stone fruit, salted caramel and a bit of custard.
Finish: A little waxy, just a touch, salted caramel and again dried fruits.
6/10
Overall: Great selection for an opening pour, flavorful yet approachable. Myself and the group we were with were all shocked to hear the proof, as the alcohol is tremendously well integrated.
Lotta Good Stuff 46.128 (11 Years, 109 Proof)
Distillery: Glenlossie
Nose: Berry compote, vanilla custard, light citrus.
Palate: Peach cobbler, oak, occasional glimpses of black pepper, creme brulee.
Finish: Creme brulee and peaches alongside a good bit of barrel influence.
6/10
Overall: It’s a touch on the drier side given the oak, but it’s balanced nicely by the stonefruit and various vanilla/custard flavors.
Feels Like a Caress 112.99 (18 Years, 102.8 Proof)
Distillery: Inchmurrin
Nose: White peach, white grape, champagne and honeysuckle.
Palate: Sweet and spicy, chicory (shameless stealing this note from a buddy), oak, orchard fruit.
Finish: Hints of pepper, almond, again white grape.
5/10
Overall: This was just alright in my opinion. A little too mellow, a little too unbalanced. I thought at 18 years the rougher edges would be rounded out a bit. This is also a Saurternes cask, I generally dont love white wines and I’m getting similar notes here.
A Commune of Delights 1.262 (8 Years, 120.6 Proof)
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Nose: Almost a bubblegum or juicy fruit note, again white grapes, orchard fruit, kind of hot
Palate: Honey, white peach, dried apricot, black pepper
Finish: Dried fruit, peaches, hints of lemon and honey.
5/10
Overall: Again a little unbalanced for me here. The nose in particular had a bunch of ethanol I didnt get from the high proof Ben Nevis. The hottest drinking pour of the bunch. Still, a nice underlying honey texture here anchors the sip.
The Proof is in the Finish 9.235 (17 Years, 111.6 Proof)
Distillery: Glen Grant
Nose: Dark red fruit, creme brulee, blackberry. Really inviting stuff here.
Palate: Maple, toffee pudding, brown sugar, jammy.
Finish: Red pepper, nutmeg, berry jam again.
7.5/10
Overall: Ok now we’re getting somewhere. A nice blend of brown sugar notes and dark fruits. In particular, a great nose on this leads you into the rest of the sip, which delivers alot of those same notes.
Hola 18.45 (11 Years, 114.6 Proof)
Distillery: Inchgower
Nose: Figs, sticky toffee, cinnamon red hot candies.
Palate: Fig newton, raisin, toffee again. There’s a late blooming heat here that’s really nice.
Finish: Plum pudding, cinnamon candies, creme brulee, burnt sugars.
8.5/10
Overall: Hell yeah, this is my speed. I’m early on in my SMWS journey but the Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits category is fast becoming my absolute favorite flavor profile from them.
A Proper Summer Dram 4.304 (16 Years, 116.6 Proof)
Distillery: Highland Park
Nose: Saltwater taffy, slightly meaty, subtle hints of fresh cherries.
Palate: Honey, again saltwater taffy (so, salty fruit basically), gentle smoke and underneath that a bit of berry jam.
Finish: Leathery, oily, again bits of underlying berries, gentle smoke.
8/10
Overall: After 14 years in an ex-bourbon cask, this went into a shaved, toasted and re-charred PX cask. While inevitably that process would strip alot of the PX notes out, there’s an underlying throughline of fruit here that’s excellent.
Cliche But Who Cares 66.217 (24 Years, 107.4 Proof)
Distillery: Ardmore
Nose: Mesquite smoke, honey glazed smoked meats. Anise.
Palate: Meaty on the palate, jerky, hints of some type of fruit I can't put my finger on. Pork and pineapple maybe?
Finish: Seaweed, pretty honey forward, salted caramel.
8/10
Overall: Not available in the March Outturn, this was a bonus pour from CEO Andrew Dane. A delicious treat to end on, though I still think the Inchgower and Highland Park were still a bit more my speed 🙂.
