SMWS US June Outturn Jack Rose Tasting Review
Background
Another SMWS outturn tasting review! As always, this tasting was held at the illustrious Jack Rose in DC. And, as with any outturn tasting, a fair number of whiskies (6) at the event. Just like the last few outturn tastings, this review was compiled completely blind, where we had to guess the age, distillery, cask(s) used in aging, and SMWS flavor profile. As such, you'll note a few of my overviews are a bit… guess-y. Sometimes you taste something and get ideas in your head that end up being right (rarely) or wrong (often). A full list of everything covered in this outturn:
19.97 “Enigma Variation” (Glen Garioch)
48.155 “That’s Real Swell” (Balmenach)
68.105 “Musty Mulchy” (Blair Athol)
85.82 “Bringing Abundance” (Glen Elgin)
66.249 “Happily Ever After” (Ardmore)
53.468 “Step Forward, Inhabitant” (Caol Ila)
19.97 “Enigma Variation” (Glen Garioch) (20 Years, 54.5%)
Nose: A gentle, but delectable start. Floral, fresh cut red fruit, hints of lemon candies. What a nose to start out the tasting.
Palate: Honey butter, orange marmalade, baking spice. It's rich, a bit maple syrupy. It's giving me a bit of adult Juicy Juice vibes... in that the fruit is a bit ambiguous.
Finish: Cinnamon heavy French toast. It has a lingering richness and a light peppery heat. Pepper jelly.
Excellent (8/10)
Overall: What a start, this is so delicious and variable, with waves of flavor crashing over the palate. Sometimes it trends a bit fruitier, sometimes a dash of spices, or buttery, or floral. Just packed with flavor.
48.155 “That’s Real Swell” (Balmenach) (8 Years, 60.5%)
Nose: A ripe banana and tropical citrus start! Orange peel and orange oils. It's tart and a bit brazen.
Palate: Canned pineapple at first, followed by a crisp green apple slice. Sometimes a nutty, spicy, banana bread.
Finish: A star anise, and a mexican hot chocolate finish. A bit dry and woody along with some spicy notes.
Very Good (6/10)
Overall: It’s quite interesting… but a little manic. All over the place if you will. I personally enjoyed the zaniness of it more than a couple of my comrades. It can be a little brash at times, with the spices tipping the balance of the sip too much, but the times the fruity notes pop it’s quite nice.
68.105 “Musty Mulchy” (Blair Athol) (15 Years, 57.4%)
Nose: A bit of espresso, pipe tobacco and leather. We must certainly be in sherry territory now. There’s a bit of citrus zest as well, and a general fruit cake-y essence.
Palate: Rich, candied orange slices. The espresso becomes a bit more of a horchata. Creamy, rich, nutty and spicy. Cinnamon, and dried fruits.
Finish: Raisin bread, pipe tobacco and leather. A lingering cough syrup texture to the finish. Waxy a bit.
Very Good (6/10)
Overall: It’s a delightful coating on the finish... but beyond that it's kind of a standard sherry influence whiskey. That’s not to say it’s bad by any means, it’s just that it tastes more like a standard “Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits” offering than a more challenging variation on the format.
85.82 “Bringing Abundance” (Glen Elgin) (16 Years, 56.3%)
Nose: It's a little waxy, black licorice, a little closed off and kind of just whacking you in the face with what I suspect is PX.
Palate: That black licorice persists, menthol, raisin bran. A flavored honey texture and taste. It’s a touch meaty, glazed meats specificall. Heavy on the glaze though.
Finish: Grapefruit? It's a pulpy fruit. Tart, not that spicy, though there’s a bit of crushed red pepper mixed in a sweet glaze.
Very Good (6/10)
Overall: Honestly, it’s kind of a copy/pasta of my thoughts and feelings above. This is a PX hogshead, and it’s a pretty standard PX sherry bomb. I do love PX but this is a little too standard for me to really fall in love with it.
66.249 “Happily Ever After” (Ardmore) (25 Years, 53.5%)
Nose: Charred creme brulee, extra charred. Grilled mango slices. A touch ashy, a touch fruity, and a touch creamy.
Palate: That creaminess strikes first. Followed by grilled orchard fruit and a bit of the char off a grill. Like you get that bite that's just a little burnt. It’s rich and velvety.
Finish: Tropical fruit and a bit medicinal lemon. Mike's hot honey. Grilled skewers with toasted veggies and pineapples, perhaps coated in that aforementioned hot honey.
Incredible (9/10)
Overall: I mean this is… whoa baby. There is ALOT going on… but most importantly it has this lovely toasty creaminess balanced with the lovely occasional fruit note. The wafts of peat smoke that arise throughout are perfectly complimentary to the whole experience.
53.468 “Step Forward, Inhabitant” (Caol Ila) (13 Years, 56.3%)
Nose: Grape juice? Like really elegant grape juice? I've never smelled the wine grapes you smush with your feet but I imagine it would smell like that. Maybe I’m just thinking like a weird musty raisin.
Palate: BBQ spare ribs, pipe smoke, a rich and mouth coating texture that hangs around like a treacle tart. A little woody, but never verging on too much so.
Finish: A menthol smoky, a bit of ash. Dark chocolate, rich and not too dry. But it’s fairly chocolate-y to close us out. Fancy, craft dark chocolate of course. Maybe with a bit of pepper infused.
Great to Excellent (7.5/10)
Overall: It’s a plum saucy, rich Caol Ila for sure. It’s quite rich, and would make a lovely wintery dessert pour. The nose in particular is quite inviting, and the palate rich and luxurious. A fine way to close things out.
