In January of 2014, Scotland and its whiskies were granted geographical indication status by the World Trade Organization. This means that for the first time in their long history, the Scots could officially claim their product as their own. Much like balsamic vinegar from Modena in Italy or Comté cheese from the Jura Massif region of Eastern France, Scotch whisky must be produced a certain way and is monitored for authenticity and consistency in an effort to maintain a standard that is recognized as quality around the world. Most importantly, if it isn’t made in Scotland under the rules of Scotch whisky production, it can’t be called Scotch.
On the subject of authenticity, for almost 30 years, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society has selected their favorite casks and bottled the malts under a clean, coded label. The code on the label can be traced back to the cask and the distillery from which the bottle came. For example, bottle 3.149 is a bottle from distillery three, Bowmore, and it is the 149th cask that the Society has bottled from this distillery. What started out as a few friends sharing a passion for whisky and a thirst to select and bottle their own casks, the Society is now highly standardized with a full tasting panel and rules for selection.
They also give each bottling an interpretative name that reminds me of the tasting notes that I write for our restaurant Rōnin in a nostalgic and sometimes cheeky approach. Originally bottling only Scottish whisky, the SMWS now bottles whisky from around the world. As they are hand-selected single casks, each is a very exclusive and limited release, and the offers vary by market.
Although I had known about the SMWS for some time, my first introduction to a formal tasting of their bottlings was through, of course, Japanese whisky. The SMWS 131.2 is from the now defunct Hanyu Distillery (Hanyu Distillery is code 131) and called ‘magic carpet in a sweetie shop.’ An ex-sherry cask, I was really impressed by this selection and started to seek out their different selections.
Keep in mind that I am not a member of the Scotch Malt Whisky Society at this time and I have no relation or connection to any of their sales team or founders. I am simply inspired by this group of enthusiasts who have put together a collection of some very special casks under very clear and concise branding consistently for decades.
In honor of my last post on the regions of Scotland, please see below a selection of Scotch Malt Whisky Society bottles I have tried from the different whisky regions of Scotland. Special thanks to those have been sharing their SMWS bottles with me.
SMWS ‘3.149: Asian Food Delivered by Angel Biker’ Bowmore 10 Yr Single Cask
Country: Scotland
Region: Islay
Vintage: Distilled in February 1998, Bottled in January 2009
Score: 94 Points
Bowmore has a trademark combination of a medicinal and plasticine peat that so intricately harmonizes with savory and gamey notes. Often aged in ex-sherry casks, there can be caramelized, sweet and spicy oxidative undertones found in the drams. Bowmore is often a great example of how whisky can contain real umami; there are definitely more heavily peated examples of Islay whisky but this 236-year-old distillery is a great display of balance and harmony of the region’s characteristics. This particular glass was true to form: the nose displayed a sort of sterile saline quality with notes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and grass fire. The palate and finish were meaty with a Sichuan peppercorn numbness that left me thirsty for more.
SMWS ‘1.135: Luxurious Smooth Spice’ Glenfarclas 36 Yr Single Cask
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
Vintage: Distilled in November 1970, Bottled in January 2007
Score: 95 Points
Glenfarclas has had its share of financial turmoil in their over a century and a half of distillation practice but they have remained a family operation for six generations. Their embrace of the sherry cask is true to the often sweet and warm baking spice notes that can be found in the Speyside; sometimes they are delicate and gentle and sometimes they are more powerful as this dram tends to be, but the fruit characteristics and the integrated (rather than exaggerated) use of peat in their whiskies help define the distilleries that are around the river Spey. This dram has great white flower and stone fruit notes with hits of almond brittle and pumpernickel bread that have thin and defining smoky layers from the first taste all the way through a long finish.
SMWS ‘121.70: Sweet and Juicy, Tart and Fruity’ Isle of Arran 13 Yr Single Cask
Country: Scotland
Region: Islands
Vintage: Distilled in January 2000, Bottled in 2013
Score: 92 Points
The island of Islay is not considered part of the Islands region of Scotland and in fact, Islands is not an officially recognized region. The Scotch Whisky Regulations state that the Islands are actually part of the Highlands but I like to consider this a separate area with each of the seven Islands distilleries having a unique character. One thing that they may all have in common is that they are not Highland whiskies outside of their official designation and this 13 yr single cask from the isle of Arran is a great example. This malt has a beautiful lemon oil note that reminds me of how a lemon peel pops out when I taste the perfect Suntory Kakubin whisky highball. There is an inherent bitterness and aromatic component all at once that brings dimension to the layers of stone and tree fruit that build upon each other as this glass goes from nose to palate. The fruit notes are both candied and dried and a nuttiness supports the glass further past the midpalate and into the finish.
SMWS ‘28.22: Tongue-Tingling Wasabi Wipe-Out’ Glengoyne 19 Yr Single Cask
Country: Scotland
Region: Highlands
Vintage: Distilled in November 1989, Bottled in October 2009
Score: 89 Points
Tullibardine has been independent since 2003, which is somewhat of a rarity today as Scotland’s craft whisky distilleries continue to be purchased by larger companies. The whiskies of the Highlands can be masculine and brawny with a heavy hand in the elements of peat and barrel influence. This dram has a pungent malty and grassy vegetal character that builds on a base of carrot cake. The palate is spicy and woody. For all of its brawn, it is lacking in a balanced structure. The finish has something of a tannin and another kick of red chili or, maybe as the name suggests, wasabi. This was a good dram to try but a little underwhelming in power and a little overwhelming in its sandpaper texture.
SMWS ’27.106: A Boiler Suit in Ballet Shoes’ Springbank 13 Yr Single Cask
Country: Scotland
Region: Campbelltown
Vintage: Distilled in 2000, Bottled in January 2014
Score: 95 Points
Extending from the southeast tip of the Highlands, the famed region of Campbelltown now has only three distilleries in operation. Springbank remarkably carries out every step of whisky production, from the malting of barley to distillation, on the premises whereas most distilleries don’t anymore. With a floral but citrus tang of sudachi and a saline component, this whisky commands depth. Complimenting the saltine notes is honey-roasted peanut with hits of lime zest and a hit of candied ginger on the finish.
Contributing Editor Elliot Faber is the beverage director of two cool Japanese restaurants in Hong Kong – Yardbird and Ronin – as well as Sunday’s Grocery. He is also one of the world’s experts on sake, Japanese whisky, shochu, awamori and Japanese beer.
