Review #706 - SMWS 135.63 'Calligraphy in Meguro' - Loch Lomond (Inchmoan) 9 Year
In early November of 2025, we had a chance to attend the outturn tasting for the Scotch Malt Whisky Society's November 2025 releases for the United States. Typically, these outturn tastings consist of 6 or 7 different whiskies, and all of the tastings are done blind, with the bottles revealed only after tasting notes and guesses have been discussed. Most of the time, these bottles are single malt Scotch whiskies, but they originate at a variety of distilleries (the Societies has bottled whisky from over 150 distilleries), and there's a huge range of casks at are used for aging. This is 1 of 6 reviews from this month's outturn.
Loch Lomond produces spirit in a number of different styles, and these are given different trade names. Accordingly, The SMWS bottles these whiskies under different codes due to the vastly different flavor profiles involved:
Distillery code 112: Inchmurrin (unpeated, sweet and fruity single malt)
Distillery code 122: Croftengea (heavily peated single malt)
Distillery code 135: Inchmoan (heavily peated single malt)
Distillery code G9: Loch Lomond grain whisky
Distillery code G15: Rhosdhu grain whisky, sometimes peated
Today, we have an Inchmoan single malt in the 'Peated' flavor profile. It's named 'Calligraphy in Meguro,' a reference to a Tokyo neighborhood; the spirit spent all 9 years of its maturation in a first fill ex-bourbon cask.
SMWS 135.63 'Calligraphy in Meguro' - Loch Lomond (Inchmoan) 9 Year
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 115 (2025)
Age Statement: 9 Years
Strength: 59% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled March 26, 2015; 198 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed blind 1 time. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Peat and oily fumes like petroleum or motor oil; behind that, sweeter, creamy scents of creme brulee and apple arrive. That peat is relatively strong; there's also a mild acetic side.
Palate: Smoky peat full of iodine - there's a soft wood smoke side to this as well, like charcoal. Like the nose, sweeter flavors build up: freshly baked apple pie, lots of vanilla.
Finish: Vanilla and cream, some lemon notes and a bit of salt; the peat lingers for a while, and it brings a fizzy sensation.
Final Note: This is a delicious whisky, and we love the juxtaposition of the strong, slightly medicinal peat smoke flavors and the sweet, creamy baking notes. It's absolutely packed with flavor, plenty to keep it interesting for both a long time in the glass, and over several tasting sessions.
This is also one of our best value picks from this outturn - it's on the cheap end of the SMWS spectrum, but it's delicious. Of all of the bottles that we tried at the tasting, this might be the one that we would be first to buy.
Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.58
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Loch Lomond reviews:
Review #210 - Loch Lomond 18 Year
Review #198 - SMWS 122.40 'Smoky to a Tee' - Loch Lomond (Croftengea) 10 Year
