SMWS Tasting Panel (DC) 2024 Review
Background
Back at Jack Rose in DC, for a tasting that is fast becoming one of, if not my favorite, annual event- the Scotch Malt Whiskey Society (SMWS) Tasting Panel. For the uninitiated, we're tasting through six unbottled whiskies. Our job is to taste through all six, rank them, suggest names and flavor profiles for them. The top three whiskies from tonight's tasting, as well as from tasting panels happening all over the country, will be bottled. If you’re curious how last year’s tasting panel went, details are here. Before we get into the reviews, a quick shout out as well to my partner in crime at many of these Jack Rose tastings, he shall remain nameless but I forgot to note ages and proofs and he dutifully did.
Auchentoshan (20 Years, 53.6%)
Cask(s): 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon
Nose: Floral and sweet. Delicate strawberry, honeysuckle, gentle notes of cloves.
Palate: Red Vines, oak, cherry petals and potpourri. It’s a bit spicy! There's an underlying current of creaminess too, like vanilla creams.
Finish: Black pepper, a nice sense of age from the wood. Still a bit spicy! Cloves and charred oak.
Good (5/10)
Overall: The nose is divine, and then it sort of rolls... not necessarily downhill but maybe on a low grade incline from there. The palate is fruity, floral, a little creamy and then the spice starts... and kind of doesn’t let up, leading to a finish that is a wood and spice trip.
Balblair (15 Years, 59.1%)
Cask(s): 1st Fill Ex-Bourbon
Nose: Toasted oak and toasted vanilla. There's a little bit of creaminess here too! It's also a light bit of orange peel.
Palate: An herbal, mintiness. The green part of the strawberry. Salted caramel, cinnamon, and again that orange peel note.
Finish: A medicinal cooling effect, a little bit of herbal tea leaves and a lingering citrus.
Good (5/10)
Overall: Overall it's tasty, but a bit muddled.I think this kind of falls apart with water honestly. It gets a little waxier and dull. There’s still a fun thread of herbal notes and some ex-bourbon casks notes that anchor things. But all in all a fine but forgettable pour.
Tormore (16 Years, 61.9%)
Cask(s): 13 Years Ex-Bourbon, 3 Years HTMC Hogshead
Nose: Sour cherry and cherry blossom. Leathery and dark and menacing. Good menacing! Fun menacing! It portends an exciting sip to come.
Palate: Velvet, hot honey... with extra crushed red pepper, leather and dark chocolate cherries. Some tart green apples.
Finish: Polished wood, a cinnamon red hot, leather again. Tart still! It really hangs around.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: This is fucking weird! It's provocative. Gets the people GOING. I will admit I was a bit more bullish on this than my table mates, so take this review with a grain of salt. I just appreciate its oddness. It's like sweet and sour sauce but also with a shit ton of spice. And then also some polished wood.
Fettercairn (12 Years, 63.5%)
Cask(s): 9 Years Ex-Bourbon, 3 Years HTMC Hogshead
Nose: Fairground candy apples, a medicinal lemon and some kettle corn... salty and sweet.
Palate: Medicinal cherry, black licorice, burning rubber, some salted caramel. Burnt BBQ sauce.
Finish: Menthol, eucalyptus, red pepper, cinnamon again. What did I just drink?
Good (5/10)
Overall: This is a challenging whiskey. I proposed the name "A fire at the fair". It’s intense, a bit aggressive, on some sips that intensity presents as a fun depth. On others, it kind of rocks you back with a weird rubbery funk.
Strathisla (14 Years, 60.1%)
Cask(s): 11 Years Ex-Bourbon, 3 Years First Fill PX Hogshead
Nose: Leather bound books... it's musty. Plum wine and delicate citrus. A dash of anise.
Palate: I think that plum wine persists. It's a bit Manhattan-y (sweet vermouth), orange. Bit of toffee as well.
Finish: Toasted orange, leather and pipe tobacco, a bit of black tea and cinnamon sugar. Oak forward and rich.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: This is a classic SMWS Deep, Rich, & Dried Fruits profile. It’s obviously PX forward, it has the rich fruit notes and rich toffee you’d expect, along with a rather syrup-y texture. This scratches a pretty instinctual itch for me, though if your main takeaway was to shrug and say “eh, another sherry bomb” I’d understand that too!
Craigellachie (18 Years, 59.0%)
Cask(s): 15 Years Ex-Bourbon, 3 Years First Fill Oloroso Hogshead
Nose: Sulfur, espresso and chicory coffee. Hints of burning rubber. This will wake you up in the morning!
Palate: Dark chocolate covered espresso beans. Cloves and cardamom. It's oily, viscous, and rich.
Finish: Mexican hot chocolate, more espresso, toasted oak and black licorice. Long and luxurious.
Excellent (8/10)
Overall: Ah this is dark and dignified. It wears a trench coat and can pull it off. It's a noir film. I love the espresso notes I get from this sip. It also has this dynamic sulfur-y edge that keeps it a bit more lively than a standard Oloroso forward dram. This was definitely my favorite of the night.
BONUS: 33.140 “The Rugged Beauty of Islay” (Ardbeg) (16 Years, 60.7%)
Cask(s): Ex-Oloroso Butt, 2nd Fill Ex-Oloroso Butt
Nose: Charcoal briquettes and smoked meats. The ash floating through the air off a charcoal grill.
Palate: More ash, burnt apple sitting in the mouth of some charred pork. Applewood smoked bacon.
Finish: Campfire embers, BBQ spare ribs, more apple wood and black pepper. The spice comes in at the end here, and it definitely leaves you with an ashy, smoke forward finish.
Great (7/10)
Overall: I prefer my high peat more in the vein of Laphroaig. This is a bit too ashy for me, not to say I don’t get the appeal, but it’s just not entirely to my personal preference. Also, this currently runs a cool $795 on SMWS’ website. Price does not factor into my score, and I’m thrilled the SMWS busted this out, but it’s not how I would spend $800.
